1. Traffic lights & Icelandic economy

So, as promised, the story of the heart-shaped traffic lights in Akureyri.

The economic crisis of 2008 in Iceland hit the country hard and many people had lost almost everything they had.  (I remember when it happened, I was watching the news in my $6 guesthouse in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.)  Iceland’s economy was devastated and a lot of the people lost all hope of surviving this ordeal. 

One artist in Akureyri decided to cut some cardboard and make one red light in the town into a heart, to give hope to the townspeople.  To remind them to smile through the bad times, and that things would work itself out eventually.  The mayor of Akureyri liked the idea so much, every red light in town was then transformed into a heart.  And it stuck.  The way Disa, the host of my horsebackriding tour, explained it, the heart reminds people to smile with their heart, and that good things always come from bad things

Following the economic crisis, Iceland invested heavily in their tourism industry, which I would say greatly paid off.  So tourism is that good thing that came from the economic crisis.

2. A stroll around Akureyri

Anyway, back to Akureyri.  It’s a lovely little. town, with street art that fills the walls of buildings and alleyways.  (Originally this started as all graffiti does, illegally…but Akureyri decided to embrace this.)  Now, there is several prominent art that is featured by local artists, which rotate every few months.

Visit Akureyri for its Street Art

There is also an art museum in Akureyri, but that last day when I planned to go, I decided to bolt instead, because the temperatures dropped dramatically… (and it’s tough to force yourself to be outside for the full duration of the day, after you’ve checked out of your hotel/guesthouse… so that was skipped…)

You all have heard me gushing about this town, so here are some photos to show you just how great it is.

Also, there is a main church in town, Akureyrarkirkja, but shame on me, I never took a good photo of it. I was just so obsessed with the rest of the town, I guess.

3. Visit Akureyri for its Food

Besides the restaurants I tried on the food tour, the others I tried were really good as well.

Akureyri Fish & Chips

Cafe Berlin 

Kristjans Bakari

Parting Thoughts on Akureyri

So I realize with my several posts on this lovely town that I’ve now put it on the map. Try not to all rush there at once but if you do, you’re guaranteed to have a swell time. Visit Akureyri and you won’t regret it! If you’re into small towns anyway. And with that, I bid you good night from Vienna!

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

On my first full day in Akureyri, Iceland, I started with horseback riding, and a food tour. Then, I immediately went from dinner to a Northern Lights tour. Coincidentally, Armann was my guide for both! 

There are a few things I learned about the hunt for Northern Lights. I’m going to put my key takeaways in bullet form.  They’re very important as it appears there are A LOT of misconceptions about Northern Lights.

• In order to see Northern Lights, it must be dark outside.  That means, in the summer when there is 24 hour daylight, there could be northern light activity, but I guarantee you – you won’t be able to see it.
• That means that a full moon can affect how well you can see the Northern Lights with your naked eye.
• Besides being too bright, cloud cover is an enemy to the NL.  If there are too many clouds, the NL will not shine through the density of the cloud. Plus, because of long exposure times and cloud movement, it doesn’t do you any favors for the photos.
• The NL don’t happen every night, just because you’re in Iceland or in the North.  It’s based on solar activity.
• You have to actively chase or hunt NL.  Most experienced tour guides will have spotters around town, looking at the sky or conditions, telling the guides where to go for the best viewing. 
• A tour is definitely the best option.  It would be very rare for you to sit in your hotel, see it from the window, and walk outside to view it. It’s possible – but for your first time, I wouldn’t chance it like that.
• Most tours out of Reykjavik drive 1-2 hours outside the city, because of the city lights. This is also because there are less opportunities for NL in “the South.” It is definitely possible, but fewer opportunities.

Akureyri, in the north, sits in the middle of prime NL activity. 

• In Akureyri, we drove 5 minutes outside town for the first showing that evening, and then 20 minutes outside town for the second showing (more on that later).
• Adjust your expectations downward from those gorgeous photos people post online.  Those are heavy NL activity evenings, when they are shot.  That’s not every night or every NL showing.  And of course, everyone is showing their most vibrant, most exciting photos.
• The most thing I’ve heard is “I want to see a big NL covering the sky.”  Well, that’s great, but those are only under super, ideal conditions, which may not happen during the 1 or 2 nights you choose to go out.
• If you keep looking at your phone or your camera screen, your eyes will never adjust to the darkness it needs to view it properly.
• If you really want to photograph the NL, if you don’t have at least a tripod, or a super steady hand (and the Northern Lights camera app),  I really wouldn’t even bother.
• Also, fortune favors the prepared, so if you do want to photograph the NL, be sure you know your camera settings before hand.  I’ll give you my camera settings below, but if you just google NL photography, there are several sites with great tips.
• Last but not least, with a low to moderate showing, it is not super visible with the naked eye.  In our first showing, it was a green band (horizontal streak over the sky).  With the naked eye, it looked like a light streak of cloud with a light tint of green.  Then again, the moon that night was about 80% full and very bright, which lessened the color of the NL as well.

As you can see, conversations in the last few days yielded a lot of common misnomers about the lights!

So without further ado…

1st Northern Lights in Akureyri

• ISO 400,
• 14 mm wide angle lens,
• f/3.5,
• shutter speed 20 seconds.

Northern Lights are rated on a kp scale of intensity, from 0-9.  The above is about a 3.  We were lucky, that this was only a few minutes outside of town when the first aurora appeared (see town lights in the distance). 

Same camera settings as above, setting it on a timer, and running in front and standing there for 20 seconds.

The aurora lasted maybe 10 minutes or so, and gradually became lighter (the photo above is towards the “end”).

2nd Showing of Northern Lights in Akureyri

We quickly moved locations, as there was another sighting.  This time it was across the fjord, around 20-30 minutes from where we originally were.  Same settings as above, with the town of Akureyri in the lower center left.  This is a small curtain, as it starts to wave across the sky (versus the band in the first location).

We stayed out here for about half an hour, and then the next thing you know, it’s nearing 11:30 on and time to go home. 

Parting Thoughts on Northern Lights in Akureyri

Overall it was a very successful aurora sighting.  And even though it was a small showing, I was VERY pleased with it.

In case you’re curious, there is a good aurora forecast app, that shows you where there is aurora activity, what the forecasted kp score is based on your location, etc.  The rest of my time in Reykjavik was low forecast, so I’m just going to take it easy on the hunt!

Just a reminder, Northern Lights are possible in and around Reykjavik. But if you really want spectacular showings, they happen more in the north around Akureyri. So consider going more north for a northern lights adventure!

I hope you all learned a lot from my post and can manage your expectations accordingly!

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

As it turns out, I was the only one on the tour with Armann (solo travel for the win!). Along with being a licensed tour guide, Armann is also a classically trained chef and a former member of the Icelandic national hockey team!  He said long winters make you find different hobbies to try out!

Disclaimer: (23 June 2020) I’ve just confirmed that Akureyri Food Walk is no longer operating. However, Reykjavik Food Walk (their sister company) is! There is even a discount code at the bottom of this post! So keep reading for some fun Icelandic food and discounts!

Please note that some products or referrals in this post are affiliate links (in green) and if you go through them to make a purchase or booking, I will earn a commission. I share these product and booking links because they are related to the post and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours whether to click through and make a purchase through these links.

1. Introduction to Northern Icelandic (Akureyri) food

Icelandic food has come a long way since the days of just salted cod and lamb.  Armann said that when he was growing up, all he knew was lamb and cod.  To have access now to produce and different kinds of fruits and vegetables was something that was unheard of 20 years ago.  Many people complain about the price of Icelandic food, and yes, it is quite pricey, but I can say with confidence, the quality of Icelandic food is also very high.  Lamb and cows are raised in the utmost conditions, with little to any antibiotics.  They are free range and enjoy nature often. 

There is even a dairy farm outside of Akureyri that has mechanized everything, so the cows live in a climate-controlled barn, with little machines that clean the barn (basically, Roomba for barns), and are fed automatically.  Armann told a story of taking a group of Indian Hindus to that dairy farm , and it literally brought tears to their eyes as to how well these cows were treated. Happy cows make happy cheese, and apparently 95% of Iceland’s cheese comes from Akureyri.

Icelandic fruits and vegetables are now grown in greenhouses around the country.  They are currently trying to perfect greenhouse conditions to grow bananas!  I also know there is a famous tomato greenhouse and restaurant located outside Reykjavik (which I will not have the chance to visit).

