{"id":873,"date":"2025-05-31T15:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-31T15:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/?p=873"},"modified":"2026-04-02T08:59:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T08:59:13","slug":"873","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/?p=873","title":{"rendered":"Iceland – The island of my dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Let me start by saying that it is not normal for me to get up at 04:15, and then go and sit down at an Italian restaurant\u2026.but, that\u2019s what I did today. Yes, focaccia works well as breakfast when you get up before the rooster crows anyway, and I had to do that today \u2013 out on a trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00deingvellir<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s \u201cego-trip\u201d was to Iceland, and the nine days were planned well in advance. Flight tickets, rental car and hotel were arranged last year, so strictly speaking, all that was left was to make the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takeoff from Oslo Airport Gardermoen at a quarter past six in the morning, and arrival in Keflavik<\/a> at 7 AM, local time. Absolutely not stupid, because then you get the whole day available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I visited Reykjavik<\/a> and the areas around the capital 35 years ago, and after I now picked up the rental car \u2013 and received some spesific driving training from the representative from Europcar \u2013 I headed out into the traffic \u2013 this was going well..! Hmm, my first conclusion was that something had happened to the road network around the Icelandic capital in 35 years\u2026 In a queue moving at 90 km\/h towards the capital, it was just a matter of holding on to the steering wheel and not really enjoying the holiday feeling yet. I had an idea that along the Icelandic roads you took it easy, but I was wrong. The commuters who had to get to their jobs at the office, in the store, in the garbage truck, at the schools, etc. etc. kept me company along the way\u2026.puuuh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, after passing the capital \u2013 and condemning myself to the fact that the return to Keflavik next week would take place along the coastal road \u2013 I headed for Thingvellir National Park<\/a>. It was a good choice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wasn\u2019t just going to have a holiday in Iceland \u2013 I was also going to quality-assert two new VoiceMap audio guided walking tours I had prepared for publication, and Thingvellir<\/a> was one of them. I arrived at the national park’s parking lot P3 long before the first tourists had crawled out of their sleeping bags, and in good spirits I hiked between the earth plates and down to the church and the prime minister’s summer residence at Thingvellir. A great walk in gray, but still good weather, where I was gradually joined by more and more tourists. Nice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After I had visited the place and taken lots of pictures, the trip continued towards Hella – the city I would use as a base for the next 6 days. Hotel Kanslarinn <\/a>was my choice, and it was good to arrive. The hotel did not give the best first impression, with a relatively worn exterior, but once you entered that was forgotten. Clean, tidy, well-renovated rooms and friendly service were what welcomed me. On top of this, a restaurant with an extensive menu. Horse was quite an unfamiliar dish on the menu for me, but there were also fish, chicken and meat dishes from other animals \u2013 read: the hamburger cow and the species that I know well..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked the receptionist at the hotel what the town of Hella had to offer tourists? \u201cWell, she said, there\u2019s this hotel, then you have the hotel on the other side of the road, and then it goes down a road over there\u201d (she pointed). From that I realized that I probably had to leave the place to find the big tourist magnets. By the way\u2026what was along the \u201croad over there\u201d I never found out..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know if it was the visit to the Italian restaurant at Gardermoen that did it, but I fell asleep quite early on the first day..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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V\u00edk i Myrdal<\/em><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The second VoiceMap walking tour I was going to launch was from the southernmost town on the island \u2013 V\u00edk i Myrdal<\/a>. The town with the famous church, the black beaches, the woolen factory and Smidjan Brugghus<\/a> \u2013 I had been researching this trip\/town all winter, so guess how excited I was! And, the town did not disappoint – very charming location and appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stopped by the grocery store \u2013 Kronan \u2013 and did some shopping, and when I was about to pay the clerk spoke to me in English. I asked her if she could tell I was a foreigner? \u201cWell, she said\u2026there are only 300 inhabitants here in town, and I know them all \u2013 that\u2019s why I guessed you were a tourist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spent several days in Vik and the surrounding areas. I brought a camera, so both the landscape, birds and animals were immortalized. The beaches and bird cliffs at Dyrh\u00f3laey<\/a> were fantastic, and I was also at a glacier arm of Myrdalsj\u00f8kul and got to try glacier hiking \u2013 both on top and inside.
