Athena Pappas

Adventures in New York City and around the world
  • About
  • Adventures in New York
  • Cooking
  • Creative Writing
  • Restaurant and Bar Reviews
  • Travel
  • Category: Iceland

    • Adventures in Iceland: Part V

      Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on June 19, 2019

      img_7264

      Our final day in Iceland before heading back on the evening flight to New York was spent exploring Reykjavik. I wish I had more time to explore this capital city, but we managed to do a lot in just one day. There are many different street art murals and touristy gift shops lining the streets.

      img_7267

      The Sun Voyager statue is a striking monument on the waterfront. Although it does look like a Viking ship,  it is actually a visual ode to dreams and the sun.

      img_7271
      img_7269

      Another must-see locale of Reykjavik is the Icelandic Phallological  Museum. The Icelanders are known for their unusual sense of humor. From whale phallus to tiny mice, this museum is jam packed with specimens.

      img_7270
      img_7272
      img_7273
      img_7268

      Here is a variety of what the museum has to offer. I am next to a whale penis for scale. I highly recommend the audio tour if you have the time.

      img_7274
      img_7276

      For lunch, we had an Icelandic staple…the hot dog! These are hot dogs that are made from Icelandic lamb as well as pork and beef. Of course, you have to try it with the traditional toppings: served in a warm, steamed bun, raw white onions, crispy fried onions, ketchup, sweet brown mustard, and a remoulade sauce. So delicious I had two!

      Afterwards, we stopped for a quick drink at the Icelandic Craft bar. I tried the Brother’s Brewery Gölli IPA. Named after a folk song character, this local craft beer was quite nice: light, grapefruity hops.

      img_7277

      These cartoon vikings, created by Ninna Thorarinsdottir, can be found everywhere! The viking eating an ice cream cone in winter is emblematic of the Icelandic sense of humor. Souvenirs with her designs on them were a great buy to take home to friends and family (I even got a few post cards to frame and put up in my apartment).

      img_7280
      img_7282

      Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church in Iceland, is a Lutheran church and a symbol of the city. In front of the magnificent towering church is the statue of Leif Erickson, the Norse explorer.

      img_7284

      Here I am with Leif! Even in the sunny early October morning, it was pretty chilly out!

      img_7286
      img_7292

      Our final Reykjavik stop before heading to the airport was actually a British import, the Brewdog Brewery (there is also a location in Ohio…but we are unlikely to visit there). It’s a little bit like going to a Hard Rock Cafe of beer, but it was nice place to grab some pub food and sample their brews. It’s a pretty IPA forward sampler…among the ones I tried were the Dead Pony Club (IPA) and the Elvis Juice (a grapefruit infused IPA).

      And that’s the end of our week long road trip through Iceland! It is a beautiful country filled with so many natural wonders.

      Posted in Adventures, Iceland, Restaurants, Review, Travel | 0 Comments | Tagged Brewries, Iceland, Travel, Vikings
    • Adventures in Iceland: Part IV

      Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on June 4, 2019

      img_7203

      After our first night in the capital city of Reykjavik, our next road adventure was the Golden Circle Day trip. These are some of the most famous sights in Iceland given their nearby location, ease of accessibility, and historic significance. Heading out of the city, there was snow on ground even in early October.

      img_7207

      The first stop was Þingvellir National park. Here, you can walk through the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This is the only place where the rift is visible above sea level.

      img_7211
      img_7205

      It isn’t just geography that makes Þingvellir unique. There is a rich history of the area (and several car parks).

      img_7210

      This is the site of Iceland’s first parliament of the Norse settlers around 930 AD. Now it is packed with tour groups. This site is where many historic events of Icelandic history occurred throughout the centuries. In more recent history, this is where Iceland declared their independence from Denmark in 1944.

      img_7209

      There is little left of the ancient settlements in the valley.

      img_7213

      Winding our way through the park, we followed the water to find…

      img_7218
      img_7217

      A waterfall at the end of the path! Öxaráfoss provided a beautiful photo opportunity.

      img_7204
      img_7226

      Here are more shots of the Þingvellir landscape. There are plenty of hiking trails to explore here and even diving in the clear, deep ravines (we opted to skip this).

      img_7229
      img_7228

      The next stop on the Golden Circle tour is the Geyser Geothermal area. Did you know that the geysers here are what inspired the word geyser? It comes from an old Norse word.

      img_7231
      img_7235

      From little bubbling geysers to THE Geyser that all geysers were named after,  this park was really spectacular.

