We are getting ready to make the jump to Norway. We’ve done laundry, packed up the gear and will prepare the bicycles for the flight.
Iceland has been amazing, again. In our two trips here, this one and the 2010 trip, we have seen a lot of this beautiful country and met many great people. They have been friendly and helpful. We’ve also met a bunch of other cyclists from all over: Canada, United States, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Scotland (Stuart, I hope you made it, buddy! Please let us know) Czech Republic and France.
We spent Canada Day with a couple of ex-pat East Van Canucks, Frank and Lindsay. We met them at a gas station having coffee and spent the rest of the day cycling together to Hveragerdi where we camped. The next day, they took the bus to Reykjavik in preparation for their trip home which is now in Copenhagen. We will visit them again when we get to Denmark in six or eight weeks.
We took a day off and explored Hveragerdi which claims to be the only town in the world with a geothermal site right in the centre of town. The steam and hot water has been used by the town since the 1930s. They’ve been using the hot water for space heating, laundry, cooking and baking. Bread has been baked in the soil for decades and potatoes were boiled in linen bags in the hot springs. There is a restaurant in town, Kjöt & Kunst, or Meat & Art, where the chefs use the steam for cooking inside and outside the restaurant Greenhouses and horticulture now are the main economic driver in town.
We cycled on to Grindavik the next day, about 84 KM east along the coast where we now are preparing to leave for the Keflavik Airport, 20 KM north of here. We will spend our last night in Iceland in the luxury of a hotel and we will next post to you from even further north in Tromsø, Norway.
Here’s another little video:
2 l o v e c y c l i n g 
I hope you guys had some vinetarta before leaving iceland… loving your updates. drive safe,
K.
Hi Paul and Jan,
Tjalling and I have really enjoyed reading your trip updates and the photos bring back such great memories of our own trip to Iceland. Thank you for sharing your adventure with us, can’t wait to read about Norway next!
Safe Travels,
Robin
Paul and Jan,
Congrats on your tour of Iceland – great adventuring! Not quite enough palm trees there for us, but the pics and your commentary are fantastic.
Cheers,
Glen and Marilyn
Hi Paul and Jan,
it was really nice to meet you! We have enjoyed west fjords as you recommended us. Seems from blog you have fun where you cycle and that’s fine! Wish you safe transfer to Norway and enjoy Lofoten islands with full sun and following routes towards south Europe.
David and Petr from Czech Republic
Thanks, David and Petr. Perhaps we’ll meet again.
Hey, you are riding too fast for me (as usual…). I am still laughing about your whipped cream adventure on the Kjolur–and you are already in Norway. Good luck over there and greetings from Denver!