Day 19 — Wednesday, 20th August
Akureyri, Iceland
Morning all! Welcome to Wednesday! We said goodbye to the Azamara Quest at some unGodly hour this morning as we headed for disembarkation in Reyjavik, Iceland.
Reykjavík
5.32am: We’ve arrived! Reykjavik has a population of around 140000 and is the capital city of Iceland.
The port was busy! – even at this early hour with two Cruise Ships already docked, including our next door neighbour, the massive ‘Mein Schiff 3.
8.10am: After a slightly torturous wait for Iceland Immigration to get themselves ready, we were soon ‘officially’ through and into Iceland, where our pre-booked Taxi was waiting. It was a bright, crisp morning as Huginn, our driver, whisked us through the light Reykjavík traffic. That short journey brought back memories of our similar trip back in March 2017 when we were here celebrating Ann’s Birthday.
Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at Reykjavik Domestic Airport with plenty of time to spare.
8.26am: After we’d taken out a bank loan for our 4 coffees (almost £20) we nattered away the next hour-or-so before checking in.
Next Stop – Akureyri!
Checking-in was relatively straightforward, although there was some confusion by the staff as to whether we were too early. Eventually, they completed all the necessary bits and bobs and we headed for the Departure Lounge. Then, after 20 minutes, we were asked to leave so they could close it! All very confusing! 🥴.
In spite of the somewhat chaotic nature in the Airport, it IS the smartest way to get to Akureyri. It’s one of the shortest flights I’ve ever been on – just 35 minutes, whereas the alternative would have been about a 5 hour drive by car (241 miles!). 😬
11.05am: We’re off!
Akureyri
11.55am: With its population of just over 20000, Akureyri is considered their ‘second city’. You’d never know it based on their size of the Airport though! Just ONE conveyor belt for incoming luggage made it all a bit of a squeeze. However, more positively, it didn’t take long to retrieve our cases. 👍
As we exited the Airport, we noticed the drop in the temperature and we were all glad we hadn’t packed our outdoor coats away. We headed for the designated taxi rank (that was empty!) and hoped that we wouldn’t have to wait too long. Lucky us, as within 10 minutes we were packing our bags in the SUV.
Accommodation
We’re staying in the Centrum Hotel in Akureyri a modest affair near the port and the main shopping area.
12.35pm: Check in time was 4pm, so we dumped our bags and took the opportunity to soak up some of the immediate sights.
There’s certainly plenty to see here – and quite a few eateries too!
12.59pm: Using the rest of our bank loan, we stopped off at Bautinn for a spot of Lunch. The food was excellent and well presented, but weighing in at £124 for two burgers, two tacos plus three beers, it was a stark reminder that food IS expensive out here. 😯
Making Plans
With only two full days here, we wanted to make the most of the time – and we had Whales and Puffins on our mind. Cue a short walk to the local Tourist Information Office.
The Hof is the Cultural and Conference Centre here, and it was easy to spot. Inside, we were soon chatting to the very helpful staff on the Information Desk who responded enthusiastically to our thoughts about ‘seeing the sights’. Although Puffin sightings might be in doubt (best time is apparently June and July) we remain optimistic (ish)… less so about sighting Whales though! 😕
We were also pointed in the direction of the Hop-on-Hop-Off Bus (No. 5 or No. 6), literally a 1-minute walk from where we were. Shock horror! As we prepared a second bank loan, we learned that it was completely free. Result!! 😉
It showed Iceland’s landscape to be rugged and sparse but you have to LOVE the heart-shaped red stop signs on their traffic lights.
3.35pm: After a complete loop of the area by Bus (about 25 minutes), we took the chance that we might be able to check-in early. It paid off, and we were soon in our rooms.
OK, our stop for the next few nights might be basic, but we noticed their vibrant ‘Bar scene’ and their kitchen seemed to be quite busy too, looking after the food orders! 👍👍. Happy Hour from 4-6pm may have helped! 🥴
Tomorrow…
We’re off on the well-known Diamond Circle Route. We’ll be up at silly o’clock, racing back to the airport to hire a car and then following the map below. We may not get time to see everything, but we plan to give it a try! 👍
See you Thursday!! 👍👍😁
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