The penultimate day was a tour to Gullfoss. I had been there before, but didn\u2019t remember how enormous and overwhelming it was. Wet and raw, simply a fantastic experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gullfoss<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the afternoon I drove to the foot of the volcano Hekla, where there were nice hiking trails to follow. It was also an experience to see Eyafjellaj\u00f8kul, which created a number of challenges for me and others working in the aviation industry in Europe in 2010, when the mountain below had a volcanic eruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I left Hotel Kanslarinn on the last day I was genuinely sad. I would have liked to have had many more days, but that will have to be another time. I would like to drive Ringvei 1 all the way around the island, but then I will need a couple of weeks, if I am to see everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I had returned the rental car in Keflavik, and sat at the airport hotel in the evening I had many impressions. As I said, I chose to drive the coastal road back to Keflavik, and it was a quiet and beautiful road. Beach church, several lighthouses and nature experiences galore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is left is actually a lot of great experiences \u2013 nature on nature’s terms \u2013 absolutely raw. But, the country is so well prepared for tourism. There are well-thought-out solutions and service-minded people everywhere. Can’t say anything other than that the whole holiday went smoothly \u2013 can’t remember a single thing that was missing or went wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The road against Grindavik<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They say that Iceland is expensive for visitors, and I can agree with that. It pays to start planning early, and do it thoroughly \u2013 then you get the best experiences and the most reasonable price. I did! I have to give J\u00f3runn Sigur\u00f0ard\u00f3ttir a lot of credit here, and her enthusiastic and comprehensive travel guides. I recommend everyone to check out https:\/\/siggadottir.com\/<\/a> and follow her on social medias. She tells and describes well, and adds good pictures. Without her advice, my trip would have been much poorer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should I go back? You bet\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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La meg starte med \u00e5 si at det ikke er normalt for meg \u00e5 st\u00e5 opp klokken 04:15, og deretter g\u00e5 \u00e5 sette meg p\u00e5 en italiensk restaurant\u2026.men, det gjorde jeg alts\u00e5 i dag. Joda, focaccia funker fint som frokost n\u00e5r man allikevel st\u00e5r opp f\u00f8r hanen galer, og det m\u00e5tte jeg i dag \u2013 ut p\u00e5 tur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c5rets \u00abego-trip\u00bb gikk til Island, og de ni dagene var planlagt i god tid. Flybilletter, leiebil og hotell ble ordnet i fjor, s\u00e5 strengt tatt sto det bare igjen \u00e5 gjennomf\u00f8re reisen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takeoff fra Oslo lufthavn Gardermoen klokken kvart over seks, og ankomst Keflavik 07:05, lokal tid. Absolutt ikke dumt, for da f\u00e5r man med seg hele dagen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeg bes\u00f8kte Reykjavik og omr\u00e5dene rundt hovedstaden for 35 \u00e5r siden, og etter at jeg n\u00e5 hentet ut leiebilen \u2013 og f\u00e5tt grundig kj\u00f8reoppl\u00e6ring av representanten fra Europcar \u2013 heiv jeg meg ut i trafikken \u2013 dette skulle g\u00e5 bra..! Vel, min f\u00f8rste konklusjon var at det var skjedd noe med veinettet rundt den islandske hovedstaden p\u00e5 35 \u00e5r\u2026 I k\u00f8 som beveget seg i 90 km\/t inn mot hovedstaden var det bare \u00e5 holde p\u00e5 rattet, og ikke nyte ferief\u00f8lelsen riktig enn\u00e5. Jeg hadde en forestilling om at langs de islandske veiene tok man det med ro, men der tok jeg feil. Pendlerne som skulle rekke jobbene sine p\u00e5 kontor, i butikk, i s\u00f8ppelbilen, p\u00e5 skolene osv osv holdt meg med hastig selskap underveis\u2026.puuuh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Men, etter \u00e5 ha passert hovedstaden \u2013 og ford\u00f8mt meg p\u00e5 at returen til Keflavik neste uke skulle foreg\u00e5 langs kystveien \u2013 satte jeg kursen mot Thingvellir nasjonalpark. Det var et godt valg!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeg skulle jo ikke bare ha ferie p\u00e5 Island \u2013 jeg skulle ogs\u00e5 kvalitetssikre to nye VoiceMap-turer jeg hadde forberedt for publisering, og Thingvellir var en av disse. Ankom til nasjonalparkens parkeringsplass P3 lenge f\u00f8r de f\u00f8rste turistene hadde kr\u00f8pet ut av soveposen, og i godt driv gikk jeg fotturen mellom jordplatene og ned til kirken og statsministerens feriebolig p\u00e5 Thingvellir. En flott tur i gr\u00e5tt, men allikevel godt v\u00e6r, der jeg etter hvert fikk selskap av flere og flere turister. Hyggelig det!