Look at moy. Look at moy, Look at moy ...

To be fair there has perhaps been a little bit less of the social media sharing on this trip than usual, keeping it to the blog. One of the things I have taken from this time of covid is to try and reduce the virtual stream of consciousness and focus on the real and actual (until now!). 5 days of very real and actual have consolidated that thought process to an extent, although I have picked out my favourite 10 photos on Instagram (which did find their way onto Facebook, who haven't banned me completely, just the blog!) and am going to close with some random musings.

Are we appreciating stuff more in a global pandemic? Probably; travel has been a big part of what brought Chrissi and I together and continues to be an important part of our life, so even if we are a little more restricted at the moment, it was great to find a bit of old normal.

The kids now old enough to be left to their own devices (within reason, the odd adult check in and lots of accessible technology) that will open up possibilities for them and us even further as we look to the future.  Be great to do some more trips with them, but equally be hoping they start to embark on their own solo adventures.  We have a couple of biggies very tentatively planned for the turn of the year then Summer .. almost don't want to jinx it by saying anymore than that at the moment.

Will we be able to do more of this kind of stuff as things open up? Hopefully; like most people is difficult to foresee the future, but will certainly make the most of whatever opportunities are permitted within the public health boundaries. Iceland very much like Wales in terms of ongoing mask wearing, and a little bit of respectful wariness. And it didn't spoil things at all to be a little more aware of others.

The covid testing a bit of a pain and not entirely sure what it can achieve in the long run. To be stranded abroad or lose many £s due to a positive test at a time in/around the trip would turn the whole situation upside down, and is not a sustainable approach. You would have to assume many people would look to find loopholes.  And many more unscrupulous types filling their boots in the mean time.

As to out last few hours abroad, most of it was the functional, but even the functional is exciting as we approach nearly 2 years since we had last been on a plane.

Packed, a less than leisurely breakfast and took our car for one last drive, through the rush hour Reykjavik traffic. No dramas with the drop off at Budget Rentacar, clean bill of health for the little I10 (that we named Rusty in a drop off panic - it was a little rusty, and also a nod to the Lampoons franchise that often finds a mirror in at least one element of our travels)

A slight bit of holding ones breath at the BA check in, and perhaps an indication of how complicated and difficult current travel arrangements are. We did our lateral flow test within the last 72 hrs, had our double jab certificate, but a lack of PCR was something that the check in staff felt a little reckless. And you know what, they were right, we had obeyed the letter of the law, but the room for error and dare I even say fraud is very high.  That said, we were pleased to be ushered through after they had made their phone calls, and we were negative a couple of days ago, and very keen to be on our way.

Trundled on through the usual rituals of spending up any spare cash in duty free, and having a coffee before boarding for the flight home.

A travel time of just under 3  hrs was very relaxed,leafing through the Lonely Planet and other Iceland magazines enhancing our first hand knowledge with further background facts and opinions.  Not much entertainment on BA, will download to IPAD for future short haul flights, but reading is fine when not too tired.

Packed in like sardines, people coughing, spluttering and sneezing in a couple of the rows nearest us and you are very aware of the precarious nature of our current situation.  This is not to be glib in the slightest, many people are still dying, jabbed and unjabbed, so I do return to my original reflections as to what this means for travel, exploration and adventure. Caution is the best I can come up with but appreciate that is likely to be a fairly meaningless word for people infecting or being infected.

Landed reasonably comfortably in Heathrow and no huge dramas at immigration, although the coming together of many people from many different countries again reminds you as to the arbitrary nature of this word caution.

Was nice to pick up bags and then car from the short stay car park, we had left booking until late so had the luxury of it being on their meet and greet package, so a last bit of 'pampering' before we headed west on the M4.

