Our trip home to Maryland came to a crashing halt when we landed in Iceland and discovered Wow Air had gone out of business. As you can imagine the scene in the airport was quite hectic and we were also in a bit of a panic. Flights to any US Atlantic Coast airport filled up quickly and then the prices started going up. So we were stuck. As things turned out, there are worse places to be stranded than Iceland.
Once we determined we weren’t going to get on a flight to the US we decided to find a hotel room and plan our next steps. Off we went to the Base Hotel, which was at one time part of a NATO air base. Our room was pretty basic, but it was clean and warm with lots of space. There was plenty of seating for socializing as well as a game room and play area for children near the reception area PLUS they served coffee and beer. They offered a nice breakfast buffet for about $5, which turned out to be the cheapest food we purchased during our forced layover.
Our first taste of Iceland was Gull beer, called the World’s Best Lager. After our day, we thoroughly enjoyed the full 500 ml glass. Credit to the pristine glacial waters of Iceland. That beer was delicious! We were able to commiserate with other travellers in the same spot as we were. Later I had another with dinner while Rick switched to Tuborg. The staff at the hotel graciously put in an order with Dominos pizza for us as our mobile provider didn’t operate in Iceland.
Later that night we were finally able to secure tickets on a flight to Madrid, via London. The only hitch was we’d have to wait another day. To be honest, after struggling to book a flight to ANYWHERE without the website crashing or having the price increase several hundred dollars before we could complete the booking, an extra day wasn’t disagreeable to us. Sure, we packed for Maryland, not next door to the Arctic Circle, but with layers and a new hat and scarf for Rick we could at least explore Reykjavik, the capital.
The hotel staff again came through for us: explaining how and where to catch the No 55 bus from the Keflavik airport and to transfer to the No 1 bus to go downtown. The bus was very comfortable and had wifi. We had awesome views of the landscape. Bleak, terrible and beautiful all at the same time. I have a healthy respect for Icelanders who have created a nation out of an island of ice and volcanoes.
We had no difficulties paying for anything by credit card so we didn’t need to find an ATM or worry about converting Icelandic kronas to dollars. The Icelanders speak Icelandic, English and Danish plus many people speak other languages as well. Everyplace we went offered wifi, which was a boon to us. We were able to keep our family apprised of the situation.
Reykjavik, the northernmost capital of the world, is a beautiful city and well worth wandering around in. So we wandered, and visited shops filled with yarn, crafts and anything else that caught our eye. In between shops we admired the Scandinavian style architecture interspersed with organic designs unique to Iceland. We also stopped and sampled the offerings in the pubs and bistros. It was very much like going out for tapas.
You would think that most of the food would have to be imported, but much of it is grown, caught or raised in Iceland. Thanks to geothermal energy there are greenhouses to grow common vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes. They also have root veggies like carrots, rutabagas and potatoes and cold loving leafy greens like kale.
On the livestock side there are sheep (the lamb is especially prized although we didn’t try any), cattle, pork and poultry. Icelandic growers provide enough eggs and dairy products to supply the nation. Naturally, an island nation also eats an abundance of fish and seafood. In addition to things you’ve heard of like cod, herring and lobster, there’s also whale, fermented shark, and puffin.
Our first stop in Reykjavik was a Danish restaurant called Jómfrúin where we had smørrebrød, open faced Danish sandwiches. Rick could not resist the fried egg served over thin slices of roast beef while I had smoked trout served with a little sprout salad and a yummy dilled mayonnaise.
By this point I’d decided the Gull beer was good enough for me. I’m not a beer enthusiast and tend to stick to a brand I know I like. Rick tried another brew called Bríó, billed as the World’s Best Pilsner. (It must be the water!) We finished up with a small, icy glass of akvavit.
Before leaving Reykjavik we stopped one more time in Le Bistro, a charming cafe where they served French and Icelandic food. Follow the link to see their menu. We had a little raclette cheese melted over bacon, potatoes and onions. It was wonderful!
On the trip back to Keflavik, about 30 miles away from Reykjavik, we were on the side of the bus with nice coastal views. We could watch the heavy clouds come in low over the sea, dump some snow, then give way to the sun. The rapidly changing weather suited the bizarre landscape somehow.
Our final Icelandic meal was at Langbest restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. We ordered yet another type of beer, called Thule. Again we had an open faced sandwich, this one was described as “open face cheese gratin ham sandwich, fries and mayo with asparagus, mushrooms and sauce bearnaise.” Ours had pineapple tidbits instead of asparagus but it still worked and the bearnaise sauce was very flavorful. In fact, I dipped my fries into it which, as it turns out, is what Icelanders do.
We were very fortunate our unexpected layover occurred in such an interesting place to visit. Given more time, and proper clothing, we would have loved the opportunity to explore more of Iceland.
If you’ve been thinking about visiting, let me encourage you. While the prices aren’t exactly cheap, they aren’t as expensive as visiting a large American city, either. There are many flight packages that allow for a couple days layover in Iceland before continuing on your way. There’s a lot to see and do. We missed the Blue Lagoon and the Northern Lights. Maybe another time, now that we have a better idea of what to expect.
Sounds like the proverbial turning lemons into lemonade. We’ve been talking about a trip to Iceland and will probably include it as part of a Scandinavian trip later this year. Thanks for the overview.
I’m sure you’ll have a blast! Makes a change from India, that’s for sure 🙂