Crescent Sun Travelers: ICELAND DAY 12

(readers note: The pictures follow the relevant paragraphs. Be sure to read all the way to the end. Click on any picture to see all the pictures in full size)

Sleep in, then head out to Covid testing, required within 72 hours prior to flying to the States. The testing center is efficient, and an hour total is a small price to pay to be able to travel again. Breakfast in downtown Reyjkavik at Grai Kotturinn, a hole in the wall named for the gray cat that used to hang around the building. In Iceland there is a saying that if you hang around a place long enough you are like a grey cat, so the name is especially fitting as the tiny place is full of colorful local characters who look like they came with the real estate.

Walking back, we see our favorite artist again, a woman about our age who makes jewelry which features lavastone beads. The pieces are fun and funky and reflect the place, the best designs we’ve seen in any of the shops. We connect instantly with the artist (Mandy has a knack for that) and spend quite a bit of time talking business, art, travel and the world in general. We buy a bunch of pieces, a few for Mandy and some for gifts, and in reflection probably should have gotten more.

Last night at dinner, we met a couple who went whale watching from the marina across from our hotel. They spoke so highly of the trip that Mandy and I start talking. We realized that neither of us had ever gone before. It’s one of those excursions that are offered on so many trips, we have always, together or separately, just passed on. When we were walking around the marina last night and saw the Amelia Rose, we booked from our phone immediately. A 108 foot super yacht with a checkered past, so yea, we thought, this is the boat for us. Amelia Rose was originally built by Mexican drug lord, who at one point had it seized that country’s government. It was subsequently sold to a movie production company and featured in several films. Refitted, it now serves as a floating platform for whale watching, Nothern Lights cruises, weddings and other fun events. The main deck features a large bar/lounge with rich carved wood paneling and two big marble tiled bathrooms. The second and third decks feature plenty of space for the passengers to keep an eye out for today’s prize, minke and humpback whales. We get some great pictures Harpa, the iconic concery hall, of the city and nearby islands as we leave Reyjkavik’s Old Harbour. It’s Icelandic summer, bright and sunny, 50F with a cold wind. Out to sea, the vessel and her captain handle the 6-foot swells with aplomb. Although the promo material states a “see rate” in the high 90 percent, our first hour yields no results. These are the pros though, seasoned in finding the signs of whale activity (dolphins, diving flocks of gulls) and constantly in contact with the other whale watching boats. We cheer when we see the first whale spray, which is quickly followed by the breaching of a big humpback. We see a dozen more breaches, some just a few feet from our boat. Our guide, a thirty something woman from New Zealand, identifies at least three separate animals. On the way back, I overheard the guide quietly tell the first mate, a modern-day Viking if ever there was one, that this was one of best days she has had in Iceland. Hmmm, us too.

Back on dry land, we head out for an early dinner. Messinn had been on our list, but we didn’t have reservations. Only a few blocks from out hotel, we figured we’d give it a try. It’s only 5pm, so the hostess shows us to a lovely table by the window overlooking the street. Messinn is this city’s legendary seafood restaurant, know for their “fish pans”, local fish caught same day, cooked and served in the same pan. Also, this is one of the few places that have Atlantic Wolffish on the menu, a local delicacy and perhaps one of the ugliest creatures in the ocean. Mandy gets the Artic Char, having fallen in love with it this trip and I order the sea creature, both as pans. The presentation is great, a well-used commercial sauté pan set on a wooden cutting board with our fish of choice. some potatoes and veggies added at the end. Unfortunately, we have often been disappointed when we go to these famous legacy restaurants in new cities. Fortunately, Messinn outstripped its own good press, serving us some of the best fish of our entire trip.

We ate early because we had to change and be on the outskirts of town by 8:30pm. We booked a midnight sun quad tour and we had been looking forward to it, especially as this was one of the sunniest day’s of our entire trip. We get to Safari Quads already dressed warm, then put on what Mandy calls a Potato Suit, heavy zip-up coveralls with a warm furry lining. There are about 25 of us, riding one- or two-up on 16 big Can-Am Outlander 450cc 4WD ATVs. We leave the base and do about 2 miles on public roads until we get to the first trail head. On the way I check “traffic circle, 40mph, on a quad” off my bucket list (I’m from Jersey, it’s a thing…) For two weeks now we’ve been driving and hiking all across the country, but somehow this feels like a more intimate way to see the landscape. The trails are well marked but very rough in spots, the riding a lot more technically challenging than I thought for a tour group. The bikes are capable and well suited for the terrain. It’s hard to talk to Mandy through our helmets, so I can’t judge if she’s enjoying it or not. We get to the first stop, the top of a tall mountain and disembark for a break and a look. When Mandy pulls her helmet off, her wide grin tells me what I need to know. The sweeping views are stunning, panoramic with mountain backdrops in front of valley lakes, the big, late night sun to the west and the almost full moon in the northeast. The next 45 minutes riding is even more fun, more challenging, more technical, and now that I know Mandy is having a good time, I’m more generous with the throttle. The second stop is even more breathtaking, a higher vantage point from the top of the next mountain. Clouds are starting to form, bringing dramatic rays and reflections, colors and shadows. It’s our last night in Iceland and this is a remarkable place to spend it. I only find out the next day that Mandy wept inside her helmet as we started back down the mountain.