      img_7240
      img_7241

      Some erupt with more regularity than others, but it is not hard to see why people have been coming here for a thousand years to behold this rare phenomenon.

      img_7248
      img_7253-1

      The next stop on our mini-road trip was one of my favorite on the trip. If you guessed a Floss…you are right! The Gulfoss  is a massive, multi-tiered waterfall. There are two walking trails along the Hvita River, the lower once was mostly ice covered so we took the upper, easier route. You can see the lower route in the picture below…while we might have gotten closer it wasn’t worth the risk of slipping on the ice.

      img_7342

      Here is my picture of the falls, I loved it so much I have it framed at home! The power of the melting glacier water is an awe-inspiring.

      img_7258
      img_7257

      All of that sight seeing worked up an appetite! On our way back to Reykjavik we stopped at the Olverk Pizza and Brewery.

      img_7256
      img_7255

      In addition to food fired pizzas, they also brew their own beer onsite…using geothermal power! I, of course, had to try a flight of their very tasty beers.

      Having seen the highlights of the Ring Road, we headed back to Reykjavik. That night, we went to the Blue Lagoon for a little geothermal bathing. I highly recommend getting at least the second tier admission that lets you skip to the front of the line (it also comes with flip flops, a robe, and an extra mud mask). We booked after dark because that was the only time that would work with our schedule. It was less picturesque in the dark, but it was still totally worth going for the experience if you have time. There is a swim up bar (your first drink is included in admission), grottoes,  bridges, the water is warm and relaxing. The mud masks were also fun. Overall, it is incredibly touristy and not cheap, but the experience was so wonderful that I didn’t mind!

      Posted in Iceland, Restaurants, Travel | 0 Comments | Tagged Golden Circle, Iceland, Travel
    • Adventures in Iceland: Part III

      Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on May 22, 2019

      img_7183

      On the third day of our Icelandic adventure, we returned to Jökulsárlón glacial lake in order to see it in the bright sunlight.

      img_7177
      img_7178

      With brighter light, the blue color of the iceberg glaciers is even more stunning.

      img_7186

      With global warming, the start of the glaciers can be seen receding more and more every year.

      ef106631-8c3a-486e-a4d3-3692048bdef1

      After our second visit to the lake, we began our journey back to Reykjavik, which was about a five hour drive. The scenery is breathtaking. There were plenty of places to pull of the road for pictures.

      img_7306

      Here is another place we had to circle back for so I could take a picture!

      img_7194

      It wouldn’t be a day in Iceland without a waterfall!

      img_7197
      img_7195

      After checking into our Reykjavik hotel (The Swan House, which I very much recommend. Nice, clean spacious rooms), we explored the city. My favorite stop was the Lebowski Bar, themed after the Cohen Brothers movie. Packed with American kitsch decor and bowling memorabilia, they have an extensive menu of White Russians (aka Caucasians). I had one topped with Cocopuff cereal! If you are a fan of the movie, you have to make a stop at the Lebowski bar.

      Posted in Adventures, Iceland, Travel | 0 Comments
    • Recent Posts

      • Adventures in Spain: Madrid Day 3
      • Adventures in Spain: Toledo
      • Adventures in Spain: Madrid Day 2
      • Adventures in Spain: Madrid Day 1
      • Adventures in Spain: Barcelona Day 2
    • Archives

      • March 2020
      • January 2020
      • December 2019
      • November 2019
      • October 2019
      • September 2019
      • August 2019
      • July 2019
      • June 2019
      • May 2019
      • April 2019
      • March 2019
      • February 2019
      • January 2019
      • February 2018
      • January 2018
      • October 2017
      • November 2016
      • September 2016
      • August 2016
      • July 2016
      • June 2016
      • May 2016
      • February 2016
      • January 2016
      • August 2015
      • July 2015
      • September 2014
      • August 2014
      • July 2014
      • June 2014
      • May 2014
      • April 2014
      • February 2013
      • August 2012
      • July 2012
      • May 2012
      • April 2012
      • March 2012
      • February 2012
      • January 2012
    • Follow Athena Pappas on WordPress.com
    • Categories

      • Adventures
      • Beer Book
      • Chapbook
      • Charleston
      • Cooking
      • Durham
      • Free Stuff
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • New York
      • Nicaragua
      • Offical Unofficial NYC Brewery Tour
      • Poetry
      • Restaurants
      • Review
      • Travel
      • Turkey
      • Uncategorized
      • Vlog
      • Writing
    • Meta

      • Register
      • Log in
      • Entries feed
      • Comments feed
      • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel