Iceland Travel Notes | A big dream at the age of 26: I woke up in the wilderness of Iceland

Why do you want to go to Iceland?

Instead of asking why you want to go, ask why you don’t want to go. Iceland is a place that makes people yearn for it just by hearing its name.

I told my boss that I wanted to spend the first day of my 26th year in Iceland. So, I want to take a leave of absence. It sounds romantic and crazy. Fortunately, the boss supported my little daydream.

I have been preparing to go to Iceland for a long time. I have a nickname called Plan Si. A person who likes to make plans, but basically doesn't follow the plan. I started planning in October 2019. It took me almost 4 months to apply for a visa, make an appointment with a companion, ask for leave, buy equipment, make strategies, and finally set off. I also experienced various twists and turns during this period, but fortunately, Iceland was worth it.

If dying alone is one of the endings of my life, I want to live alone in Iceland.

1) About visa

Iceland is not the EU, but it is a Schengen country and you can get a Schengen visa. Therefore, many people will choose the easy-to-handle Italian visa or French visa before going to Iceland.

There is no Iceland Visa Center in Guangzhou, so you can choose the Denmark Visa Center (all materials need to be color printed). I went to Beijing to apply for (actually, I just stopped by for a meal, and I didn’t necessarily have to go to Beijing) . It only took about 3 days from submission to visa issuance.

The strategy is to show that you have the ability to go there and that it is just for travel purposes.

2) About air tickets

When I first bought it, it was only 3,500 for a round trip from Shanghai to Reykjavik. Then there was an epidemic and the air tickets were cancelled. I repurchased a flight from Aeroflot, Guangzhou-Moscow-Oslo, and then from Oslo to Reykjavik. It probably cost about 7,000. Harmful!

3) About withdrawals

The currencies of the five Nordic countries are not universal, but credit with Visa and MasterCard is smooth, so you can have fun with your credit card. Also, UnionPay really cannot be used in Northern Europe! ! ! ! ! ! ! My history of blood and tears! ! ! ! Remember! ! ! UnionPay is basically useless in Iceland! ! ! !

P.S.

①The travel diary will write about Norway + Iceland, because if I don’t write about Norway, then my photos will be dead, so I have to write about it. So, this is a travel account.

②Because it has been delayed for nearly half a year, I can’t even remember the names of some restaurants. I can’t think of a description of how it tastes so so, just look at the picture. I won’t forget any of the delicious food!

③Travel style: There are many pictures and about 14,000 words of text, so please read slowly

I often liken my travels to adventures. I never know what kind of trouble I will experience in the next second.

This time, when I finally arrived in Oslo, Norway after more than 20 hours of flight, and when I came out of the arrival gate and was about to change some cash, I realized that I had brought three UnionPay cards.

As someone who likes to make plans, I know that the probability of using UnionPay cards in Northern Europe is very low. But I did indeed forget to bring my MasterCard.

I failed to swipe my UnionPay card on the airport bus, the currency exchange shop couldn't change it, and I couldn't even find an Asian face at the airport. I called the hotel to pick me up, but they rejected me.

It's okay, I'm not panicking. I am a master problem solver. I can. Finally, I dug out life-saving money in my backpack. Yes, as a woman with a plan, how could she not prepare some life-saving cash. I accidentally discovered that there was a sign of RMB at the currency exchange, so I boldly asked! It works!

I exchanged 200 yuan for more than 200 Norwegian kroner. Taking the airport bus to the hotel costs 70 NOK. In just 3 kilometers, 1/3 of the assets are consumed. Families that were not already wealthy were even worse off.

▲Airport bus in the early morning

When we arrived at the hotel, luckily we could swipe our UnionPay card. The first question I asked was not what time was breakfast. But, are there any other Chinese staying tonight?

After checking with the hotel front desk, he politely but cruelly said: Just you.

ok, I can do it, I don’t panic. 😭Okay, actually I was panicked to death. I felt like my trip was immediately tied up in money. I even plan to stay in the hotel until I go to Iceland. Because the hotel accepts UnionPay cards for meals.

However, I'm not one to sit still. After taking a shower, I took out my phone and silently opened WeChat to find people nearby, ok, there was no one . Then silently download social software such as Tantan, Momo, and soul. Trying to find a nearby Chinese person who could exchange money with me. No, no, none . I taste the taste of despair!

When I almost gave up, I opened the local Weibo of Weibo, ouch! I saw a girl posted a Weibo post, which was located in Oslo, just a few hours ago. I silently sent her a private message.

February 18th, Miss Zhang, my angel. She agreed to exchange money with me. We had a great day. Sure enough, I am a lucky guy~

Oslo is the capital of Norway. If it hadn't been for a change of fortune, my original plan would not have been here. Because this name makes me feel uncomfortable. However, once I got to the city center, I immediately fell in love with this small town.

He is just too laid back. Especially in the afternoon, the beaches and parks are full of people walking their dogs. I even suspect that their job is to walk their dogs.

Miss Zhang and I wandered around the streets without much destination, from the fjord to the square. You can see the old city building when you look up, and the old trams that shuttle through the city at any time.

Everything is ancient. I am nostalgic. Love everything that has been preserved from the long period of time. Oslo is such an old city.

If it weren’t for the bleak wind blowing on my face, I would have no reason not to love Oslo.

By the way, the female police officer I met on the road was really cool while patrolling on horseback. After getting their consent, I quickly took a photo, but unfortunately it was out of focus.

When you feel tired after walking a few steps, you duck into a cafe and order a cup of hot coffee. This is my favorite way to travel. Miss Zhang is a fan of "skam", so before we met, we had already visited many filming locations in the show.

Kaffebrenneriet is a chain of cafes where the hero works. Xiao Zhang had a drink there once and thought it was good. We happened to see one on the corner of the street and we happened to be tired, so we walked in.

Both the coffee and desserts are delicious. Especially the large bowl of coffee (referring to China’s northern rice bowl), I think it’s really a good deal.

Walking through the fjord after sunset, the clouds become thicker and more colorful. Everyone is wearing hats and gloves. Passing by me in a hurry. On the second day in Oslo, everything was as expected from the trip.

Today, it’s the wonderfully romantic Norwegian Twilight Blue.

The second day in Northern Europe. What hurts my head more than the strong wind is the jet lag. We originally planned to go to a bistro for a drink after dinner, but after 6pm, I felt sleepy while eating dinner, so I had to give up.

I thought about the restaurant where I said goodbye for four or five days, but I didn’t remember his name.

The Forgotten restaurant has a great environment, it is a wonderful restaurant for elegant and couples. However, maybe my points to one-handed black . I think the taste is more soso, about 5.5 points. However, the peanut popcorn ice cream ordered by Xiao Zhang was quite delicious.

We each ordered an entree and dessert. Being in Norway, I naturally ordered a cod. It tastes good, but it's not amazing. I can only say it's passable.

As for dessert, I thought I chose a safe answer, yogurt. Unexpectedly, I didn't like the taste.

When traveling alone, my favorite thing besides eating and drinking is actually visiting local art galleries.

The beauty seen by the eyes of people in the past is deposited on the canvas. We are standing at this moment, looking at the past, it is a wonderful conversation. It's like traveling through time and space.

In February, the National Gallery was still under renovation. Originally there were several museums on the list, but because I was procrastinating on the hotel bed, I finally chose to only go to the Munch Museum.

After all, a trip to catch up with a party is not suitable for an older girl like me.

Originally, my plan today was to go to a cafe that is about the same age as me, but I didn’t expect that there were too many people and I couldn’t eat without making a reservation. The clerk told me to wait for 1 hour. So I gave up.

The other restaurant I wanted to eat at hadn't opened yet, so I had to wander around. We walked to Akershus Castle, which we saw from a distance yesterday. Just take a walk if you have nothing to do.

In Oslo in winter, the trees are bare and undecorated, looking bleak and deserted. Fortunately, the sunshine in the winter afternoon is very gentle. Walking on the path of the castle, the light passes through the trees and through the shadows of people. It's like walking on a rooftop.

Oslo is what winter should be like in my fairy tale books.

When exploring a city, it is indispensable to take various forms of transportation. So even if it is not cost-effective. I still bought a transportation card.

With the Oslo 24-hour transportation card, I can take the tram and subway and feel like I am a 24-hour resident of Oslo.

When walking around the city, I trust my nose more than looking at the scores on review websites. Passing by this cafe on the corner, I smelled the delicious smell of coffee. So he broke in.

I order what I see on the tables of the people around me. It tastes really good. Whether it’s coffee or macarons, they both win my heart.

After walking out of the cafe, I counted the time and found that I could just go to the Munch Museum and have dinner after a stroll.

Maybe you don’t know Munch, but you must have seen his work “The Scream”.

I got on the tram, transferred to the subway and arrived at the Munch Museum in the afternoon. Maybe it was because "The Scream" was not at home, and there weren't many people in the art gallery.

Although I didn't see the original work, I had a great impression of the Munch Museum, maybe it was just the right time to visit it. I just happened to be working on the theme exhibition "Everything We Own".

Summarize Munch's works and group them into different answers. Post questions to guide thinking on ground signs. The painting is the answer direction.

I transferred to the 2nd tram and walked 1 minute across from the station to see the Hos Thea restaurant. I like to do lots of gourmet meal plans. Then choose one at random.

This time I was really lucky, Hos Thea was one of my favorite restaurants during this trip. It's not in vain that I walked slowly for 3 hours in the city just to wait for him to open.

The restaurant is not very impressive, but it is an old restaurant that has been operating since 1987. (I have no ability to resist old restaurants. The bad ones have all died. There must be merit in being open for 33 years)

Because I was eating alone, although I saw the chef's menu, I don't like duck, so I only ordered one main course and one dessert. The meal kits on the table were still warm. They probably made them themselves.

As usual, I ordered cod. I always thought that you can’t go wrong when ordering fish in Northern Europe. I didn’t expect it to be so delicious! ! !

Onion soup, served with cabbage and shredded green onions, paired with the soft and chewy texture of cod! So satisfying!

As for the ice cream, it is home-made and comes in 5 flavors. The mango and raspberry were too sweet, so I didn’t finish them. The others were okay, but overall it was not a success. The accompanying nut biscuits are very delicious.

️It is worth mentioning that the service is also very good, and the waitress is so cute! Then, add water to me like crazy the whole time~

🌿tips

It cost 540 ISK including tip

Address Gabels gate 11, 0272 Oslo, Norway

Take bus No. 13, get off at skillebekk, and walk about 130m

Business hours: 5pm~11pm

Reservation phone +47 22 44 68 74

Take a few steps to see the sea, sit for a few stops to see the exhibition. Oslo is small, but it’s worth walking around slowly. Just like what Munch wrote in his notes, I don't paint what I see in my eyes, I only paint what I feel in my heart.

At this moment my heart and my stomach are full.

I woke up from my sleep just before the plane arrived in Reykjavik. Looking out the window of the plane, all the fatigue disappeared at that moment.

gorgeous.

All words pale in front of thousands of years of glaciers and oceans.

I crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, desperate for what? In this moment on the plane, I found the answer. It’s for the vastness of the mountains and rivers and the romance of the glaciers in front of you right now.

The trip went smoothly, which may have nothing to do with me. When I arrived in Reykjavik, I went to find the airport bus pick-up person as planned, only to find that I was not on the pick-up list. Alibaba frantically searched for customer service but no one answered, so I had to call my best friend’s phone number to contact the travel agency and found out. They took the order but did not issue the order to the local company.

Being stranded at the airport for 2 hours may be the biggest harm this epidemic has brought to me.

But these are all small things. After solving the problem, I walked out of the airport, and the smell of sulfur came from the road with the strong wind. The Iceland after landing and the Iceland seen from the plane are two different Icelands.

Until the bus left the airport, I looked at the snow along the way and the mountains in the distance. Suddenly I fell in love with Iceland again. In one day, I met 3 different Icelands.

Probably because I was blown away by the wind at the Icelandic airport, my desire to travel directly dropped to a negative number . When I arrived in the city of Reykjavik, I decided not to go anywhere and just wanted to spend the afternoon on the bed in the B&B.

Fortunately, the B&B I booked tonight is small and cute, the radiator is warm, and the bed is a heavenly softness.

After sleeping until you wake up hungry, open Alipay and check the surrounding food shops. Choose a Vietnamese noodle restaurant. The name is node station. In fact, I saw it in quite a few guides and decided to give it a try.

I spent more than 90 RMB and ordered a beef noodles. completely lose hope! Because the soup is too salty. I can't drink the soup! What do you call noodle soup if you can’t drink soup? Wouldn’t it taste good if you fish it dry? !

Putting aside the salty issue, the taste is still good.

I booked a local photography experience on Airbnb in advance.

Photographer Mirek asked me to meet at sandholf bakery. He said that the coffee here is the best in Lei City.

Sure enough, both coffee and cakes and desserts are very delicious. Later, I went there two more times by myself.

Although my English is poor, I still tried very hard to communicate with Mirek. Because he is handsome. Yan Dog will not be hindered by words.

Nordic boys definitely stand in my aesthetic point of view. Let's put it this way, I stood on the roadside in Iceland, doing nothing but looking at the handsome guys, and I felt that the trip was worth it. P.S. There are more handsome guys in Norway!

After drinking coffee, Mirek took me along to check in at free shooting spots. The rainbow streets where parades take place, Lake Töning where ducks are fed, and the Hallgrímskirkja which attracts the most tourists.

Shopping all the way, taking pictures all the way, chatting all the way, handsome guys and photos, I have them all.

What impressed me most was that outside a certain store, Mirek suddenly asked me to take a photo with a pig in a sweater. I was full of questions.

He said he saw many Asians taking photos with the pig and thought I would like it too. I mentally rolled my eyes. You are a handsome guy, no matter what stupid thing you do, I will agree with you.

Later, he sent me the picture of the pig and the beautiful girl. I decisively cut myself off. Our beautiful girl can only take photos with cats, okay? !

Walking towards Harper on the beach, looking at her from a distance, it was like seeing a huge diamond on the beach. Although his design concept is volcanic stone and aurora. But I think it looks too much like a diamond! Sparkly and seductive.

There are not many tourists in Hapa, and the venue is large enough, so it is very easy to take aerial shots. Even if you climb up the stairs, you can easily make a blockbuster movie.

In Hapa, anything you take will look great. Wearing Hanfu and a cloak, I walked into Hapa and was "looked at" at any time and anywhere.

Mirek said that when the sun rises and sets, the sun shines on the glass curtain wall, and that is the most beautiful moment in Hapa. Unfortunately, the day we shot was cloudy.

Mirek works as a sushi chef in a Japanese restaurant in the afternoon. So, after coming out of Harpa, we said a hasty farewell on the street.

In fact, Mirek is not from Iceland. He moved to Iceland after being attracted by the photos of Iceland. It has been three years in a blink of an eye. Photography is a hobby, and making sushi is a full-time job.

Taking photos in the morning and making sushi in the afternoon. This kind of life is ordinary and romantic.

He stood on the beach and told me with a smile that no matter how long he stayed, he would still feel WOW when he saw Iceland every day.

While taking photos, I spotted a girly ice cream shop. There is an Alipay logo on the glass door. I used my memory to find it.

Valdis is a very famous ice cream shop in Iceland. Not only does it taste good, but there are so many flavors that I feel like I have a dilemma. Whether you are a fruit party or a nut party, you can find your favorite.

There is nothing better than staying in an ice cream shop in the winter, with the heater on and eating ice cream. Nothing could be more comfortable (except turning on the heater and lying on the bed playing with your phone)

If I hadn't been embarrassed to stay after finishing my cone, I could have stayed here until dark.

I don’t know if it’s because the weather is too cold, but I just want to be in a daze in Leishi. Stay at the ice cream shop, stay at the cafe, stay at Hapa.

After leaving Valdis, I stayed at the steps of the [Sun Voyager] sculpture for a long time.

I originally planned to shoot in the sky. Unexpectedly, this place is so popular. Tourists walked around and children climbed up and down. Fortunately, my cloak was warm enough to sustain me in my daze outdoors for long periods of time.

In the strong wind at dusk, the Internet friends I made an appointment with drove to pick me up to have their dinner.

This dinner made me realize something. Jiangxi people are really good at cooking! No matter how high-end Western food is, it cannot compare to the spicy and fragrant Chinese food in front of you.

I made an appointment with a handsome photographer, took beautiful photos, drank my favorite coffee, met new friends, and had spicy hot pot. What a lucky day.

Early in the morning, a Subaru Forester loaded with luggage and five people headed for Straw Hat Mountain.

Strictly speaking, my trip to Iceland officially begins today. So, I was very excited to see the snow on the roadside. I am , responsible for the excitement of the entire car .

The other friends have just returned from Highway 1. Take the beauty for granted. Very calm. It resembles the calm and numbness of a middle-aged man who has been married for many years.

As for me, when I first started my journey, it was the freshest period. Even the dead grass on the roadside could be photographed for a long time.

Collecting churches is an interesting experience when traveling in Iceland.

In Iceland, 64% of residents live in Reykjavik. There are fewer people in the suburbs, and the demand for churches is not high. They are not built in grandeur, but are mostly simple and simple. Hidden sporadically on a certain patch of snow. From a distance, it looks like a pile of Lego bricks.

▲Budil Black Church

Wearing a down jacket, I kept running in the snow of Iceland like a cautious and nimble little fat man.

I saw Arnarstapi’s iconic building “Grandpa Octopus” from a distance. I jogged over to the sculpture and blew in the North Atlantic wind for a while. So cold.

I had an occupational disease at that time, and I thought it would be great to open a B&B here aside from basic issues such as water and electricity.

There’s something romantic about waking up with the sunrise over the North Atlantic Ocean.

The complete opposite to me is Felix and LYL. They studied law, got out of the car sensibly, took a few photos, then turned around and got in the car. Basically, there was no special excitement throughout the whole process. The most exciting moment for them that day was because of kelp.

Originally we were going to see seals, but in the winter seal habitat, not even seagulls visit. Unexpectedly, when Felix and LYL saw a pile of kelp spread on the beach, they had an idea that ordinary Chinese people would have. Can it be eaten?

The two of them picked out the two freshest ones from the beach, packed them away, and decided to make kelp and pork ribs soup as an extra meal tonight.

Before going to the B&B to make kelp soup, the place I must go to is the Svortuloft Lighthouse.

I have no ability to resist "limitations" and "most". When I learned that Svortuloft Lighthouse is the southwesternmost lighthouse in Iceland. Stop talking, I'm going!

Xiao Zhang, as an experienced driver, looks at the map. It’s only 5 kilometers, no big deal. Unexpectedly, the road was so rough that I suspected that I was sitting in a broken swing car in front of the supermarket.

This is definitely the worst 5km in Iceland. It is a great test of driving skills and driving ability. Everyone in the car is on the verge of collapse. Why haven't they reached it yet? Until the carrot-colored lighthouse came into view. At that moment, all my bad emotions dissipated.

You can reach the Carrot Lighthouse through a long and rugged lava road. Just like a literary movie that few people watch, just when you are about to turn it off and change it, the plot gradually gets better.

Next to the Carrot Lighthouse, there is a wonderful feeling that we are at the end of the world at this moment.

The wind and waves here are the biggest along the way. Although I was scared, I stubbornly took off my thick down jacket and stood on the edge of the cliff wearing a red sweater. My back looked brave and not afraid of the cold!

For accommodation, I prefer places with lakes and seas. The lonely cabin on the lakeside was something that struck a chord deep in my heart. When I saw this cabin on Airbnb, I really, really wanted to stay there.

The cabin is on the back side of Straw Hat Mountain. It's a little hidden, so you'll miss it if you're not careful. As I drove onto the small road and faced the big lake surrounded by cabins, I knew that this cabin was worth it.

A kitchen and bed with a view fulfilled all my fantasies about a dream accommodation.

The chef tonight is still Felix, and Yuan Ying and I are taking charge. What everyone is looking forward to is the bowl of kelp soup. At first, everyone was very cautious about this soup. After all, it was wild and unknown kelp, so we were also a little panicked.

At that time, we jokingly said that would either make public news collectively or go back and show off that we ate original Icelandic kelp.

At present, we are the latter.

▲Family photos of travelers with a platter

It felt like I had been running along the coastline today, watching the wonderful sea caves being beaten by the waves, and the remnants of volcanic lava cooled and solidified by the sea water. Watching the tundra covered in ice and snow.

When I ran to see the sea alone, I felt lonely as if I was riding the sea breeze against the lava cliffs of a volcano.

In Iceland, planning can never keep up with the weather. At night, in my dream, I heard the sound of a demonic wind blowing across the empty road and jumping over farm fences and shrubs.

When I woke up the next day, I found it was completely white outside. Yesterday, the lake water was covered with snow particles and blurred.

I quickly contacted the landlady and asked if I could check out later. Because the weather is so bad. Unexpectedly, after a while, she drove through the wind and snow to say some words of comfort and gave him tools for shoveling snow. And tell you when the weather will improve. I was warmed by her.

▲The roof of the cabin is almost hidden by the snow

Before leaving, the wind and snow outside were still strong. Xiao Zhang, an enthusiastic citizen, helped us load our luggage into the car. This is definitely the busiest moment for Xiao Zhang these two days.

I think the most interesting thing about traveling may be the unknown. If everything has to go according to plan, what's the difference between clocking in and clocking in at work?

The itinerary for that day is basically cancelled. We only have one goal left, to get back to Leishi before dark.

On the way to Leishi, I watched the sun penetrate the clouds and shine on the smoky snow. Everything is a dreamy beauty that is unreal.

I took a hasty shot from the car window. But photos are only 20% of the beauty of reality.

▲Iceland’s cutest little pony

▲A car stuck in the snow due to bad weather

Because we drove wildly all the way, we rushed back to Leishi in the afternoon. We gathered together for a farewell meal. I think I have another travel bug, which is that netizens never choose the right farewell meal.

I chose an Internet celebrity meal that I often see on Iceland guides: bread soup. I found a small store with good reviews. As soon as you enter, what you can immediately see is a boss with a super high energy value.

I think the selling point of this store is not his soup, but the man himself.

The boss is very cute, but boss, you really need to work hard on your soup. I think the taste is okay, neither delicious nor unpleasant. Maybe my food tolerance is too high. But others didn't think it tasted good, but they were still edible.

If you have a standard Chinese stomach, please don’t try it easily. After all, making money is hard and wasting food is shameful.

As for the fish paste, I think it's pretty good if the portion isn't too big.

Because it wasn't very tasty, I probably forgot the name of the restaurant. All I can say is that the lovely owner is the best feature of this store.

As a platter traveler, farewells and encounters happen all the time. My vital travel companion for the second half of my trip is about to come online.

Xiaohai, another Jiangxi boy who cooks delicious food. I would like to ask, do boys in Jiangxi cook well per capita?

With some people, you can tell as soon as you meet them whether they can have a good time or not. Xiaohai, a quality travel companion. Because cooking is so delicious!

▲Plus accommodation booked on Airbnb

Early in the morning, we picked up Maggie and went to photographer Mirek Amway’s cafe for breakfast.

February 24th is the Puff Festival in Iceland. As someone who loves various festivals, I ordered 2 puffs to suit the occasion. Of course my favorite is Danish.

Sandholf Bakery’s sweet Danish pastries still make me miss them. It’s so delicious. If there is one last Danish pastry left in the store, and the person standing in line behind me is Hu Ge, begging me to give it to him, I will refuse cruelly! The handsome guy is not as good as Danish.

▲The lamp is a cute rock paper lamp

90% of the joy of traveling comes from the people you travel with. I'm always lucky when it comes to meeting people. Xiaohai, Maggie, and I, the three of us, have a common hobby, which is I would rather freeze to death than take a good photo. .

Our overall travel rhythm is relatively in sync. My gut says traveling is already half the battle.

I should have been in a hurry because I had to drive about 200 kilometers today. Somehow, we first went to a shopping mall in the suburbs to buy shoes, and then went to Xiaozhu Supermarket to purchase ingredients for the next few days. At noon, we slowly set off towards the Golden Circle.

In Iceland, the most common travel route definitely starts from the Golden Circle, which is the National Park-Geyser-Gullfoss waterfall.

For me, it may be a matter of season. The Golden Circle routine in this season has nothing particularly attractive to me. All I remember is that the snow turned into ice and the road was so slippery. Maggie and I walked carefully on the snowy road hand in hand, for fear of falling.

The most interesting thing is that when you look down from a high place in the national park, you find a couple walking alone on the snow, which is a bit beautiful. I just don’t know how they got there.

I saw snorkeling in Silfra Fissure on the guide. In fact, I really want to go, but because the snorkeling requirement in Iceland is that you must be able to swim! Had to give up. I hope that next time I come, I will already be an excellent girl who can swim.

Gullfoss is beautiful. But I have never been very excited about waterfalls. So, it was just a matter of squeezing between the crowd and the tripod, finding a good location, and taking a few photos.

The geyser is covered with light snow and the eruption time is uncertain. A group of people formed a small circle, waiting and waiting.

Unfortunately, geysers and I are not on the same page. I put the camera down and he started to lose his temper. I picked up the camera, but she was silent.

In fact, compared to seeing waterfalls and geysers in the Golden Circle, there is also hiking. What I enjoy even more is watching the clouds in the Icelandic sky, coming and going suddenly.

I remembered what Wang Xiaobo wrote in "The Golden Age":

I was twenty-one that day. In the golden age of my life, I had many extravagant hopes. I want to love, I want to eat, and I want to become a half-dark cloud in the sky in an instant.

On the first day when I turned 26, I was on Highway 1 in Iceland and watched the clouds for a day. This is the best commemoration I give myself when I am 26 years old.

The biggest problem with being too Buddhist and leisurely is that you have no control over time. Due to our schedule, we had to travel at night.

In fact, driving at night in Iceland in winter is a bit dangerous. Especially when the cabin we live in is still halfway up the mountainside deep in the snowfield.

I experienced driving the wrong way and finding the wrong cabin. After contacting the landlord, I checked in smoothly.

I can only sigh, fortunately Xiaohai is an experienced driver, and his driving skills are as good as his cooking skills.

Before coming to Iceland, I was particularly concerned about February 24th. But when the day finally came, I felt like it was just the most ordinary day.

Just like when I bought candles with numbers 2 and 5 for my birthday in 2019, I stayed at Huang Yao's B&B and finished the cake alone, but forgot to light it and make a wish.

At the age of 26, I was more casual. I just secretly set off fireworks in my heart and forgot to eat the two puffs.

▲The mountain road outside the cabin

At the age of 26, I no longer place my wishes on 2 number candles. But I still want love, food, and travel to weird places. Be persistent in romance and enjoy solitude.

Aged 26, woke up in the wilderness of Iceland. This is the best birthday present I could ever have.

The town of Vik is the southernmost point of Iceland. The Golden Circle can only be regarded as an appetizer in front of southern tourism.

In our itinerary plan, today’s schedule is: black sand beach and plane wreckage.

When I first drove to the town of Vic, I was first attracted by the red church on the hillside.

I heard that there are 350 churches in Iceland. The population of Iceland is 35,000. On average, there is one church for every 1,000 Icelanders. In the town of Vic, where only 600 people live, the Red Church is probably the so-called spiritual gathering place.

On the hillside where the Red Church is located, you can see the entire town in one package. Even Beacon Mountain in the distance can be seen.

Today I am wearing Jin-style Hanfu with a cape. I don’t know how to style my hair, so I put on Little Red Riding Hood, which goes well with the snow.

Of course, the best shooting location is actually higher up. Continue driving up the mountain road and take photos of the Red Church to see the complete Vic town.

Taking a break at the town mall, I saw a small wooden sign saying black beach in the distance. When I saw that the sand was black, I didn’t look at the map to locate it and mistakenly thought it was a black beach. The three of us also took photos on the black beach for a while.

Until Xiaomao asked wildly on WeChat: Where are we? When I opened the map, I realized that the black sand beach was not here.

Although it is not the famous black sand beach, the scenery is actually very good. Otherwise we wouldn’t have been filming here for more than half an hour.

We didn’t know until we arrived at the real black sand beach. What is a popular attraction? This is almost the most crowded place I have ever seen in Iceland.

Although they were only a few kilometers apart, the wind and waves were completely different.

The three of us were happily taking photos on the beach, thinking we were still some distance away from the waves, but none of us noticed a big wave coming towards us. Let's run quickly. In the end, luckily no one was swept away by the waves, but the shoes were soaked through.

I didn't ask them how they were feeling, but I really felt like I was in shock. After all, Vic's waves take away a lot of people every year.

After being chased by a wave once, I restrained myself a lot when taking photos. After all, I only have one life. Photos cannot be taken here, but there are places where I can take them.

The absolute internet celebrity check-in spot at Black Beach is the basalt pillars. Everyone is regularly separated by a cell phone camera distance.

Let each section of basalt columns be evenly populated with people.

Millions of years ago, ice and fire met, and volcanic magma met the ocean. An unplanned encounter caused the basalt columns to present a chaotic yet regular rhythm.

If I say what I regret most about this trip, it must be that I did not bring a telephoto lens and could not fully record the complete basalt columns.

There is also a very good shooting location in the cave next to the basalt pillars. The snow melted from the top of the cave and fell on my head. It hurt a little, but it didn't stop me from taking pictures.

The plane wreckage has become an absolute internet celebrity during travel in southern Iceland in recent years.

At the end of the day, it's just a broken airplane. Compared with here, Iceland’s natural landscapes are much better than here. However, the difference is that the C-47 SkyTrain aircraft looks too lonely.

It crash-landed here in 1973 and never left Iceland.

Eroded by the sea breeze, the plane presented a kind of incomplete beauty that was at the end of the world. Of course, the above is my beautiful imagination of the plane wreckage. All photos of plane wreckage proclaim the beauty of loneliness.

However, reality is always crueler than photos. There are really too many tourists here! Photographing the sky is almost impossible. Unless you hike 4 kilometers early in the morning to take pictures.

Maggie endured the cold hands and worked hard to finally help me take such a photo where no one seemed to be there. You will never imagine how much these two girls paid to take photos.

▲The wings are really super slippery, I’m scared to death

As the saying goes, three points depend on the angle, and seven points depend on the P picture . Now that I know how to draw pictures, no matter how many people there are, I will be able to draw them into the sky. So, here is the photo below that looks pretty good.

Iceland is beautiful and cruel. Before I left for Iceland, I read on the news that a Chinese couple died near the wreckage of the plane.

In the blizzard, walking in the unknown wilderness, people who have no ability to survive in the wild must feel so panicked and helpless.

As a good-for-nothing homegirl who is afraid of death, I decided before I went that if the shuttle bus was not open, I would never go on foot by myself!

*The plane wreckage belongs to private property, and the owner is not allowed to drive there by himself. He can only walk there for 4 hours. Now, there are buses that can pick him up and back. As long as you pay, you can easily go there. In case of bad weather, the bus will be suspended.

▲The departure time of the plane wreckage paid bus

After the wreckage, we headed back to the cabin. The itinerary is more valuable than finesse. The photos I took this day are enough for me to post for a while. The most important thing next is to go back to the cabin to cook.

The travel mode of going out to see the scenery and taking photos and then returning home to cook in the evening really suits my travel needs. Especially, when you have a friend who cooks amazing food.

Xiao Mao was abducted by Xiao Hai's fan.

But it wasn’t until I sorted through the photos and looked through my camera that I realized that I hadn’t even taken a photo of every meal we had. What a pity!

Today’s itinerary is still simple, going to Basalt Falls and Glacier Lagoon.

On the way, I found several cars parked in the open space beside the road to take pictures. It’s human nature to join in the fun. So we looked for a place to park, and when I got close to the sign, I discovered that this was actually a broken bridge. Because it was blown off by bad weather in Iceland, the wreckage was preserved as a "memorial".

Probably some artistic young people passing by spray-painted the broken bridge with graffiti. It has the temperament of a contemporary art work. Seeing this twisted broken bridge is actually quite emotional.

A steel bridge is so powerless in the face of the strong wind in Iceland, let alone a weak girl like me.

While I was feeling emotional, I thought this broken bridge was a bit pretty, but the wind was too strong, and the courage the broken bridge gave me was not enough to support me in taking off my down jacket, quickly posing for a few photos, and then returned to the car.

Like Mirek said, Iceland really gives me a wow feeling every day. And wow is increasing day by day. I looked out the window. The snow particles were carried forward by the strong wind, as if they were clouds in the sky and ran onto the road.

The flakes of snow particles are like smoke, silk, and faint passing clouds on the horizon.

Without setting any destination, just driving on Iceland’s Route 1, you can be captured by the beauty of Iceland at any time.

Of course, as a plan, it is impossible to have no destination. Today's basalt waterfall is Xiaohai's longing. He loves the uncanny workmanship of nature.

As the saying goes, eating people is soft-spoken. Even if I hate hiking, I will risk my life to accompany Xiaohai.

According to the guide, there is a shortcut when hiking. When we drove over, we found a warning sign saying cruelly that this road was closed due to weather problems.

Well, there is no way to take the shortcut, so we have to take the normal route. Xiaohai said, very close, very fast, not far. Bewitched me. Maggie and I walked hand in hand on the snow-covered mountain road and watched Xiaohai disappear around the corner. The person involved felt very regretful at that time.

▲The small sea in the distance

After walking for about 15 minutes, I saw a place that looked like a basalt waterfall, but I didn't see Xiaohai or other tourists. I know that our end has not yet come.

When hiking, if I hadn’t held hands with Maggie, I would have fallen off the trail countless times. The snow on the mountains is really thick. The boardwalk is barely visible.

The world in front of me, except for Maggie holding my hand, is all piled snow, frozen water, and dry trees.

If I were walking alone, I definitely wouldn't be able to hold on. Fortunately, Maggie is with me.

When the two of us reached a place similar to the top of a mountain, we saw a dazzling silver down jacket in the distance staggering halfway up the slope. Scared us. Because just by looking at the down jacket, you can tell that it is Xiaohai.

We both decided decisively, okay, let’s give up here. Just let Xiaohai show us the photos then.

Although I complained and regretted all the time, I was still very happy when I climbed to the top of the hill and looked at the vast snowfield.

Regret is true regret, and joy is true joy.

Of course, the basalt waterfall is pretty cool and I would have walked over it if it weren’t for my slippery shoes. Probably~

▲Return of Xiaohai’s basalt waterfall

It wasn't until today when I wrote this travel diary that I discovered that I had enjoyed the 5 hours of hiking. The amount of exercise for half a year is really too heavy.

When I got back to the car after hiking, I was already exhausted. I thought that today’s physical strength was completely exhausted at Basalt Falls.

However, I was wrong. But facing the glacial lagoon and diamond beach. Even if my energy level is only 10%, I can hike for another 2 hours.

Although I have been walking in Iceland all this way. But actually, what impressed me most was the Iceland I saw from the plane.

The shock of that day came back when I faced the glacial lagoon. Even though the weather is not very good, we still cannot resist the fatal temptation brought by the huge glacier in front of us.

On the other side of the bridge across the glacier lagoon is Diamond Beach.

Actually, I don’t like diamonds, I just like sparkling things like diamonds. For example, the clouds at dusk, the shining fairy wand in the hand, the shining smiling eyes, and the ice cubes in front of me that are as bright as diamonds.

Use tens of thousands of years of glacial water, add some black gravel, pack the cold air carrying snow, and send it to you who is shining in the summer.

Although the glacial lagoon is beautiful and the diamond beach is amazing, they are actually caused by humans. Global warming caused glaciers to melt and glacial lakes began to appear in 1934. Nowadays the area is getting bigger and bigger.

There may even be a day when all the glaciers on the glacial lake melt and completely merge with the Atlantic Ocean.

In 2019, Iceland held a mourning meeting for a dying glacier. On the glacier monument, it reads: We know what is happening and what to do, but only you know whether we did it or not.

In winter in Iceland, the weather is bad and roads are closed from time to time. There are too many difficulties and obstacles when it comes to traveling. It is by no means a comfortable trip, but the unknown can bring surprises.

The Blue Ice Cave is a wonderful collision of the unknown. Water flows in summer cut the glacier, and meltwater solidifies in winter. And this is winter only. You know my obsession with limitations.

When I made up my mind to go to Iceland, the Blue Ice Cave accounted for 60%.

I booked a trip to the Blue Ice Cave with a local pick-up service. Fortunately, our cabin is right next to the meeting place: Glacier Lagoon. Instead of driving in a hurry early in the morning, you can have breakfast and set off slowly.

▲The glacier lagoon today is different from yesterday

Put on crampons, put on a helmet, and get on the big jeep, this is the standard equipment for Blue Ice Cave adventure.

The super jeep was wandering along a makeshift path. It's even better than the journey to the Carrot Lighthouse. The only difference is that the Jeep's comfort level is pretty good. I just took it as a ride on a new supermarket stroller for thirty minutes.

Hiking is a standard feature of Iceland's beautiful scenery. If I think of the Blue Ice Cave, I can do it. Along the way, the tour leader will briefly explain the Blue Ice Cave itinerary. Most of the time, everyone moves forward in silence. Because strong wind will make people learn to shut up.

While continuing to advance, the leader suddenly stopped and pointed to the other side of the mountain and said that there was a dead blue ice cave there. At that moment, I suddenly became pretentious and a little sad.

When I reached the point of despair, I finally saw a large expanse of blue in front of me. It's all worth it. Very good, today I have consumed another 3 months of exercise.

I think no matter how many times I visit, I will always be moved by the Blue Ice Cave. This is the daydream blue that belongs to glacier melt water.

Wearing a helmet and walking through the ice cave, I saw the river water wrapped in black gravel and frozen. It's like time has pressed the pause button and entered the blue sleep chamber.

There is great beauty in heaven and earth without mentioning it.

The trip to the Blue Ice Cave is like the most important end of this trip. I have everything I want to see. I collected three ice cave colors in one go.

