Iceland, Wembley and Helsinki: a tale of a northern winter

[Austman]

Enjoying your TR Justin and thinking about my visit to Iceland, years ago but in October.

Icelandair Saga Class was like your normal stock, standard QF or VA domestic business.

Yes - it's a 40 inch seat pitch which is still pretty good for Europe! Euro-business being usually an economy class seat pitch, perhaps with an empty seat beside.

For my meal I chose the salmon and I have to say, it was one of the best inflight meals I have ever had. Truly amazing. The fish was so succulent and cooked to perfection.

I suspect it was double catered (the food was from Iceland). I remember on my Saga Class afternoon flight from Iceland to Denmark the menu mentioned that the fish had been caught that morning!

I also remember coming in to land in Iceland and looking out the window - there was greenery everywhere! It's like Hawaii, I thought. On the ground later, I noted that the "greenery" was moss covered rock.

Today we would be seeing

• Gullfoss Waterfall
• Thingvellir National Park
• Geysir Erupting Geothermal area
• Hveragerdi Earthquake town
• Faxi Waterfall

I think I did that tour as well. I must say that your photos don't quite reflect my memory of it. When I did the tour in October, years ago, there wasn't much snow about. And the scenery was fantastically bizarre. I wondered if I was still on Earth! I suspect that when snow covers most of it, it becomes a bit less bizarre...

The nightlife in Reykjavik is a bit infamous. We all know about doggy bags, but in Reykjavik they apparently had doggy cups! When the bar/club closed they kicked you out but would put any drink still going into a take-away container! Ha ha. Alcohol being notoriously expensive in the Nordic countries. I don't know if that still happens..

 

[craven morehead]

Signing on and playing catch up.....

 

[Justinf]

What app did you use for the aurora forecast? (please and thank you)

I've booked The Retreat to avoid the crowds.

Just go to the official Iceland weather bureau.

Aurora forecast for Iceland | Aurora forecasts | Icelandic Meteorological office

 

[Justinf]

A tip for those going to the Blue Lagoon. You will get hungry. You know how you go swimming and when you get out of the water, you are ravenous? Well this is no different. In my case I took a sandwich. Beware the cafe there is outrageously expensive.
I got back to my room around 3.30pm and had a proper shower to get rid of all the minerals from my skin etc.
I obviously had a few hours to kill before the aurora tour and I was sick to death of sandwiches and cold pasta so I went to a modest fast-food restaurant and ordered a takeaway cheesburger and a small bowl of soup. It cost $45.
Decided to pay my favourite bar a visit before heading on the tour. Nothing too major mind you. Just a couple of quite happy hour pints.
I walked to the pick up spot and was picked up and the first stop was the Aurora Museum. I'm not sure what the point of this was. The museum was modest although you could rent camera gear and tripods etc to photograph the lights.
In my case I downloaded an app that is specifically for photographing the Northern Lights. It worked quite well. It cost $1.49 but it was worth it. It slows down the exposure of your iphone and you can get OK pics.
Once the museum visit was done we ventured out of Reykjavik.
The forecast was for clear skies and an activity level of 5, which is insanely good.
We found a spot and almost immediately the aurora came out.
The following photos are from my phone so they are not that great. The tour guide had a good camera with a tripod and took some great pics and I will post those after my own iphone ones.

 

[Justinf]

For 90 minutes we were treated to the most magical display I have ever seen. Virtually the entire sky was dominated by this. It was coughing cold. About -10 and my hand was frozen from taking pics, but my god. It was worth the trip alone.

 

[Justinf]

And now for the 'good' pics.

 

[Justinf]

I arrived back in town at around midnight on a natural high that I cannot explain.
The bar next to my hotel closed at 1am and I just had to have a pint and reflect on what a magical day it had been.
Apart from the day my daughter was born 18 years ago, the day I eloped to NYC to marry my wife and 30 September 2017 when Richmond won the premiership, this was the best day of my life.
Tomorrow I would be leaving this majestic country. I didn't want to.
I had a 4pm flight to London, but the memories of this island will last as long as I live.

 

[Justinf]

Enjoying your TR Justin and thinking about my visit to Iceland, years ago but in October.




Yes - it's a 40 inch seat pitch which is still pretty good for Europe! Euro-business being usually an economy class seat pitch, perhaps with an empty seat beside.




I suspect it was double catered (the food was from Iceland). I remember on my Saga Class afternoon flight from Iceland to Denmark the menu mentioned that the fish had been caught that morning!

I also remember coming in to land in Iceland and looking out the window - there was greenery everywhere! It's like Hawaii, I thought. On the ground later, I noted that the "greenery" was moss covered rock.



I think I did that tour as well. I must say that your photos don't quite reflect my memory of it. When I did the tour in October, years ago, there wasn't much snow about. And the scenery was fantastically bizarre. I wondered if I was still on Earth! I suspect that when snow covers most of it, it becomes a bit less bizarre...

