31 Tuesday Oct 2023
Posted in Daily Life, Daily Message
30 Monday Oct 2023
Posted in Daily Life, Daily Message
Wishing everyone an amazing Monday!!
“See if you can catch yourself complaining, in either speech or thought, about a situation you find yourself in, what other people do or say, your surroundings, your life situation, even the weather. To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness.” ― Eckhart Tolle
Blessings!
ps. Comments will be turned off on some posts. At the moment I am concentrating my efforts on 1. visiting the blogs of my friends, old and new; 2. cleaning my Drafts folder and 3. finishing books from my fellow bloggers.
Visiting Blogs: I don’t want to miss out on my friend’s words – I am always inspired. I am also enjoying visiting new blogs. There are so many interesting people out there.
Drafts Folder: When I decided to start cleaning out the folder I had 260 drafts. As of now I have 173 drafts left to review. Progress!
Books to read: I have 6 books to finish reading (those are books from my fellow bloggers only. The complete list of books to finish reading is over 40) They are are at various stages. As you can see I have been mastering the art of starting, but never finishing. Will read one at a time now instead of doing a couple of pages of many.
Lastly, I am praying for peace, wishing peace, hoping for peace, praying for peace. Lets love and respect all!
22 Sunday Oct 2023
Posted in Daily Life, Daily Message, Finding Me, Food, travels
Tags
Celebration Florida, charming towns, friendly people, Kilwins Ice Cream, Lake Rianhard, park and trails, Reggianos of Celebration
Yesterday, Michael and I spent the day in the very charming community called Celebration. We had a late lunch/early dinner at Regianno’s and ice cream at Kilwins.
It was my dear friend Kat from lifetreeandcoffee.wordpress.com who recommended it all. Thank you, thank you!! We loved everything!
The town is so charming and friendly. We chatted with a bunch of local people.
“It is good people who make good places.”
― Black Beauty
Here are some of the pictures from the day:
Charming town
Watching the peaceful Lake Rianhard
Next time, we will rent a bike to go around the park
Happy to say we didn’t see any of those
Lovely park
I believe it is some kind of diving duck
Drinks at Reggiano’s
Toasted coconut and pumpkin ice cream at Kilwins
I have some additional pictures on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blessedwithastar
18 Wednesday Oct 2023
Posted in Daily Life, Daily Message, Finding Me, Food, travels
Tags
birds singing, Delta Airlines, first class, Florida life, golf carts, New Smyrna Beach, palm trees, Rewards program, silence and calm
“Blessed are the flexible, for change is inevitable. To fulfill our true destiny as spiritual beings we must trust in our divine power to adapt.” ―
Eight months ago, if you asked me if I would ever live in Florida, I will respond: NEVER! And now here I am! And it feels right and good!
The plan is to inject more fun and life into my days. I plan to work remotely from Florida, Brazil, and other possible traveling locations.
Right now I am in Florida for a couple of weeks. So far working from here has been perfect. My computer, monitors, etc, all arrived and are working perfectly.
Our condo is in a golfing community. It has been quiet and calming. In NY I am surrounded by huge building constructions, with the noise starting at 6am, Monday through Saturday. This silence has been a welcomed and desired change of pace.
We arrived on Saturday and the weather has been absolutely perfect – warm days and cool nights. We are not right on the beach, we are a 25 minute drive from it. Most evenings will either drive to the beach for long walks or walk around where we live.
This new life is amazing! I am so blessed and I know it!
Always a Delta fan – well, will see how it will go with the new changes to their rewards program. We were upgraded to First Class.
Great meal for a 2 and half hour flight – it tastes so much better than it looks. Even if I am not hungry I will always accept the meal/snack, as I am always curious, and afraid I will be missing out.
My view while I work. I look out of the balcony and hear birds and see palm trees. I could get used to this.
My new mode of transportation. We don’t normally use it, other than to make sure that it continues in good working conditions. We are not golfers, and normally opt to walk, instead of ride.