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Geysiren «Str\u00f3kkur» <\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Etter at jeg hadde bes\u00f8kt stedet og tatt masse bilder, gikk turen videre mot Geysirene, og derfra til Hella \u2013 byen jeg skulle ha som base de neste 6 d\u00f8gnene. Hotell Kanslarinn var mitt valg, og det var godt \u00e5 komme fram. Hotellet ga ikke det beste f\u00f8rsteinntrykket, med et relativt slitt ytre, men n\u00e5r man kom inn var d\u00e9t glemt. Rent, ryddig, godt oppussede rom og en hyggelig betjening var det som tok imot meg. P\u00e5 toppen av dette en restaurant med en omfattende meny. Hest var ganske uvant kost p\u00e5 menyen for min del, men det var i tillegg b\u00e5de fiske-, kylling- og kj\u00f8ttretter av andre dyr \u2013 les: hamburgerkua og s\u00e5nne som jeg kjenner godt..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeg spurte i resepsjonen p\u00e5 hotellet hva byen Hella hadde \u00e5 tilby turistene? \u00abVel, sa hun, det er dette hotellet, s\u00e5 har du hotellet p\u00e5 andre siden av veien, og s\u00e5 g\u00e5r det ned en vei der borte\u00bb (hun pekte). Ut fra d\u00e9t skj\u00f8nte jeg at jeg nok m\u00e5tte ut av stedet for \u00e5 finne de store turistmagnetene. Forresten\u2026hva som var langs \u00abveien der borte\u00bb fant jeg aldri ut..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeg vet ikke om det var bes\u00f8ket p\u00e5 den italienske restauranten p\u00e5 Gardermoen som gjorde det, men jeg sovnet ganske s\u00e5 tidlig den f\u00f8rste dagen..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Den andre VoiceMap-turen jeg skulle lansere var fra den sydligste byen p\u00e5 \u00f8ya \u2013 V\u00edk i Myrdal.  Byen med den ber\u00f8mte kirka, de svarte strendene, ullvarefabrikken og Smidjan Brugghus \u2013 jeg hadde jo jobbet med research for denne turen\/byen i hele vinter, s\u00e5 gjett om jeg gledet meg! Og, byen sviktet ikke – veldig sjarmerende beliggenhet og utseende.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeg var innom matbutikken \u2013 Kronan \u2013 og handlet, og da jeg skulle betale snakket ekspedit\u00f8ren til meg p\u00e5 engelsk. Jeg spurte henne om hun kunne se at jeg var utlending? \u00abVel, sa hun\u2026det er bare 300 innbyggere her i byen, og de kjenner jeg \u2013 derfor gjettet jeg at du var turist.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dyrholaey<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jeg tilbragte flere dager i Vik og omr\u00e5dene rundt. Hadde med kamera, s\u00e5 b\u00e5de landskap, fugler og dyr ble foreviget. Strendene og fuglefjellene ved Dyrh\u00f3laey<\/a><\/strong> var fantastiske, og jeg var ogs\u00e5 ved en brearm av Myrdalsj\u00f8kul og fikk testet brevandring \u2013 b\u00e5de opp\u00e5 og inni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nest siste dag gikk turne til Gullfoss. Der hadde jeg v\u00e6rt f\u00f8r, men husket ikke hvor enormt og overveldende det var. V\u00e5tt og r\u00e5tt, rett og slett \u2013 en fantastisk opplevelse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P\u00e5 ettermiddagen kj\u00f8rte jeg til foten av vulkanen Hekla, der det var fine turstier man kunne f\u00f8lge. En opplevelse var det ogs\u00e5 \u00e5 se Eyafjellaj\u00f8kul, som jo skapte en del utfordringer for meg og luftfarten i Europa i 2010, da fjellet under hadde vulkanutbrudd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Da jeg forlot Hotel Kanslarinn siste dagen var jeg oppriktig lei meg. Jeg skulle gjerne hatt mange flere dager, men det f\u00e5r bli en annen gang. Har lyst til \u00e5 kj\u00f8re Ringvei 1 helt rundt \u00f8ya, men da trenger jeg nok et par uker, hvis jeg skal f\u00e5 med meg alt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N\u00e5r jeg hadde levert leiebilen p\u00e5 Keflavik, og satt p\u00e5 flyplasshotellet om kvelden hadde jeg mange inntrykk. Jeg valgte som sagt \u00e5 kj\u00f8re kystveien tilbake til Keflavik, og det var en rolig og flott vei. Strandkirke, flere fyr og naturopplevelser i fleng.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Det jeg sitter igjen med er egentlig en mengde store opplevelser \u2013 natur p\u00e5 naturens vilk\u00e5r \u2013 helt r\u00e5tt. Men, landet er s\u00e5 godt tilrettelagt for turisme. Det er gjennomtenkte l\u00f8sninger og serviceinnstilte folk overalt. Kan ikke si annet enn at hele ferien gikk p\u00e5 skinner \u2013 kan ikke huske en eneste ting som manglet eller gikk feil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Strandarkirkju<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Det sies jo at Island er dyrt for tilreisende, og det kan jeg skrive under p\u00e5. Det l\u00f8nner seg \u00e5 starte planleggingen tidlig, og gj\u00f8re det grundig \u2013 da f\u00e5r man de beste opplevelsene og den fornuftige prisen. Det gjorde jeg! M\u00e5 her f\u00e5 skryte veldig av Jorunn Sigurdardottir, og hennes entusiastiske og omfattende reiseguider. Anbefaler alle \u00e5 sjekke ut https:\/\/siggadottir.com\/<\/a> og f\u00f8lge henne p\u00e5 sosiale medier. Hun forteller og beskriver godt, og fyller p\u00e5 med gode bilder. Uten hennes r\u00e5d hadde min tur blitt mye fattigere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Om jeg skal tilbake? Gjett\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let me start by saying that it is not normal for me to get up at 04:15, and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1207,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-experiences-2","category-voicemap"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=873"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1377,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873\/revisions\/1377"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}