We’re in Iceland now, gathering tons of new information for the book and the web site. Here’s just a small summary of what’s new this month. Or at least things we learned about this month!
Vök Baths in East Iceland has opened … and it’s great!
Vök Baths, just outside of Egilsstaðir, opened on July 27th. Through sheer luck, we were there on opening day! It’s very well thought out and very very nice. Check out our Vök Baths review here.
Lots of little things make Vök Baths great. Multiple pools with multiple temperature options. An area with subtle spraying water that acts as a kids’ play area (without looking like a kids’ play area!) A make your own herbal tea table, included in the price. Access to the warm water without going outside. And more. Give it a try if you’re out East!
The best view of Beluga Whales is on the Westman Islands
Two adorable beluga whales are now in the new Sea Life Trust on the Westman Islands. Right now we’re in a time window where you can see them up close. Very close. When they first arrived (on a specially modified airplane with a water tank in it!) they were in quarantine, and the public was not allowed to see them. And soon, they will be moved to their permanent home in a nearby cove. But right now, you can see them in a tank in the back of the aquarium! See our post about the Sea Life Trust for the schedule.
Seriously, these are cute whales. Look at this picture from the Sea Life Trust web site! This is Little Grey.
I’m sure Little Grey and Little White will be happier once they’re in their much larger cove. But for now, you can see them up close! Check the Sea Life Trust web site for the updated timeline of the cove transfer.
The New Westman Islands Ferry boat is operating
There’s a new boat that will now take you to the Westman Islands. Above is a picture of it I took on July 23rd. And it was put into service on July 25th, so we just missed it!
I haven’t heard about any special amenities on the new boat; in fact, it’s a little smaller than the old boat. But its main benefit is that it was custom built to fit into the closer harbor on the mainland, called Landeyjahöfn. That means that the ride to the Westman Islands should be a short 35 minutes for much of the year. Right now, the ride can be nearly 3 hours for nearly half of the year.
(This means it should become easier to go and help rescue pufflings in the fall!)
A new opportunity to see Icelandic Horses
Tourism has increased quite a bit in Iceland over the last few years. Even though the number of tourists is starting to fall, there are still more people visiting. We’ve spoken with several Icelanders who have the “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!” attitude. The result is that tourists now get to see some authentic slices of Iceland.
One of those new opportunities is with Brú Farms in the Golden Circle area. Brú raises Icelandic horses, and just recently decided to open up their business for tourists to see. And now, you can also head up to see the stables, and visit the new hot dog stand up by the stables.
The prices here are very cheap. You can pet the horses for free, or buy some “horse candy” for 200 ISK to feed to the horses. (That’s the going price for one person to use a public bathroom in some touristy areas, so it seems cheap to me!)
The people food doesn’t seem like as good a value, but the free stable tour more than makes up for it!
Ice Cream and E. Coli
You may want to skip the Golden Circle ice cream, though. 16 children have gotten sick from eating ice cream at the popular dairy Efstidalur II, also in the heart of the Golden Circle area. It seems like the outbreak has slowed, and likely ended: None of the identified cases happened after July 4th.
There are trampolines everywhere!
A few years ago, we saw a handful of these ground level inflatable trampolines. But now they seem to be everywhere– every town now has a swimming pool and a trampoline.
The trampoline in the picture is on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, but we were particularly excited to find one in the Golden Circle area, right behind the Ethiopian restaurant Minilik. Yes, there’s an Ethiopian restaurant in Iceland, and it’s delicious. But service is very slow. That’s by design; there’s a sign at the entrance that warns you that cooking good food from scratch takes time!
We ordered … and then I sent my son out to play on the trampoline in the neighboring park. I could literally see the kids jumping through the restaurant window. It made waiting for the food much easier for the kids!
So many more new things
There’s more we haven’t covered yet, but will. Like :
The new park and food cart area right in the heart of Reykjavik’s Harbor area
The new luxury hotel right by Geysir
The new museum that uses virtual reality to teach about a great Icelandic battle as told in the Sagas.
That’s it for now! Thanks for reading! Keep sending us questions and comments!
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