New Smyrna Beach at sunset. A gorgeous cool evening. Along the walk we encountered a couple of people only.
New Smyrna Beach – This life feels like a vacation.
Lonely bird fishing at night.
“With change being an inevitable element in our lives, we have only two options. Either embrace it and live life to the fullest or be stuck in the comfort zone of a compromised life.” ―
10 Tuesday Oct 2023
Posted in Daily Life, Daily Message, Finding Me
Tags
Acceptance is key, break-ups, fairy-tales, let things happen, not trying to understanding, the tao
“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.” ―
I have been cleaning up my Drafts Folder. There were 260 posts just sitting there waiting to be rediscovered.
I am reading every single one and deciding either to delete or to save them to be polished and published.
I have gone through about 40 so far. All from 2012 – the year I started blogging. It has been interesting to read my unpublished thoughts for that year.
At the end of 2011, the world as I knew it came to an abrupt end. I found out my then boyfriend was cheating on me. He never acknowledged the cheating and callously told me to move out. I thought I would die from the heartbreak.
I didn’t die. Today I can see that he did me a favor by letting me go. His life at the moment is in shambles, and I would be embroiled in that mess right along with him. (I know his situation because I was contacted by the woman that has been living with him since we broke up – I am going to save that story for the future.)
“For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain.”
―
I wanted to have a blog for many years prior to that, but never followed through on that. Until the pain in my soul was so intense that I needed an outlet to get it out. Well, the pain and my sister.
My sister told me that she was fearing for my sanity. She said I had become obsessed with all things him. It was only then that I realized I was making her crazy with the multiple phone calls to talk about the breakup.
This blog saved my sanity and hers. I don’t think I drove anyone crazy here :-), instead I made many friends that provided me with words of comfort and support.
“Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.” ―
Anyway, one of the main themes on the posts for 2012 is ACCEPTANCE.
I spent a lot time trying to come to terms with the breakup. The turning point was when I saw the need to just accept the situation.
Things changed when I decided to accept the situation as a fact. I stopped denying what had happened. I stopped fantasizing about a reconciliation. I stopped second guessing my actions and trying to assign blame.
When I stopped trying to control the situation, it not longer controlled me. I simply accepted it.
Well, perhaps not so simply. It took me years to get over that breakup. I realized the pain was not about him, but about the fairy-tale I created in my mind. I didn’t want to lose the fairy-tale.
I struggled most with understanding why I thought he was the one, and why he did what he did. Until the day came that I realized that I would never understand it, and further more, I didn’t need to understand it. I just needed to accept it.
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ―
19 Tuesday Sep 2023
Posted in Daily Life, Daily Message, Dating, Fiction, Finding Me
Tags
blog posts, can't comment, can't hit like, changes are in the works, new directions, no dating stories, The One and Only, writing and publishing
“It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.” ― Roy T. Bennett
Happy New Week!
Every Monday feels like new start. A chance to start a new project, or follow up on old plans.
One of my plans is to write more. Well, not write more; publish more.
I do write often, but my writings rarely see the light of day. The problem is, I edit and edit until a post becomes too dated. I have written about this problem before. I still have not managed to make a change.
The posts that I manage to publish, are the ones that I decide to forgo all the endless editing and just hit publish. Believe me, it takes a lot effort for me to be able to do that. I feel anxious, as if I am going out in my pajamas, or if I am serving someone an unbaked cake.
When I look back at old posts, I see so many typos and grammatical errors. I see a lot wordiness. I see improvements to be made. It feels unfinished and, as if I am not presenting my best self.
But, right at this moment, I rather publish a post with errors, than not to post anything at all.
I look at my Drafts folder and it is overwhelming. As overwhelming as all the books around the house that I haven’t started yet, or worse, that I have not finished yet.
I decided to do something about all of the unfinished in my life. I plan on reading all the books that I have started. And then, start on all the new books that I have bought from my fellow bloggers that have become published. I am so proud of all of you! Please give me time and I will eventually get to read your books and will write a review.
Never finishing a book, is like holding on to a gift and never opening it. What if there is something really wonderful in there and I never get to it?
Getting back to my posts, I plan on tackling my Drafts Folder and going through each post. I will either hit publish or delete.
I also feel I need to give this blog a direction. This blog was started as an outlet to the pain of my broken heart and the devastation of being cheated on. Then, it became a journal of my dating adventures, and misadventures.
What should it become now? There are no more dating adventures, since Michael has been elected The One!
Is happiness boring? Failed dates are more interesting to write about. Plus, I don’t want to be bragging about how blessed Michael and I feel to have found each other. Perhaps I can make blissful life interesting.
Write about work? This commodities brokerage industry is one crazy industry, and I do have a lot of stories about it. That is an idea.
Write about travels? Well, I need to be traveling more to actually write about it.
The direction will take shape as I write more and more, I mean, as I post more and more. I decided, boring and all, typos and all, that I will post something every day.
Perhaps I will have a schedule and every day of the week there will be a different theme, but I am not there yet. For now, there will be days that my post will be very short, or just a photo, or just a 1 sentence review of something read, seen, eaten, etc.
Please note, I am visiting more of your blogs, but I still cannot hit like on any post (thank you WordPress! NOT!) And I do suspect that not all my comments are being seen or received. I write a comment. It appears to be published, but when I go back to the post, it is no longer there. I am considering changing blogging hosts, once I have researched my options. Suggestions welcomed!
Hang in there, as I grow and my blog changes. Thank you for being here!
“Don’t Just
Don’t just learn, experience.
Don’t just read, absorb.
Don’t just change, transform.
Don’t just relate, advocate.
Don’t just promise, prove.
Don’t just criticize, encourage.
Don’t just think, ponder.
Don’t just take, give.
Don’t just see, feel.
Don’t just dream, do.
Don’t just hear, listen.
Don’t just talk, act.
Don’t just tell, show.
Don’t just exist, live.”
― Roy T. Bennett
25 Friday Aug 2023
Posted in Daily Life, Daily Message, Finding Me, travels
Tags
bra fence, hiking trails, Iceland, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Reykjavik, Route 1 Circle Road, Seljalnadsfoss Waterfall, Skogafoss waterfall, souvenirs, vatnajokull National Park, Vik Iceland, Waterfalls
“I can speak to my soul only when the two of us are off exploring deserts or cities or mountains or roads.” ― Paulo Coelho
Day 4. Drive to Jokulsarlon Glacier
We were going to have breakfast first, but at the last minute we decided not to wait until 7am and instead stop at some place on the way for breakfast. To get to Jokulsarlon Glacier from Reyjavik takes approximately 5 hours. In hindsight we should have done it in 2 days. Michael ended up driving over 10 hours. I didn’t drive as we had not added my name to the rental agreement – originally we were getting a manual transmission car.
The route taken is Route 1, also known as Ring Road. It circles the entire country. The whole trip is so worth, the landscape is beautiful! We stopped to get coffee in the town of Vik at a gas station that had a snack shop. It seemed like the only place around, as we didn’t want to leave Route 1. We got coffee and muffins. I had a couple of bites of mine, but Michael didn’t touch his – that says a lot. They were awful. We threw $15.63 in the trash. The service wasn’t that great either. The clerk forgot about our coffees, and we were just standing there for awhile.
Little did we know that right next door there was a coffee shop. We saw a sign as we were driving away, we decided not to stop and just keep driving. We had crackers and chips, and other snacks in the car. We did stop back there on the way back. It is called lava Café and it is inside a clothing/souvenir store. We got 2 small round pizzas -smaller than a regular slice, 1 croissant, and small Swiss mocha. Not that good, but edible. $20.22.
Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon sits on the southeast edge of the Vatnajokull National Park. The Park is huge with many hiking trails and other activities. On this trip we decided against any hiking because my hips have been acting up. Plus, we didn’t really have time for much.
We got to the glacier and the parking lot was full, so we parked across the street at the parking lot for Diamond Beach. Both parking lots are very convenient.
We wanted to do a boat tour, but there was no availability. We didn’t want to book beforehand as we had no idea of what time we would get there, just in case we made additional stops along the way. The Amphibian Vehicle tour is $50.00 and it last 30 minutes. The Zodiac tour, which can get closer to the icebergs, last one hour and fifteen minutes and it costs about $105.00.
We spent about 30 minutes there, taking it all in. There are countless icebergs floating on the lagoon, that have broken off from the glacier. We saw some ducks and a couple of seals. I took pictures of the ducks, but the seals were camera shy.
There are restrooms and food trucks here. I didn’t see anything I wanted to eat, so I just had a yogurt, one of those children’s squeezable ones, Michael had coffee. $8.35
From there we walked back to Diamond Beach. Diamond Beach is a volcanic black sand beach. It is named Diamond beach because of the icebergs that wash up on shore resembling sparkling diamonds. It is not a swimmable beach due to dangerous waves and tides. It is a beautiful shoreline.
We spent about 20 minutes there and then were back on Route 1 to return to Reykjavik. There were also 2 waterfalls I wanted to stop at. There are many along the way, but these are the two more famous ones.
The first we stopped at was Skogafoss Waterfall. This fall is part of the Skoga River and can be seen from the road. It is impressive, and visitors can get really close to it. I got as close as I could without getting myself wet. There is also a stairway on the side that leads up to a viewing platform at the top of the waterfall. I didn’t go up as it would have taken some time.
We probably spent 30 minutes there, but ideally one should reserve up to 2 hours for this stop to go up the viewing platform and to hike along the Fimmvorouhals Trail. There is not a parking fee, but they ask for donations to use the restrooms.
Another 30 minutes from there, it is the other waterfall I wanted to stop at, Seljalandsfoss. It is just minutes from Route 1. It is part of the Seljalandsa River. It is smaller than Skogafoss, but still impressive. At this one, visitors can walk behind the curtain of falling water, there is a path all around the back of the falls. I didn’t do it, but I think it would be a lot fun to do it when one is ready to get wet.
The path behind is closed in the winter because of the icy path. There are lights illuminating it, so people can still stop by on the rare times when it is dark.
On the road, between these two waterfalls I saw a fence covered in bras. We passed by it fast and didn’t have a change to stop. I looked it up, and there are a couple of different stories. The most popular is that, around 2012 several bras were stolen. They were later found strewn on the fence. Ever since then travelers have been adding more bras to the fence. It is such a whimsical sight.
Before we got to Reykjavik we made stops at a couple of places looking for a coffee shop, but failed. We eventually stopped at Kronan supermarket and got some additional chocolate to bring home as gifts. This bill was only $15.11. A prior chocolate trip to Bonus Supermarket was $24.27.
We also got some souvenirs such as fridge magnets, shot glasses, and keychains. I got only 1 t-shirt for my sister. I normally don’t buy a lot souvenirs, but always get something for friends that collect those. I have some receipts, but I am not sure what is for what. $35.82, $14.34, $58.51, $24.66 and $21.23.
We got to the hotel exhausted. I don’t even know what we had for dinner, but my guess is cheese and crackers at the hotel, as I can’t find a receipt for anything else. Plus Michael was exhausted, from what we thought was the driving. More to follow.
23 Wednesday Aug 2023
Posted in Daily Life, Daily Message, Dating, Food, travels
Tags
Blue Lagoon, Brimketill, Grindavik, Gunnuhver, Iceland, Lighthouse, mud masks, Pride Parade, Rainbow Street, Reykjavik
The Blue Lagoon
Day 3. Saturday. Blue Lagoon and Surrounding areas.
