Iceland, Iceland, Baby
A guide to the country that brought my family back together.
For my dad’s 50th Birthday, my mum planned a last-minute trip to Reykjavik, Iceland. At first, I was overwhelmed with excitement. Finally, a break from a lazy week in scorching temperatures that leave you questioning what you actually did on holiday…
Yet I couldn’t pretend that a spontaneous getaway to sub-zero temperatures was going to sew our family unit back together. Already crumbling under the weight of infidelity and redundancy, I became highly cynical in the weeks leading up to the flight. As I lay in bed the night we arrived, staring at the wooden planks of the bunk above me, I wished for an Icelandic miracle to bring back the joy of family trips long gone.
Day 1
For a city that, in the depths of winter, can sometimes only have 5 hours of daylight, the brightness was blinding as left our hotel. As we headed to our first stop, the bitter chill tired to freeze my heart but failed as my eyes set upon Hallgrímskirkja church, one of the tallest structures in Iceland. It was a spellbinding piece of architecture. The climb was tough but comical, with Dad tripping both up and down the steps only to be caught bridal-style by Mum. Upon reaching the top, I’m still not sure if it was the sheer number of steps we climbed or the view that encaptured the whole of the city, but we were speechless.
There is simply no other way to start off your trip than being smacked with the charm of the whole of Reykjavik. Standing at 244 ft, the whole city is exposed. The neatly sectioned suburbs with primary coloured rooves boasted their beauty, stretching for miles until they reach the shore. Tiny figures appeared in the streets, unaware that a family from Kent are gawping in their direction. It’s a real shame my iPhone 4 at the time never captured the extent of the countries beauty! The corner of my eye flicked to my dad's hand wrapped around my mum’s; the magic of Iceland beginning to take hold.
You could spend hours up there but we had so much to do and only three days to complete it all. We proceeded to explore the rest of the city, stopping off at a little bakery for a mid-morning snack. It was called “Brauð & co” and I’d highly recommend it for a fairy-tale feeling whilst munching on a sweet treat. Placed between two Hansel & Gretel feeling cottages, it’s graffiti-covered front juxtaposes with a calming, quaint atmosphere inside. With rows of delectable pastries, it’s hard not to get carried away and buy the lot.
With tummies full and sugar pumping through our veins, we began our trek around the surprisingly still city. Being the most ‘green’ country in the world, the presence of pylons and fossil-fuel burners is simply a memory for the country. Home to over 200 volcanoes and an abundance of hot springs, the geothermal energy of Iceland makes up 65% of primary energy. Other sources used are wind power and hydropower. This explains the calm atmosphere the city radiates, with everything running so naturally. As we walked along the harbour, we came across Sun Voyager (Sólfar), a modern sculpture created by Jón Gunnar Árnason, one year after his passing. It represents his wish for a new world of freedom and creativity. Providing a centrepiece to the backdrop of Mount Esja, we again were lost for words.
Day 2
Today we embarked on the most common tourist route, “The Golden Circle”. Arriving at Þingvellir national park, we wound our way down the treacherous path to Gullfoss waterfall. On arrival, I noticed my dad’s eye start to mirror the cascading water. Never being one for research or much interest in my mum's meticulous itinerary hit hard for this waterfall was the cover for his favourite band; Echo & The Bunnymen. Album three, “Porcupine”, has always held a special place in my dad’s heart, with the music video of his favourite song being filmed at this very location. My brother and I slipped away from my parents to allow them to have a moment whilst we admired the scenery before us. The waterfall itself is tiered, with one section dropping 36ft and the other 69ft. This creates a mesmerising haze as the water cuts into the landscape viewing the impact of the water from above. This is unusual as most waterfalls can only be viewed looking up; Gullfoss creates an almost birds-eye view of water plunging into an abyss.
Conveniently close was Fontana Spa. Now, the Blue Lagoon is a staple image when someone mentions Iceland. Yet, the images don’t mention the extortionate price and even higher amount of people that flock there. My clever mum knew this, so took us to a much quieter but still stunning alternative hot spring. Boasting two pools and a hot tub that are geothermally heated overlooking the breathtaking Lake Laugarvatn. A wonderful alternative.
Day 3
The final day was by far my favourite and by far the one which made our family unit stronger than ever. Mum had booked a highland adventure for us all. Equipped with our Game of Thrones-esque Icelandic driver Marbjörn, a 4x4 vehicle and a sturdy grip, we set off up the mountains, exploring regions of Iceland one could never by foot. Marbjörn drove us to Vatnajokull National Park which can us amazing sights over Sultartungugil glacier and the Esjuföll mountains. He also pointed out Öræfajokull glacier, which is actually the largest active volcano in Iceland. Even covered in snow it was intimidating! Getting out of the jeep for a windy picture was a struggle, but clearly, Marbjörn was an expert striding out against the wind as if it was a gentle breeze. We huddled together screaming we loved Iceland, as my dad gave us all a squeeze to indicate he loved us too.
Of course, the final part of our trip had to be The Northern Lights. It had been a long day but the excitement of a natural phenomenon is hard to dampen anyone’s spirits. In all honesty, it seems it’s pure luck if you get to see their full potential. We were a little lucky, with greens peaking through the pitch-black sky. What seemed phenomenal however is that only mum’s digital camera from the ’90s was the only one that picked up anything!!!
As we headed back to our hotel, all four of us interlinked and snuggled close I realised the importance of making moment count. Iceland is an unforgettable, once in a lifetime location and by making the most of it we became a stronger unit. It taught me to take notice of the little things, whether that's the detailing of nature or the detailing my Mum put into this trip for us all. I cannot recommend it highly enough as a location to create powerful moments.
