Ramble On to Tomorrow's New Country

Reykjavík Iceland

 

The final entry about our wonderful 2-week trip to Iceland is about Reykjavík. This is where we started and ended our ring road adventure. People said the city wasn't that interesting and it's better to be elsewhere in Iceland. The city is fine and we liked our time in it. There's stuff to do even if it isn't as grand or interesting as many other European cities. However, don't make a trip to Iceland to visit the capital and miss out on the real reason to be there.

Snæfellsnes Peninsula Iceland

Iceland has great coastal views to soak in. It's great to just be on the Snæfellsnes peninsula and look around. It'd be a good day trip if you're short on time and already checked out the Golden Circle region. For us, it was icing on the cake to finish our two week drive around the Ring Road. That's the best way to experience Iceland.

More Iceland Ring Road Random

I skipped some good random pictures along Iceland's ring road. We did a lot of coastal driving and had great views to soak in everywhere. There were lots of ocean views, mountains, and small waterfalls to see everywhere. There was a red chair bolted to a rock. 

More Falls, Canyon, Cave, & Geothermal Baths in Iceland

I'll cram several more days of Iceland road trippin' into a single post. There's simply too many pictures over two weeks to show off for this truly remarkable country.

Puffins at Borgarfjarðarhöfn Eystri Iceland

Puffins deserve their own post. Look at that face! They spend the entire winter floating out at sea, but fortunately they were home for the summer by the time we got there.

According to National Geographic, puffins are completely waterproof and spend epic lengths of time at sea, with fledglings riding the waves for a full two years before ever setting foot on land. They can even drink seawater and expel the excess salt out of glands in their nostrils.

Vatnajökull Glacier, Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon & Diamond Beach Iceland

Another favorite day was the one spent seeing the big Vatnajökull glacier at Skaftafell, the icebergs in Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon floating out to sea, and the ice that washes up on Diamond Beach. It was a whole circle of life view of ice.

Well, except for the ice that end up in drinks. Those take a different path back to the sea in an entirely different circle of life.

Iceland has Falls, Columns, & Caves, Oh My!

I haven't seen so many different waterfalls in a two week period. We wondered how many variations of the waterfall theme could possibly exist. Some were near the road and some required a hike. Every single one of them were different and worth it.

Iceland Ring Road Random

There's just too many pictures that could become blog posts about our Iceland drive around the ring road. This is a collection of random shots from two days to focus more on my favorites.

Fagradalsfjall Volcano Iceland

 

We hiked to the newly erupting volcano at Fagradalsfjall on May 15, 2021 before starting our self-drive tour around Iceland. This was the biggest highlight of the entire trip and is a very special reason to visit Iceland right now.

Iceland - 2 Weeks of Fire & Ice

We're vaccinated! This means travel is more of an option. We're still cautious and mindful of the pandemic, so our first travel choice had that consideration. Iceland is on everyone's good list for COVID-19, so it was a win-win scenario for us wanting to travel and them wanting tourists.

Ragakāpa Nature Park

Jūrmala Latvia isn't just about the beaches. There's also the Ragakāpa Nature Park and Jūrmala Open Air Museum with a recreation of an old fishing village. They're great for easy hiking around and seeing different things on the long Easter weekend or any other time. Yes, these places are very near to the beach and you can walk the beach as a part of it. However, when it isn't summer yet and it's still kind of cold, then it's nice to walk around and see some other things besides the beach. Latvia is wonderful for places to hike and this area near Riga is a good one.

Salaspils Memorial

 

To honour the dead and as a warning to the living. In memory of the Jews deported from Germany, Austria and Czechia, who from December 1941 to June 1942 died from hunger, cold and inhumanity and have found eternal rest in the Salaspils forest.

Jūrmala Latvia - Beach in Winter

 

Is that a white sandy beach? Well, the snow is white over a sandy beach, so technically it is a white sandy beach. Going to the beach is a popular activity in Latvia all year. Snow doesn't stop the strolling or sports. It's odd to dig your car out of the snow to go to the beach, but it's still a good way to get some socially distanced fresh air. Here's a previous Jūrmala post with warmer and more crowded times.

2020 Travels

 

2020 is finally done. It hasn't been one of the world's best years in my lifetime, even though it's been relatively good for us. I'll continue my travel blog tradition of looking back on last year's travels. I tried packing some week long trips into the winter to get away from the dark and cold. We made 2 of the 3 planned trips out of Latvia before the year took an unexpected turn.