We had a 9am reservation at the Blue Lagoon, in the town of Grandivir. It takes approximately 45 minutes to get there from the hotel. That meant that we had enough time to eat breakfast at the hotel – yippie. I don’t normally eat breakfast until 12pm, but while on vacation there are no rules.
We got there right before our appointment. We got in line and waited about 5 minutes. The place is very busy, but also very clean and organized.
We proceeded to the lockers, showered, changed and met outside in the pool. This pool is really big with many areas that one can be alone away from everyone. Very, very different from the Secret Pool.
The Blue Lagoon
We paid $127.00 per person. It gave us 1 drink at the pool bar, the use of a robe and a towel and 3 face masks. The first was a lava scrub to exfoliate, the second was silica mud mask to deep cleanse, and the third was a choice of a moisturizing mask or anti-aging one… any idea which one I got? To drink I chose a strawberry prosecco and Michael had a beer.
We could have stayed there as long as we wanted. There are a few restaurants and a café to choose from. We chose not to eat there and left in a couple of hours. We really enjoyed being there but wanted to explore Grandivir and the surrounding areas.
Fish House Bar and Grill
After leaving we drove around the Harbor in Grindavik. We stopped for lunch at the Fish House Bar and Grill. I had fish and chips… yes, I keep insisting on fish and chips, even though I always find the batter on the fish too greasy. Michael had the Artic char with potatoes. To drink, Michael had the Swiss mocha, I didn’t want anything. I know better than to have Swiss mocha in a place other than a coffee or dessert shop. The food was good. The Swiss mocha, as expected, was bad. The bill was $64.27.
Hopsness Lighthouse
We then drove along the shore with no itinerary. The place was deserted. We came upon the Hopsnes Lighthouse. All around this lighthouse there are remnants of shipwrecks and their history.
We came across this blue box with a saint. I imagine is a patron saint for the sailors. Or I could be totally wrong.
From there we continued driving West. In about 20 minutes we reached Brimketill Lava rock pool. It is right off the road, with a viewing platform. From there one can see the beautiful force of the waves, and the natural pools it forms. I read about people swimming in the natural pool, but I cannot imagine it. Unless there is a day with absolute zero waves.
Brimketill
We really loved this place and were happy to have found it. From there we drove to Gunnuhver Hot Springs. This is a very active geothermal area made up of mud pools and steam vents.
Gunnuhver
Iceland is so rich in folklore. In Brimketill the stories are about Oddny, a giantess or a troll. Here at Gunnuhver the story is about a woman called Gunna. Both interesting stories, but for the sake of brevity I am not writing about them.
It was a good stop and very, very interesting to see, but we didn’t hike the whole area. There is so much we wanted to do, we didn’t really spend enough time at any site. From there we went back to Reykjavik, about 1 hour drive.
Upon arriving in Reykjavik we realized that today was the day of the Pride Parade. It had been at 2pm. I am sorry I missed it, I was told it was a lot fun. Iceland is very LGBTQ friendly. It was now hours later, but still the streets in downtown around the parade area and our hotel, were closed.
Reykjavik
Eventually we found a place to park and got to the hotel. We changed and went in search of a place to have dinner. The town was packed, but I saw an empty table outside a restaurant and was quick to grab.
The name is 101 Bistro. The waitress was friendly. I had a fish sandwich that had too much tartar sauce on it, but it was surprisingly good. Michael had pizza – not good, but he ate the whole thing – well, that is not saying much, he will eat whatever is in front of him. The bill was $54.26. He has a beer. I didn’t want anything to drink.
Skólavörðustígur, Rainbow Street on a regular week day
From there we walked to Skolavordustigur Street, known as the Rainbow Street. We had been there on the first day of the trip when we were looking for a market. It had been empty. Today it was busy, festive, with people all around the bars and the street.
