Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

Continuing my story from Iceland today with other activities we took part in: less volcanic today!

We stayed in an Airbnb room within a guesthouse which was in a good location, only around a 10 minute walk to the Hallgrímskirkja, the largest Church in Iceland. For the cost of 1,000 ISK each (about £5 at the time), we were able to go to the top of the Church to see the views over Reykjavik’s landscape which were impressive.

The guesthouse itself was not so impressive, with one toilet for around 10 rooms, meaning long queues forming from the hour-long showers by the other guests. I accept this when hosteling, because I am paying hostel rates. Not paying hostel rates, we would expect more than one toilet for the 20 people.

We booked a Whale Watching Cruise via Viator, which lasted around 2 hours. Despite the cold, I bundled up and stayed out on deck the whole time. It paid off: we saw humpback whales and possibly blue whales (I’m no marine biologist, but that’s what we were told). Most other guests stayed inside until the captain announced a sighting, but staying out meant I saw more – and earlier!

Top Tip from Aelfgifu: wrap up warm and brave the cold for the best views.

Later, we took a Northern Lights Yacht Cruise at night. The first night we didn’t see anything, but thankfully the tour allowed us to try again within a few months (if you don’t see any lights the first time). Unfortunately, we didn’t see them the second time round either and our trip had come to an end.

Still on our bucket list to see!

Finally, we wandered through a small indoor market, where I bought some beautiful crystal geode-like earrings. We also purchased some fermented shark to try! This had a very strong ammonia (stronger than urine) smell and taste, which lingered in my throat for a long time. I’m always up to try new foods so would never turn an opportunity like this down, but my goodness me – an acquired taste!

Tips to Learn from Aelfgifu:

• Layer up! Whale watching is cold business – but staying outside boosts your chances of spotting more.
• Be flexible and patient with Northern Lights. Whilst the best time to see them is the winter months (September to mid-April), that doesn’t mean you will definitely see them!
• Always be open to trying new things, you never know, you might like the fermented shark!

Have you tried fermented shark and did you have the same experience as us? Let me know below!

With the ammonia taste still lingering,
Aelfgifu