Alright, back to the Akureyri food tour.

Stop 1: Greifinn Restaurant

Of course, we had to start out with a Viking Beer, a local Akureyri brew. The beer was nice and refreshing and perfect to pair with the langoustine soup and salted cod! The salted cod is from the best salted cod fishery in Akureyri, which has been in business for 6 generations! Really delicious! 

The langoustine soup is similar to a lobster bisque – rich and creamy. Langoustine is a small lobster, that people have only started treating as food in the last 10-20 years. And I’m so glad they did!

Stop 2: Strikið

The next stop was Strikið, where it was a cod-filled tasting! For starters, the candied cod and tuna tartare were really unique and delicious! Yes, I know that “candied” cod is also pickled, but it would be rude to refuse food on a food tour.  I’ve never had a pickled meat before. Have you?  yum.. After the starters, we were served a delightful roasted (regular) cod, paired with barley and roasted carrots. Really fresh and tender cod, delightfully roasted.

Stop 3: Bláa Kannan

I’m so glad this was the final stop on our Akureyri food tour. The big, beautiful, blue building (“bbbb”) is a landmark in town. I walked past it several times earlier, and never really figured out what it was. Turns out, it’s a restaurant, with an extremely cozy interior. This “bbbb” is home to Bláa Kannan, a local coffee shop and cafe, known for marital bliss.

Sorry, what? Just kidding, not marital bliss, the “marriage bliss” dessert! “Marriage Bliss”, a dessert made of oatmeal and rhubarb jam, served with ice cream.  Named so, because if the wife makes this dessert, the husband will never leave!

Parting Thoughts on my Akureyri Food Tour

And that was my first evening in Akureyri, eating my way through their great eats!

Overall, it was a wonderful food tour. I had great conversation with Armann, who was very knowledgeable.  I did a lot that first day in Akureyri, haven’t I?  The night isn’t over yet!

In my next post… the hunt for Northern Lights and all the misconceptions about Northern Light activity!

For other things to do in Iceland, consider:

• Try hunting for Northern Lights – Akureyri (Northern Iceland) is perfect for that!
• Go horsebackriding on gorgeous Icelandic horses – in summer and winter!
• Visit Lake Myvatn, but also try to have a better trip than me! Check out a Tale of an Awful Tourist.
• Have a spa day at the Blue Lagoon!

Disclaimer: During this food tour, I was posting to Akureyri Food Walk’s Instagram account. I was not sponsored, nor did I receive any compensation. It was just a fun thing to do, and thank you to Egill at Akureyri Food Walk for letting me collaborate with you!

Please note that some products or referrals in this post are affiliate links (in green) and if you go through them to make a purchase or booking, I will earn a commission. I share these product and booking links because they are related to the post and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours whether to click through and make a purchase through these links.

Information on Akureyri & Reykjavik Food Walk

Akureyri Food Walk – sadly no longer operational.
Their sister company, the Reykjavik Food Walk is open and taking bookings.
Cost: 13,900 ISK | $101 USD
Cost after discount code below: 12,510 ISK | $91 USD

For 10% off, use discount code FOODANDFUN

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

I arrived in Akureyri to a similarly quaint and small airport. I later discovered Akureyri only recently began having direct international flights. You don’t see much in the pitch black ride from the airport into town.  Although I knew Akureyri had some body of water near it, I simply couldn’t see anything in the endless night.

By the time I settled into bed that evening, I had been awake for about 56 hours (with < 3 hours of sleep to my name, during that time).  I went to sleep around 9 pm and slept for 12 hours.

1. Horseback riding in Iceland!

First on my agenda was a horseback riding tour, located outside of town.  I was picked up by Disa, who owns the Skjaldarvik Guesthouse and offers the horseback riding tours on their property.  Her daughter, Clara, just graduated from college with a degree in horse training and breeding.  They have over 60 Icelandic Horses on their land.  According to Clara, the top 3 sports in Iceland are: football (soccer), golf, and horseback riding.

Icelandic horses have been isolated since they were introduced to the island. Now, if a horse leaves Iceland, it cannot come back due to the different bacteria it would pick up along the way.  In 2010, someone had brought their saddle back to Iceland from Germany and had not cleaned it properly.  The bacteria from the saddle infected over 40,000 Icelandic horses, as well as cats, dogs, and some humans.