Hallgrímskirkja, Lutheran Church
Walking up Rainbow Street leads up to Hallgrimskirkja, an Evangelical-Lutheran Church. We paid $19.73 both, to go up to the top and see the beautiful views of the city. I enjoyed seeing the town and surrounding areas from the top.
In front of the church sits the statue of Leif Erikson, a hero of Viking age Iceland. I will write a following post about him.
Reykjavik view from the church
On the way back to the hotel we went to Gaeta Gelato again. I had a gelato after dinner. This time there was a huge line. I waited. I really wanted a Swiss Mocha.
Then back to the hotel and get ready for the next day of long driving.
“We need the tonic of wildness…At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” ― Henry David Thoreau
21 Monday Aug 2023
Posted in Daily Life, Daily Message, Finding Me
Tags
Gaeta Gelato, geysers, Gullfoss Waterfall, hot springs, Iceland, Reykjavik, secret lagoon, Strokkur, Strokkur Geysir, Thingvallir Park
Day 2. Tour of Golden Circle tourist areas and the Secret Lagoon with Your Day Tours Group
We had breakfast at the hotel and proceeded to the appointed bus stop to wait for the minibus. We were supposed to be there, ready to go at 8am. The bus may show up between 8 and 8:30. This day it seemed our bus was the last to arrive, well after 8:30. $114.00 per person.
While waiting for the bus we made friends with a couple from Long Island, NY. Afterwards we kept meeting them in other places. It was fun to keep seeing their friendly happy faces.
The bus was okay, I wish there was more space. It felt a bit tight. Our guide was a nice lady from the Czech Republic.
Thingvallir National Park
1st Stop. Thingvellier National Park. This is one of the places that most symbolizes Iceland and its history. Many Icelandic major events have taken place at this site.
It sits in a rift valley, formed when two tectonic plates moved apart. It is impressive seeing the cracks and gorges throughout the park.
We were there for 45 minutes. It went very fast. We didn’t have a chance to see it all.
2nd Stop. Gullfoss Waterfall, Blaskogabyggo. This is a gorgeous two step waterfall with several viewing platforms. It is so incredible to be in front of nature when it exhibits such force.
Sigrid Tomasdottir, pictured in the plaque below, was the daughter of the owner of the land where this waterfall is. It is been told that her father sold part of the land with the waterfall, not realizing that the the new owners wanted to use the fall and in essence destroy it.
Sigrid Tomasdottir
She then took on the part of the protector of the waterfall and embarked on a long journey to save it. At one point, even threatening to throw herself in the fall. Fortunately, with the help of a lawyer that later became Iceland’s first president, the waterfall was saved.
There are also gift shops and cafeteria there. We were at this stop for 40 minutes and it was enough time to see it.
Gullfoss Waterfall
3rd Stop. Woolmarket Myrkholt . This is a very small store in a farm, featuring homemade sweater, and other items from the local farms.
When we were there, we spent a few minutes with the horses housed there. They have sheep also, but they were all scattered around the land, so we didn’t get to interact with them.
We spent 20 minutes there and to me was fine, since I had no interest in shopping.
Geyser hot springs
4th Stop. Geysir, Haukadalu – A field with many erupting hot springs. The most famous is Strokkur, referred as the son of Geysir.
It is hard to time its eruption to get a picture, so one has to stand there ready to act. We were lucky we got to see several.
This location is where we stopped for lunch. I had fish and chips and Michael had the vegetarian quiche. We repeated that same order in various places. I had a coke and he had a beer. I had a chocolate cake and he had a cheesecake. They were all good. $45.00 for the meals and drinks and $21.05 for the desserts.
This stop was 1 hour and 15 minutes. It felt like it was enough time to eat and see the geyser, but I wouldn’t have minded having more time to walk around the hot springs more.