The nightlife in Reykjavik is a bit infamous. We all know about doggy bags, but in Reykjavik they apparently had doggy cups! When the bar/club closed they kicked you out but would put any drink still going into a take-away container! Ha ha. Alcohol being notoriously expensive in the Nordic countries. I don't know if that still happens..

The snow, while it was magical, kind of spoiled things a bit. I would LOVE to go back in spring or autumn and see the country with all the vivid colours. The white was kind of boring, but not boring at all if you know what I mean.

 

[JohnM]

Signing on and playing catch up.....

Me too...

 

[Justinf]

A few more of the Aurora Borealis that I missed.

 

[Justinf]

With a 4pm flight to London I was thankful that check out was noon at my hotel.
I had a nice sleep in and repacked my bag.
Off to the bus stop at noon for a 12.30pm departure from the main bus station.
Once again it was a bus to the main station and then off and onto another bus to the airport. Pain in the cough.
At the airport, I checked in quite quickly and went through security and to the Icelandair lounge.
Gotta say folks, this is probably the best lounge I have ever been in. Super expansive, nice food (although a lack of nice hot food options) and just a really nice lounge.

 

[Justinf]

One last Gull in front of the fire? Why not.

 

[Justinf]

So back in Saga Class on an Icelandair 757. This old bird was showing her age.
However the food and service on this flight was as good as the flight up.
I watched Life of Pi for the second time.



I had Acrctic char for my meal. It was absolutely sublime. I mean really, really good.
The three hour flight went quickly. We had to circle around Heathrow for a while, but landed on time at around 5.30pm.



Unfortunately at Heathrow there was ONE immigration officer working and hundreds of people in line.
Without a hint of exaggeration, it took two hours to get through.
Onto the Heathrow Express and into my pad in Paddington,

 

[Justinf]

By the time I had checked in it was close to 10.30pm. The Leinster Arms was just around the corner and is one of my favourite pubs in London. I managed to sneak in there for a nightcap.
Oh how I love London Pride beer.
Tomorrow it was off t Wembley to see Spurs vs Newcastle United, a 12.30pm kick off.

 

[Austman]

Those aurora pics are insanely fantastic!

I thought Iceland was one of the most fascinating and stunning places I have ever visited.

And the fish, even on Icelandair, was so fresh and delicious.

 

[Justinf]

Those aurora pics are insanely fantastic!

I thought Iceland was one of the most fascinating and stunning places I have ever visited.

And the fish, even on Icelandair, was so fresh and delicious.

Our guide said it was up there in the top five nights he has seen in the past 5 years.
He was genuinely as excited as I, and the rest of the crew were.
Very lucky.

 

[Justinf]

While I was at the pub in London I got an email from Finnair asking if I wanted to upgrade to J for 200 euros.
Normally I wouldn't. But the flight was in the new A350 with the private suites so I considered it over a pint.
In the end I decided why the hell not? AUS$315 was probably on the expensive side, but the chance to try out the A350 in proved too much so I accepted.

 

[VPS]

Fantastic experience and photos - well done and lucky you. Great TR

 

[OATEK]

While I was at the pub in London I got an email from Finnair asking if I wanted to upgrade to J for 200 euros.
Normally I wouldn't. But the flight was in the new A350 with the private suites so I considered it over a pint.
In the end I decided why the hell not? AUS$315 was probably on the expensive side, but the chance to try out the A350 in proved too much so I accepted.

Love the AY A350s.

 

[craven morehead]

After the final stop, it was time for the drive back to Reykjavik.
One thing I did see was a big raven that was the size of a small dog.

View attachment 154494


Our tour guide, who again was awesome, and fellow travellers thought it might be a good idea to top at the Vínbúðin liquor store about 75 minutes out from the capital.
Our group was really chilled.
So we stopped at the booze shop.
Unfortunately the store didn't have cold beer. The young woman in charge just said "Put them outside for 20 minutes and they will be cold".
Seemed like a good idea but I didn't have 20 minutes.
Still, everyone bought something (i bought three small cans of Viking lager) and we all drank and talked all the way back to Reykjavik.
It's moments like these when I really appreciate good fellow travellers.
Truth be told I waited until 45 minutes from Reykjavik to break open my first can. I didn't trust my bladder but some of the US women who were necking bottles of wine straight from the bottle were a little merry. All good. Was a great atmosphere.
Back to the bus stop at 7.30pm and a quick walk through the park to my hotel.

View attachment 154493

It was too late fir happy hour, but I ventured to the American Bar to see Spurs vs Watford.
Perfect timing really.
After conceding an early goal, we got the points with an 80th minute goal from Sonny and an unlikely winner from Llorente at 87 minutes.

View attachment 154495

Tomorrow was my last full day in Iceland and I had the Blue Lagoon and Northern Lights tour to look forward to.

Glad to see someone who loves a beer as much as I do !! Did I say beer ? I meant travelling cheers , really enjoying this TR.