This morning was a nice change of pace. We got to sleep in. Snug in our little cabin. Our first flight (of three!) was not until 1:00PM which gave us plenty of time to get dress, drive to Akureyri, and have breakfast at a nice cafe. Afterwards we got to walk around central Akureyri for a bit before driving back to the airport and turning in our rental car.
I'm really glad we got a day with the rental car. The pre-book tours are fun, but I really also enjoy being able to wonder around a landscape and stop and investigate whatever strikes our fancy.
Check in at the airport was even easier than the Reykjavik airport. They just asked us our name this time and handed us our receipt paper boarding pass. Eventually they walked into the departure lounge and announced the flight for Grimsey, our destination. Five of us got up and walked out onto the tarmac. Our plane was not in sight. The airport employee motioned for us to follow him. We walked along the terminal for a bit then turned the corner to see the cutest little plane you ever did see. I'm glad there was only five of us, because the plane only seats eight. Ten if you count the two pilots. And you probably should because we got to sit right behind them. Not in the first row mind you. Technically we were in the second row and the pilots where in the first row. There was no division between us. We got to watch the pilots fly our little plane. Nothing was stopping us from reaching out and giving them a wet willy besides their big pilot headsets.
The flight to Grimsey in our little plane was sensational. Grimsey is an island about 25 miles north of Iceland that has the privilege of having the Arctic Circle bisect it. Our flight to Grimsey included a tour of the island. Two of the passengers on the plane had other business on Grimsey (family relations?) and left immediately. That left three of us to go on the tour. The tour consisted of one of the airport people driving from one side to the other of the 3 1/3 square mile island. We got to see the sites. There is a small village of about 80 permanent inhabitants on the island. A ferry comes three times a week to bring them supplies. There is a church, but the priest lives on the main land so they only use it twice a year for service and on weddings and baptisms as necessary. There is a market and a restaurant. The tour guide is obviously proud of her island. The majority of the people work in the fishing industry. A few cater to tourist like us. There are no police because we are told there is no crime in the small community. She tells us practically speaking there is no law of government except what they decide to enforce.
Grimsey's other claim to fame is bird watching. The island has outlawed most form of animals to protect the birds. They have a couple of horses (literally) and some sheep. All other animals are not allowed on the island. There are a bunch of different birds species but the only two I can identify are arctic terns (let's call them asshole birds) and puffins (the cute ones). Puffins are by far the star of the show. We get to spend time walking along cliffs and looking at nesting birds.
After about two hours we hop back on the plane and fly back to Akureyri. This time we don't even get a boarding pass. We are assured that they know who needs to get on the plane and formalities are unnecessary. I ask the pilots if I can take photos during the flight and they act like I can pretty much do whatever I want during the flight. I love Iceland Air.
Once back in Akureyri we have about 4 hours to kill before our flight back to Reykjavik. We take a taxi to the town center and walk around some more. Getting a bit peckish we decide to sample what the tour books claim is an Icelandic institution... the hotdog. The tour books also claim Icelandic hotdogs (called pysur) are the best in the world because they add lamb in addition to pork and beef to them. I have to admit, it was a really good hotdog. I've come to realize the truth of all things in modern Icelandic culinary circles. When in doubt add seafood or lamb. Trust me, you can't go wrong if you order seafood or lamb. The seafood is ridiculously fresh and prepared with a millennium of seafood know-how. They don't allow imports of sheep so all the lamb is domestic.... and we just so happen to be visiting at the peek of slaughtering season. I'll admit I had my doubts about the cuisine of Iceland before we left, but those doubts we unfounded. We are eating well during our visit.
After the hotdogs we visited the same little cafe we had breakfast in for dessert. Icelandic bakeries know what they doing as well and we were well satisfied with our dessert and coffee.
Finally we hopped a plane back to Reykjavik and after a quick visit to the hotel hit the town again. Stores that cater to tourist like us have no problem staying open to 10:00 PM in the summer. The city is still hopping when we get back at 8:00. We walked around and eventually decided to try a tapas restaurant whose menu looked appetizing (after viewing puffins, now Dawn wants to eat a puffin, and puffin tapas were on the menu). The place must be awesome because we waited for a table for over a half an hour and no tables were to be had. We made reservations for the next day and headed back to our hotel. Our hotel has a Mexican restaurant attached to it. This kitchen was closed but I decided I'd like a beer to end the day. There was a miscommunication with the waiter and I ended up with two beers. I decided to view this as an opportunity rather than a mistake.
No comments:
Post a Comment