Fire and Ice adventure Iceland 3FI2402
Welcome to Reykjavik, we have chosen a good day to start our adventure, the sun is shining and we can explore the city a little, otherwise there is not much spectacular to report today, in the afternoon we pick up our bikes and get a little briefing which makes us fit for the next few days. Afterwards, we get our first taste of Icelandic cuisine, which is allready sensational
Good morning adventurers, today is finally our first riding day and as ordered the weather is great, you have to be that lucky. Unfortunately, the volcanic eruption at Grindavik means that we have to drive back the same way we came, somewhat inelegantly. But at least we don't miss anything and we get a little extra on top. After a visit to Viking world, we set off to explore the island's natural spectacles. We cross the rift between two tectonic plates and visit Gunnuhver, a place where the rage of a ghost has caused boiling water and mud to shoot up from the ground for centuries. At least that's what they say;-). A visit to the Blue Lagoon is of course a must. At the beginning of 2024, an eruption here released vast quantities of lava into the landscape and unfortunately made the small town of Grindavik inaccessible to us. Near the lagoon, however, we have the opportunity to stand on the recently cooled lava, which is still smoking and steaming in the distance...a very special moment. After a short stop at one of the many lakes where, according to legend, a monster lives, we set off on our first gravel section of the tour. A quick warm-up for tomorrow. Then we roll along the coast towards the hotel, where good food and hot pools await us. What a day.
Welcome to the day of F35 What does it mean!? In our case pure joy of riding a motorcycle on gravel roads!!! But let´s start with the morning - after a great breakfeast we went out towards the Gullfoss waterfall. Once there we had an good coffee and on top an stunning view at the gourguse waterfall. And from there on went on on the road F35 which guided us from the south to the north of Iceland. Along the ride the landscape changed from the green fields in the lowlands to a kind of mystic moon landscape in the highlands. The highlands himself have been surounded with mountains which ahs been covered wit smale glacier which will feel really smale compare to the one what we will see in the future. All in on this ride showed what our groups is made of!!! Some improved there riding skills right away and has been suprised what they and the motorcycle are able to to in combination. For us two we can say we are verry proud of our riders and looking forward to show them more from this unique island. So - picture time - See you tomorrow Thomas and Axel
Another day of our Icelandic adventure begins and believe it or not... The weather is kind to us. After all the adrenaline-pumping experiences yesterday, we take it easy today. Our driving day is short, so we have enough time to learn more about life in earlier generations and enjoy the landscape. We set off in a northerly direction, there is no traffic and it seems to be just us and our bikes on the road today. Our route takes us along the coast, the scenery is characterized by rolling hills, snow-capped peaks and loooong bends. Our destination is Siglufjörður, a small town with an interesting history. We spend a lot of time here, enjoying the peace and quiet and visiting a beautifully designed museum. After lunch, our journey continues through endless tunnels, some of which are single-track. We can hardly wait to see what awaits us at the end. Finally we reach Akureyri, the second largest town on the island has a lot to offer, including the largest motorcycle museum on the island. A must see for motorcycle travelers. We arrive at our hotel early, enough time to explore the town or relax.
Overnight, more rain fell over the island. Good for us because the new day starts dry and friendly. Today is another short day, as we set sail in the afternoon. First we leave Akureyri, but not in the "normal" way. Why drive through a mountain in a tunnel when there is also a gravel road over it, including a water crossing;-) After this little adventure, we visit Godafoss, one of the most famous and beautiful waterfalls on the island. Many great photos and a coffee later we reach Myvatn. A fascinating landscape of lakes, craters, craters that are lakes and sculptures made of cooled lava. Iceland could not be more impressive. We reach our destination for the day, Husavik, around lunchtime, so we have enough time to prepare for the next highlight of our tour. In the afternoon, we take a small fishing boat out onto the North Atlantic. We go whale watching;-). For the non-sailors among us, there is a museum, a trip up Husavik's local mountain and a thermal bath to discover. What a day.
do you actually know what a weather report looks like in Iceland? No? Well, you open the curtain in the morning and look out. And lo and behold, contrary to all forecasts, the island means well with us, so we get on our bikes and off we go. We ride along the north coast until we reach our first highlight of the day, the Asbyrgi Canyon, a place full of magic created by the force of the water in just two days, because if you believe the legends, this is the capital of the elves. Then we leave the asphalt and follow the course of the Jökulsa a Fjöllum on gravel. This river is fed directly by the Vatnajökull and produces the most powerful waterfall in Europe...Dettifoss. And if, like us, you approach the waterfall from the east and are prepared to walk a little, you can get close enough to touch it...a great moment. So much adventure makes you hungry, so we alternate between gravel and asphalt to a traditional restaurant that seems to mark the border between two different worlds. As we continue our journey, we suddenly find ourselves in a desert-like landscape. The surroundings for the next few kilometers are bizarre and fascinating at the same time. This is Iceland. At this point, we could go to the hotel or put the icing on the cake by taking a small detour. More driving?.... that sounds good, so we leave the ring road again and drive to Studlagil canyon and marvel at the almost artificial-looking basalt formations. But now it's really time for our hotel, because at least there's a hot swimming pool waiting for us here. you can hardly experience more on a day in Iceland
Hello again from Iceland Today we drove south - almost 300 km ahead of us, but we're looking forward to it because we're getting closer and closer to the largest glacier in Europe - Vatnajöku - 3,400 square miles of pure ice - impressive!!!! To get a better idea of what we would see over the next few days, we stopped at the Snaefellsstofa Visitor Center and after a short history and geography lesson with Axel, we drove on towards Öxi Pass and Folaldafoss. The drive itself was a nice mix of gravel and asphalt. All in all, it was a brilliant day of driving, especially on the gravel. Towards the end of the day we stopped a few more times along the coast road and then it was time to head to the hotel. But wait!!! This ride doesn't have to be over yet!!! There was an option to drive to a glacier lagoon not far from the hotel and guess what? Of course we did that. Iceland is such a great place!!!! So now it's almost time for dinner, so enjoy the pictures and we'll see you here tomorrow Thomas and Axel
For the first time on our tour, it looks like we have little luck with the weather. Normally we should be able to admire glacier tongues from our rooms. But hey, that's Iceland too. There's probably an indoor briefing today;-) And so we set off on today's journey. Our first destination is the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, where a ride on an amphibious vehicle awaits us. And despite the uncomfortable weather, we get a good impression of why this place is so special. Gradually, however, we have had enough of the miserable weather, the nature around us sinks into the fog, what a pity. A few kilometers later we have the opportunity to warm up a little, we have burgers and soup and the rain lets up. And then we do get the chance to take a look at part of Vatnajokul. A short hike is necessary to admire the glacier tongue in all its glory, but it's definitely worth it. Less than an hour later we reach our hotel. That's how it should be because we want to end the day with a little adventure on the gravel, the weather looks great so GO! The route is twistier and more challenging than the days before, real fun. However, due to flooding in the region, the rivers are carrying too much water this time to cross them with our bikes. A very special surprise awaits us in the evening;-)
It's day 9 and that means that this tour is coming to an end - unfortunately. But before we say goodbye, there's today's ride and another one tomorrow. So, what did we do today? After the last few days of heavy rain in the highlands and constantly looking at the weather radar, we decided to take the optional route today, as the river crossings in the highlands would be a real challenge. In any case, as you can see, this day also had some highlights to offer!!! Like the black beach with all the puffins, which you would not see in the highlands. Along the way we crossed several lava fields covered in moss and even if it doesn't sound that exciting - it's magical!!! There were also even more waterfalls on the trip than in the group before. Still one of the most impressive spots I've ever been to. For lunch we stopped at Skógafoss, where you could feel that we were approaching Reykjavik because of all the tourists following route number one, stopping there and performing in flocks. On the other hand, it shows that we have been to places where most people who come for vacation over here will never see or even go. The route we chose is a real treasure and shows how beautiful Iceland's nature is. As I said, a must do for anyone who loves nature!!!! Another day is over, but there is one more trip and when we both look at the faces of our group! You can tell they had an unforgettable time here and thoroughly enjoyed it, and we? We can say it too - because we had a breathtaking time with these wild explorers. One more highlight is still missing and that is the Geysir, so let's go out because right opposite of the Hotel is one of the biggest Geysir of Iceland - so see you later Thomas and Axel
This morning we open our curtains one last time to see what surprise the Icelandic weather has in store for us. Yay, more sunshine. So let's get on our bikes and off we go. Let's use this day to once again enjoy the fascination of this island in all its facets. Our first stop is the Kerid Crater. Which, when you look at it, seems to be something completely different from what it actually is. Back on the bike, we make our way to what is probably the most important place in Iceland. Once again, the journey is the reward: the road along Thingvallavatn is the most fun paved road of the whole tour so far. A stop at Thingvellir, the place where the history of Iceland has so often been rewritten, is a must. After so much history, it's time for some nature again. And so we circle the Hvalfjördur or Walfjord. One last time we are enchanted by the landscape of Iceland. Our route around the fjord also holds a surprise in store, as there is a private museum in the middle of nowhere with a collection of devotional objects from the Second World War that has been collected over decades. And so the circle of myths, legends and current history comes full circle. And for us, too, the circle is complete. Filled with countless impressions, we finally reach Reykjavik again. The Icelandic adventure is coming to an end.