Strokkur
5th and last stop. The The Secret Lagoon, in Fluoir. It is the oldest geothermal pool in the island. I was very underwhelmed by it. It is small and it felt slimy under my feet. I would pass on this one next time. I agree with a reviewer that said: “it is neither a secret or a lagoon”.
The stop was for one and a half hour. I didn’t stay long in the pool, but took my time in the shower afterwards. In this and every pool in Iceland, they really stress upon the need to take a shower completely nude before getting into your bathing suit and going into the pool. It is really interesting to see the dynamic in the showers. Some are very free with their bodies, while others wanted to run and hide.
I forgot to get a picture of the Secret Lagoon, but here is the sign 🙂
I am not sure what time it was when we got bag to the hotel. We weren’t hungry. Besides lunch, we spent the day eating snacks in the bus. We had gotten them at the market the night before. We spent $35.82 and got chips, cheese, cookies and chocolate.
I also bought water. Believe it or not, I was having a problem with the taste of water, and was trying to see if the bottled water would be better. I know it is the same water and a waste of money.
Iceland has one of the best waters in the planet. It is said one can even drink from natural sources such as streams and rivers. So clearly, the problem was me. For some reason, it felt heavy on my tongue, and totally unpleasant to drink. That feeling/taste was still with me for a whole day after arriving home.
Gaeta Gelato
After leaving our backpacks in the hotel, we went a few doors down to Gaeta Gelato. We both had small cups of gelato. I had 2 flavors, passion fruit/mango and tiramisu. Michael had a coffee with chocolate chunks. They all were delicious. $15.24 for both.
In the end it was a great day! The tour was great and has its pros and cons.
Then back to the hotel and get stuff ready for Day 3.
“We only know a tiny proportion about the complexity of the natural world. Wherever you look, there are still things we don’t know about and don’t understand. […] There are always new things to find out if you go looking for them.” ―
18 Friday Aug 2023
Posted in Daily Life, Daily Message, Finding Me, Food, travels
Tags
Barinn Restaurant, Bread and butter, Centrum Hotel, Delta Vacations, Fish and chips, Iceland, Keflavik Airport, landscape, Reykjavik, Skorda sedan, Swiss mocha, Waterfalls
“To the complaint, ‘There are no people in these photographs,’ I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.” ―
Day 1. Arrival and visiting the are northwest of Reykjavik.
Please forgive the misspellings of names and locations. I tried my best to recollect all the places we have been, in the right order, and correct spelling, but I probably failed miserably.
I have included some of the prices we paid for items such as food, etc, so you have an idea if you ever decide to visit.
Our trip was last minute, so I am sure that we overpaid for flights and hotel. We used Delta Vacations and paid $3,252.16 for the flight and hotel. We were happy to use Delta vacations. The flight alone was showing up as $1,600 per person.
We landed at Keflavik International airport in Reykjavik at 9am. We got through Immigration. Uneventful. I noticed that I was not told “Welcome” by the agent. I like to think that everyone is happy to see me arrive 😊.
We got our 1 checked bag and cleared customs. We then waited in line at Hertz for about 30 minutes to get our rental car. It was a long wait, but we were so happy and excited to be away that we didn’t mind.
Michael wanted a small Suzuki, but they upgraded us to a bigger Skoda sedan. The car rental bill was $767.36 for 4 days. We joked that he got upgraded because he is probably the only person that buys all the extra insurance they offer.
The gas bill was $168.25. We drove 3 out of 4 days, for about 20 hours or more. We did a lot driving.
After finding our car in the rental parking lot, we searched for the nearest bakery. I always need to check the local bread situation. We chose Sigurjonsbakari in Keflavik. It seemed to be mostly frequented by locals, and I like that. The bread was forgettable, but perhaps I ordered the wrong one. To drink I wanted something similar to a café mocha, and the girl suggested a Swiss Mocha. OMG! It was delicious. Very similar to my everyday concoction made of coffees, chocolates and creams – only better!