Volcano chasing and thinking of a dearly departed friend

 

Most pre departure boxes for the trip well and truly ticked, but one big one still remaining. One of our best mates Ellen Lewis passed away a few months ago; rock was her thing, whether it was the heavy metal variety or igneous variety. We needed to find a bit of lava in her honour, but also volcanoes are in general one of my general interest areas since boyhood and one of the few things I got to grips with in physical geography.

Mixing my science and religion metaphors, it is fair to say the Norse gods were not smiling on us weather wise, but it did not prevent us doing the volcano chasing thing.  Whether it was to reference some obscene Bridesmaids phrase ‘it was coming out like lava’ or to reflect on the home of Smaug, surely another Icelandic influence on Tolkien, we needed to spend some more seismic time before leaving this beautiful country.

 We wolfed down some breaky, got in the hire car, looking rather lonely in it’s night time gravelly parking lot (free) and got on a now familiar road, out toward the airport and beyond the Blue Lagoon. In March of this year Fagradalsfjall begun to erupt quite spectacularly. We have seen the molten lava shots in recent days and we’re aware of the number of viewing hikes. As we got nearer and nearer the weather worsened and cloud and rain closed in as we ascended toward our parking place.

Wrapped up we had a choice of hikes to get us nearer. We did 2 separate ones, making some pretty sheer ascents, and getting absolutely soaked to our core. On the first of the hikes, about half way we encountered the lava flow mid point from the eruption. Got up close and personal, took a large rock that had broken away, and made this our Ellen moment. AC/DC said it’s a long way to the top if you’re gonna rock n roll. (or hunt volcanoes)

We did continue to the top, and the smoke from the eruption combined with the weather to make visibility more than poor. We were reassured that there were a few other idiots around us but their numbers were dwindling. Chrissi had a little panic that we might not find our way back, Tolkien might have been a bit unhappy that we had left the path, so we turned, waited for the mist to settle, and picked our way back down to where the hordes were gathering.

Fellow hikers had tipped us that a secondary route might give us the money shot molten magma picture but it was not to be. We walked and climbed another route, saw a lot of smoking lava, smelt a lot of smoking lava, but the distant eruption was obscured by mist and cloud. We tried another climb, some of it requiring us to pull up by rope, but the clouds did not clear. The weather was dreadful but I had seen and smelt enough to know we were in the presence of newly forming earth. It was great, and humbling, we all come from this, we all return to this, and for some of us that happens sooner than it should.

By the time we got back to the car we were shivering and drove to a nearby town Grindavik to get a much needed hot chocolate and biscuit. I think we had hiked in excess of 10k all told. 

We definitely needed to warm up,luckily for us we are in a country that embraces its geothermal water to do just that. A range of options presented themselves to us on the way back to Reykjavik but we chose a simple one. They have created a lovely man made beach near the University. Nautholsbik which includes a communal hot tub, where you can rest your aching limbs, stare out across the water, and chat to the locals if you so wish. A great way to wind down and find sensation in cold bones.

Final short drive to the hotel where we had a little bit of time to chill and start to think about life back in the real world. Put that on hold though as a last night out beckoned and we wandered into town for a pre dinner G&T in a bar we had stopped in on Saturday night.

We could have stayed there for food, but chose to take a look at other options, and so glad that we did. Walked up through town almost reaching the old church, discarding different menus en route. We suddenly found a lovely, quirky little place with all manner of ornaments, odd little art and artefacts, and music that resonated with us both. It felt homely.

Got a table by the window, a lovely shared starter. Salmon with a chutney undercurrent on rye bread, and some hummus and tomatoes on sour dough. For main I had the Reykjavik 121 fish pizza, a masterpiece of cod ( fish of the day), olives and cheese. Absolutely stuffed. Chrissi had a fish pie also fishy and cheesy with sweet potatoes and looked thoroughly content. The local beer and further G&T might have also contributed, the service attentive and first class, top marks for Salkavalka. 

Our last walk through a town that has really felt like home for a few days, and a night cap in one of those study type rooms that we have been using in our fantastic hotel, they even move the furniture around to keep you on your toes!