We rode in the snow for about 5 miles | 8 km, through what I could only describe as a winter wonderland.  There are many horse owners around their land and when we would pass by other horses, they would walk along side us (behind their side of the fence) just to keep us company. Clara said that horses are very friendly and enjoy being in groups. When a new horse enters the group, there are temporary leadership struggles as the group adjusts to the new status quo.  (you can’t sit with us!)

Watch this video on YouTube.

The horses have long hair in the winter, which sheds and their summer short hair grows.  They enjoy being outdoors a lot and go out at least once a day.  Luckily, Icelandic horses retain their body heat very well, and therefore don’t get cold in the Icelandic winters.  I heard a story about a big snow storm that had swept through Akureyri.  Some of the horses had inches and inches of snow on their backs from being outside, and continued the next few days with that same mound of snow on their backs!

2. The views… and Meet Dagur

The below is a view of the property and views that the horses enjoy on a daily basis.

Last but not least, on the property greeting everyone and overall having a marvelous time, was Dagur (or Day, in Icelandic).  Such a friendly dog.  He had joined us for the first 15-20 minutes of the ride, until we came across some workers from the guesthouse walking back, and he gleefully went back home with them.  Such a sweet dog!

3. Golden Hour in Akureyri

After coming back into town, I rested for a bit and within an hour and half, ran out to catch the sunset.  I left my action cam in the apartment to catch a time lapse of the sunset, or rather, the moon rise.

It’s a short walk from town to the banks of the Eyjafjörður. This is the sunset overlooking Eyjafjörður (Island Fjord) in Akureyri, which is the longest fjord in Iceland, at 60 km long.

What a gorgeous sunset to a beautiful first day in Akureyri! I loved that I got to go horseback riding in Iceland! It was so relaxing and so gorgeous to see the Icelandic countryside in winter.

Plans for this evening? A food tour and a Northern Lights Tour!

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

The intention was to always spend the whole day at the Blue Lagoon, even though it was January and therefore dead in the middle of winter. But it turned out to be an absolutely delightful experience. And I made a friend – another travel blogger, Barbara, who was also solo traveling in Iceland.

1. Important – Reservations for Blue Lagoon

You need to make reservations for entrance into the Blue Lagoon. Especially if you are going in the summer!! When I arrived (in winter), people were being turned away because it was sold out for the whole day. Book your tickets online here!

Also, there are several bus lines that will take you from the Reykjavik Keflavik Airport or Reykjavik town to the Blue Lagoon. BUT BEWARE – they don’t include entrance tickets to the Blue Lagoon unless you specifically include them.

2. Types of Tickets at the Blue Lagoon

There are three levels of tickets at the Blue Lagoon:

• Comfort – includes entrance fees, Silica mud mask, towel, 1 drink of your choice;
• Premium – all of the above, plus a second mask, slippers, a bathrobe, a reservation at Lava, and a glass of sparking wine at Lava;
• Luxury Spa – from 372 USD per room. I’ll let you look that one up on your own.

In 2018, I paid about $100 USD for the premium package (and an extra add on of an airport transfer). Right now (as of March 2021), Comfort packages are listed at $61 USD, and Premium at $68 USD.

3. Arrival to Blue Lagoon

It was raining that winter morning. Our ticketed arrival time of 8 am meant that we began wading into the lagoon before sunrise, which would happen around 10 am. It’s a pretty amusing experience to have at least 50-100 people in this large geothermal pool, in the complete darkness and rain.

I won’t write too much about the Blue Lagoon, since every other travel blogger will tell you how amazing it was. But here are the things that surprised me about the Blue Lagoon:

• It’s MUCH BIGGER than you imagine, and expansion is ongoing!
• The photo posted above shows the area near the bar…which is why it’s so crowded! Since the Blue Lagoon is actually quite large, you can definitely find areas that are quieter, with less people.
• There are several different areas, including a face mask stand. Silica mud masks are included, and algae mud masks for a fee. There are also steam baths, saunas, in-water massages, and a bar!
• The silica, while great for your skin, is terrible for your hair! Days later, my hair still feels a little rough and a little grimey from the sediment. The Blue Lagoon warns you, especially if you have long hair (which I do), to condition your hair immediately before and after entry into the baths. (I took a break at lunch time and reconditioned my hair and again that night in Akureyri.) In total, I conditioned my hair at least 4 times that day!!! I don’t entirely remember, because I was going on no sleep at that point.

