Christmas in Iceland is very romantic when you think about it.
In my opinion, the most comfortable way to travel in Iceland is to drive by yourself. So, as soon as we arrived at Keflavík International Airport, we went to the car rental counter to complete the formalities.
As there is a lot of snow and ice in winter, four-wheel drive off-road vehicles with winter snow tires are the best choice. In the dark, foggy, and wet parking lot, we finally found the Subaru Forester that could last a week.
Colorful winter capital
Even though the capital, Reykjavík, has concentrated two-thirds of the population of Iceland, it still looks sparsely populated, simple, simple, exquisite and small, just like the dust that has never been contaminated by the world. During the Christmas holidays, as far as I can see, I can only see tourists scattered around and taking pictures, but the locals are nowhere to be seen.
The landmark building of the capital is also the tallest building in the area, namely the Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral, which you can see from all corners of the city. The design of the church is inspired by the Icelandic characteristic natural landscape columnar basalt, where the extraordinary craftsmanship of nature and the ingenious craftsmanship of humans are perfectly combined.
From a distance, the church looks like a milky white rocket about to be launched, or a normal distribution graph on a math test paper. If you want to have a panoramic view of Reykjavik, you can take the elevator to the observation deck on the top floor. If you get lost in the city, take this as your goal and go back to the city center.
The city is full of colorful and cute little houses, mostly made of corrugated iron, which adds a lot of tenderness and romance to the city, or perhaps it is a rebellion against the long and bitter winter. These buildings are colorful, but in unison, they don’t make people feel obtrusive.
The blue of the blue lake is quiet and far away, without a trace of excess.
When night fell, every family seemed to exhaust all their energy to turn on all the lights in their homes. As a result, the city becomes a sea of lights. Accustomed to the low tones of Eastern Europe, and suddenly seeing the colorful and brilliant lights of thousands of families in Iceland, I seem to be able to feel their fiery heart.
Reykjavik landmark building-Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral
Iceland’s most prestigious natural hot spring-Blue Lagoon
It is Harpa Concert Hall (“Harpa” means harp) that complements Hallgrim Cathedral. From a distance, this is an extremely modern honeycomb building, crystal clear and dreamy. In fact, the designer also added elements of aurora and volcanic stone. In the evening, the concert hall was radiant, as gorgeous as an aurora. Whether it is naming or design, they are all ingenious.
Toning Lake is to Reykjavik what Shichahai is to Beijing. Toning Lake is frozen in winter, and you must “slide carefully” when you walk along the Toning Lake. At the corner of the lake, there is a piece of warm water specially heated by the municipal government, which is used to winter the ducks. The ducks cooed and swam happily, adding a lot of life to the tranquil Toning Lake.
During the Christmas period, the museums and theaters in Lei City were closed. If you love art, you have to find other pleasures. But the most magical thing about Iceland in winter is the natural world.
The Blue Lake and the “Golden Circle”
Not far from Lei City, is Iceland’s most prestigious natural hot spring-Blue Lagoon. Because it is so famous, you must book in advance to enter.
The blue of the blue lake is quiet and far away, without a trace of excess. In the cold winter, wearing a bathing suit, shivering from the locker room to the hot spring, and then there is the endless gentleness of nature. The depth and temperature of the water are just right. Soak in a hot spring in winter, with ice outside and fire inside.
From time to time, it will rain and snow, and you can take a rest under the bridge. I could see the faint hills in the distance, as if I was in a fairyland. Coupled with the Blue Lagoon special drink and algae mud mask included with the ticket, it is a very special experience. It’s so beautiful, even if the tickets are expensive, tourists are still in an endless stream.
All the way east is the “golden circle” that will definitely be worth the fare. The so-called Golden Circle is a circular route connected by three natural landscapes near Reykjavík: Geysir Geyser Geothermal Area, Gullfoss Waterfall and Thingvellir National Park.
When you come to the geyser, you can smell the rich sulfur. Every few minutes, you can watch the jets of water gushing upward from the ground. There are signs indicating high temperatures everywhere in the scenic area. It turns out that Iceland is not only ice, but also very hot. Perhaps Iceland should be called “Ice Fire Island”. The Gullfoss waterfall is literally translated as “Golden Waterfall” in Icelandic. Even if the water flow in winter is not as good as in summer, you can still feel the thunderous spirit. The most unforgettable thing is the mysterious blue color presented by the water of the waterfall, which contrasts with the snow-covered mountains and the gray winter sky. It is majestic and majestic.