They line the inside of the cup with chocolate fudge then they add the mocha mixture, which I assume includes chocolate and milk, then they brew espresso on top. They then add whipped cream – which I would love to have the recipe, as this whipped cream didn’t turn into a oily mess. Then they added chocolate shavings. Heavenly!
Since it was way too early to check into the hotel, we decided to drive northwest. The landscape really hit us we drove for hours, stopping at different places on the side of the road to take in the enormity of the place. It is so different to what I have seen before – Keep in mind I haven’t been to many places, such to the canyons in Grand Canyon and even the waterfalls in upstate NY. We stopped at a waterfall in Helgafellssveit. Probably the smallest we have seen in this trip, but still beautiful and very accessible from the road.
We also stopped at Gestastofa Visitor center, where a very helpful clerk gave us a map and described the local sights. We decided to give up going to the Snaefellness National Park, as it was another long drive and a long hike from the road. Instead, we drove towards Stykkisholmur.
Once there, there didn’t seem to be many choices of places to eat, so we decided to try the fish and chips truck. $37.99 for 2 fish and fries order. I could have done without it. It was not to my taste. The fish too greasy, and there was some weird seasoning that gave me a bad after taste. I am not mentioning the name of the food truck, as I know I can be very picky when it comes to food. Michael ate all his food.
We walked around and contemplated taking a boat tour. Well, Michael wanted to, but I knew it was going to take too long and we had a long drive ahead, so we just took in the sights from the lighthouse. It is really idyllic and it reminds me of the village from the show Doc Martin.
We got back on the road, now driving back south towards Reykjavik. On the way we stopped at Borgarnes. Another beautiful town with a beautiful shoreline and the most charming coffee shop I have ever seen. It also had a killer view from the outdoor patio.
It is called Blomasetrio – Kaffi Kyrro. It is whimsical with various couches and very eclectic decoration. Michael had soup with bread, and then quiche and salad. I had only the Swiss mocha, and a couple of slices of toast that came with Michael’s soup. $46.35 for that order.
After eating and then walking along the shore, we got back in the car to drive to the Hotel Centrum in Reykjavik. I was happy with the hotel. It was a small room, but the location was great and the breakfast was delicious. We only had breakfast at the hotel 2 out of the 4 days as the other days we needed to get out early and the breakfast only started at 7am.
We joke now that the best food we had in Iceland was the bread at the hotel. Please forgive us uneducated and spoiled tourists.
The hotel is both the red and beige buildings
Getting back to the day, we located the hotel, and realized that there was no parking. It never dawned on us to ask beforehand if they had parking. Luckily we found a spot not too far. Parking on the street using the Parka app was a total of $37.76, mostly for Day 2 of our vacation, when we took a group tour and left the car parked. Parking is charged from 9am to 6pm.
We checked in and went out looking for food. Because it gets dark so late, we had no idea it was already 10:30pm. We were turned away by most restaurants. It turns out that on Thursdays nights they close the kitchen at 10 o’clock. Not sure about the other days.
Every restaurant we stopped at, pointed us to Tapas Barinn that have late hours. The waitress there was happy to welcome us. To drink I had a passion fruit mojito – yes, even in Iceland I have to have passion fruit. Michael had a beer. We shared bread with hummus and other sauces, pan fried char with sweet potato puree, patatas bravas, broccoli and cauliflower with a pomegranate sauce. It was okay. I am a fan of tapas, but this didn’t really make me want to go back. There was no tacos or empanadas.
This restaurant has great reviews, but I would have been happier with the regular fish taco and empanadas. Perhaps my palate is just too pedestrian. I realized I should try the local cuisine instead of looking for the same every day food, but Michal and I are not really adventurous when it comes to food. The bill was $101.05.
We got to the hotel and passed out.
“For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment; but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life – the light and the air which vary continually. For me, it is only the surrounding
atmosphere which gives subjects their true value.” ―
Blessed with a Star on the Forehead 