4. Lunch Tasting Menu at Lava

After Babs left, I had lunch reservations at the Blue Lagoon’s famed restaurant, Lava.  I ordered the seafood, 3-course tasting menu, for 7600 ISK or roughly $77 USD.

My reservations were at 11:30. Besides a group that was still filing in, I was the first one seated.  Furthermore, I was the first table to put in an order. (Can you see where this is going?)

Watch this video on YouTube.

Yet, would you believe, that between my first and second course, 5 tables of 2 or more people already received their entrée?  And some tables had even finished and subsequently left?  I tried to complain in a friendly way to the waiter, who promptly brought out my second course, post-complaint. 

When the food finally arrived, I asked why it took so long. The waiter, poor guy, did not have a response, so I asked to speak with a manager about it.  The waiter came back shortly and said that the kitchen brought out the food as soon as it was done.  “Ok… May I still speak with a manager?”

I honestly felt like the manager did not want to speak with me.  When he finally came, he was not apologetic in any way. He said that the kitchen timed it, and 14 minutes elapsed from when I finished my first course to when my main course was brought out.  Other tables did not order the set menu, so their food came out faster.  (That logic does not entirely make sense to me).  

The manager accused me of being in a rush and not taking the time to enjoy the dining experience. I responded that I was in fact not in any hurry at all.  Somewhere in our conversation, he received a phone call, did not excuse himself, and left mid-sentence.

In the meantime, I cancelled my dessert course and was annoyingly finishing my cod.  The manager came back and jumped back into conversation. He says, of course, lunch is free. And that I did not need to cancel my dessert.  He reminded me that he already explained the mechanics of the kitchen. Unfortunately, because I did not accept that explanation, there was nothing more to be done.  And with that, he left.

Don’t get me wrong – the food was really very good. And the portions were generous for a tasting menu size.  I did not expect this level of service for a place so reputable.  In fact, my food tour guide in Akureyri, who is a trained chef, was immediately excited when I told him that I had eaten at Lava.  After I recounted the story to him, he replied, “hmm, something does not sound right about that story…”  AGREED

5. Don’t miss your ride

After lunch, I went back into the lagoon to shake off the annoyance of before.  Without Babs around, it wasn’t as fun as lively as the morning was.  I got out early to shower and condition my hair and wait for my bus to the Reykjavik domestic airport. 

I found my Flybus, off to the side, and the bus driver said we would not leave for another 45 minutes and instructed me to wait in the luggage storage area, where he would pick everyone up.

44 minutes later, and no bus, I walked outside, only to watch the bus fly by.  They don’t call it Flybus for no reason… The bus was there, however, with a larger passenger bus completely blocking it out of view.  At this point, I had no choice but to take a taxi to the airport, because although I had plenty of time, I did not have the time to wait for the next bus.  Another 45 minutes?  Perhaps an hour?

I knew the taxi ride would be annoyingly expensive, and sure enough, it was.  $180 USD for a 45 km ride.  Iceland, you’re killing me.

6. Departing Reykjavik

The Reykjavik domestic airport was a small, quite adorable place.  The boarding area was separate, but the rest of the airport, check in, car rental, café, baggage claim, disembarking area was 5-in-1.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Not only that, but the plane itself was a propeller plane!  I’ve never flown in one!

Surprisingly it was a smooth 35 minute ride, in which I promptly passed out.

Watch this video on YouTube.

And now, onto Akureyri!  Capital of the North.

Parting Thoughts on my day at Blue Lagoon

Despite having issues with my lunch, I genuinely had an amazingly relaxing time at the Blue Lagoon! There’s something so relaxing about wading around in hot water for long periods of time. (At least for me). If that’s not your jam, maybe skip the Blue Lagoon on your Iceland trip.

But for me, having been on horrible flights, and having not slept for days at that point, it was the relaxation and rejuvenation I needed to start a 3 month traveling journey!

For more information and bookings, visit The Blue Lagoon.

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/