Compared with the previous two, Thingvellir National Park has less impressive memory points. The Eurasian plate and the American plate intersect here, and the deep still water canyons quietly tell of the vicissitudes of life for hundreds of millions of years.
From Thunder City to the north, to the west of Iceland, is the low-key and beautiful Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Snæfellsnes are far less famous than the other destinations mentioned above, but after coming here, you will never regret it.
Snæfellsnes is also called “Straw Hat Mountain”, named after its shape resembles a straw hat. Around it, there are glaciers, small waterfalls, and moss. For this reason, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula has the reputation of “the epitome of Iceland”.
When traveling in high latitudes in winter, the most important thing is to cherish sunlight. We have to set off before the sky is clear. Along the way, from gloom to dawn, the surrounding scenery and beauty are constantly changing. The ice-covered river and the snow-covered hills conceal the little lights of the town. The footprints of nature and human beings gradually merge into one.
Due to the large amount of frozen soil and ice fields, we could not continue northward, so we went to the south of Iceland. There are also several waterfalls along the way, but they are not as good as Gullfoss.
See all the beauty and fantasy
Along the southern roundabout, the main benefit is to see the ice. If you don’t see it with your own eyes, it’s really hard to believe that the natural creation has made ice take on so many forms.
In the Jergu Salon Glacier Lake, you can see large chunks of azure ice. How to describe this blue? Perfection is nothing more than perfection. This color seems to be deeply embedded in the ice, becoming their own color.
Glacier Lake is located at the estuary of Wagner Glacier and is a natural lagoon formed by glacial melt water. As the glacier melt water is increasing day by day and converging, the scenery of the glacier lake becomes more and more beautiful and more mysterious.
After the glacier was washed away, it was scattered on the beach and turned into pieces of broken ice, which looked like diamonds.
Next to the glacier lake is the famous Diamond Beach. After the glacier was washed away, it was scattered on the beach and turned into pieces of broken ice, which looked like diamonds, hence the name. Although the weather is gloomy, these “diamonds” are already breathtakingly beautiful. Occasionally there is a small piece, you can pick it up and give it to your lover. It is conceivable that if the weather is fine, the broken ice will be so crystal clear.
If the glacier lake and diamond beach are beautiful, then the blue ice cave is fantasy. This is the most anticipated and specially booked part of our journey. Came to the meeting point to look for the local guide. He picked us up on a special, huge, wild off-road vehicle, which swayed all the way. This section of the road is extremely difficult to walk, if there is no such off-road vehicle, it is indeed difficult to reach.
The location of the Blue Ice Cave changes every year, so a professional guide is required. Putting on waterproof gear, crampons and helmets, a group of people lined up and proceeded carefully to the destination. Outside of the blue ice cave, it is as if you are on an alien planet. All you can see is sand, rocks, rivers, and blue ice fields with no edge in sight.
When I came to the entrance of the cave, I was instantly shocked by the wonders here. There is ice on the head, the river under the feet, there is no sunlight, the ice above the head is azure blue, and the river below is gray-white. It is the flowing water flowing through the glacier that forms the blue ice cave.
In addition to ice, the stunning Icelandic wonders also include black sand beaches. The huge waves of the Atlantic Ocean hit the columnar basalt, the huge waves are surging, and the basalt remains independent. The waves hit the black beach, just like the white and black keys of a piano, playing the most beautiful music of nature. My traveling companion said: “Here, it is naturally just a small show of its power, but you definitely don’t want to be frantically tested on the edge of danger.” At the
last stop, we came to the small town of Höfn to rest. For travelers, Iceland may not have any special delicacies, so we are self-reliant and cook a combination of Chinese and Western delicacies. Like all small towns in Iceland, the small town of Höfn is quiet and peaceful, uncontested in the world.
Afterwards, we embarked on the return journey back to Reykjavik. The cherishment along the way is the last stop and nostalgia for Iceland. The glaciers that poured down and stopped abruptly, the wet swamps overgrown with waterweeds, the melting ice and snow, the little horses grazing, the jubilant flocks, and the elongated silhouettes all remain in memory.
After experiencing the winter in Iceland, next time you may wish to win over the sun to find a beautiful place, it will definitely have a different taste.