Black, blue, and teal. Each one stores a certain river, a certain glacier, that unknown secret daydream.

Under the ice cave that may have been frozen by thousands of years of running water, I was just an unimportant passerby.

Maggie and I couldn't take enough photos, so we didn't leave the glacier and return until the leader told us to gather.

After going to the Blue Ice Cave, I felt that the trip was complete. Xiaohai is going to the wild hot springs in the afternoon, and I don’t want to go out. After your wish is fulfilled, it’s best to sit on the sofa and play with your phone or lie in bed to catch up on some sleep.

In the living room of the B&B with a view, the heating is turned on just right, the battery of the mobile phone is full, and the wifi signal is not bad, making it suitable for playing with mobile phones in the room. Although I am bored with things, I travel for comfort, not for missions.

▲Dusk outside the window of the B&B

My sleep quality has always been very good. I slept under the window, and I heard the wind and snow blowing all over the valley all night long. I felt like the snow was drifting in through the gap in the window. When I woke up in the morning, I found that the quilt was soaked.

After waking up, there was still heavy snow outside the window, and we thought that our departure time would be postponed. Why not have a delicious farewell breakfast and eat up all the ingredients!

Finally, the ingredients were finished, but there were too many dishes to finish. We put all the leftovers in the trash and sorted them out.

When I came out of the cabin, I realized how heavy the snow was last night. The snow outside was up to my knees.

Xiaohai and I shared a car, and Maggie and Maomao shared a car. We're scouting ahead.

Less than 2 kilometers away, a car got stuck in the snow at the intersection, blocking the road ahead. The driver had abandoned the vehicle and left. Xiaohai pulled out the navigation on his mobile phone and checked the new route. It took less than 2 minutes for us to turn around and change routes. Stuck in the snow.

After contacting Maggie and the others, they discovered that their car had long been stuck in the snow. That's right, on a road of about 2 kilometers, three cars fell down one after another.

I was panicking and thinking of ways to find a rescue team phone number. After the call was made, I was told that if the person was fine and could still walk back to the accommodation, they should walk back first and wait for Highway 1 to open. Route 1 is closed, and the rescue team will not come out for the time being .

All right. We are also abandoning the car. The passenger door was blocked by snow and couldn't be opened, so I climbed out from the driver's door. Walking on the snow against the wind and snow, or in other words, I wasn't walking at all, but was being pushed by the wind behind me and skating on the snow-covered ice.

When I returned to the cabin, I felt the excitement of surviving a disaster. Immediately everyone began to think: will we be trapped here?

Looking at the leftovers in the trash can, I hated myself for the first time for why I had to clean up the house before leaving.

It takes an hour and a half to drive to the nearest supermarket. Our ingredients were emptied during breakfast. Now we only have 2 bags of flour, 1 bag of sugar, half a bottle of Lao Ganma and some seasonings left.

The cabin is powered by solar energy, so there is no problem with heating. The tap water in Northern Europe is direct drinking water, so the water source is guaranteed. The flour can be used to make pancakes, and the energy can be supplied for a short period of time. You can even watch satellite TV for entertainment.

In just a few minutes, I was already thinking about how many days we would survive if we were trapped. I calculated that I could live for at least a week, and I instantly felt at ease.

Maomao was anxious and melancholy, holding her cell phone and frantically looking for a solution. I even want to pay a high price to find a rescue team. However, Highway 1 was closed, and the rescue teams said they would not come out until the road was unblocked.

Xiao Hai calmly baked a bunch of cakes silently. Eat first and then talk about anything else. After eating the pancakes, the snow outside stopped. Xiaohai dug out the garbage shovel and went out alone to use the forklift.

▲The mountain behind the hut after the snow stopped

Another hour passed, and Maomao suddenly said, let's go out and have a snowball fight. It seemed that he was not the one who was anxious about not being able to return to Leishi just now. I said, don't make trouble, why go out to have a snowball fight in this weather? He said, look, everyone here has come out. They all played outside.

Let's take a look, Hey! The local villagers came out. They came out to clear the road, with their lovely forklifts. After maybe more than an hour, our car and we were finally rescued! ! ! !

On the same day, Maomao posted on WeChat Moments: If you are trapped in the snow one day, the person who loves you may not necessarily step on the colorful clouds, but he will definitely come with a forklift...

When leaving, Maomao gave the two cans of drinks in the frozen snow to his forklift hero.

It was already past 4pm when we started again. Glacier Lake is more than 300 kilometers away from Lei City. Burning the midnight oil is inevitable.

Along the way, we were not the only ones who were delayed due to heavy snowfall. Sometimes we had to wait in line for forklifts to clear away the snow.

We were still on our way back at 9pm.

We are all exhausted physically and mentally after going through this. With no expectations for today, I suddenly saw a touch of green in the sky outside the car window. It's the Aurora.

I thought hypocritically, If all the troubles were for tonight's aurora, it would seem that it wouldn't be so bad.

The winter self-driving trip to Iceland, everything we should have, comes to a complete conclusion tonight.

Thinking optimistically, I might forget the glacial lagoon, the blue ice cave, and all the beauty of Iceland in the future. But I will never forget that the four of us were trapped in a cabin, ate Laoganma pancakes, and accidentally saw the aurora.

I live alone in the girls' dormitory of KEX. I have been thinking about this hostel for a long time, and I originally thought I could experience the Icelandic bar atmosphere at their home on the day I checked in. Unexpectedly, the band started to break up when I arrived.

Probably the biggest advantage of my character is my ability to take things as they come. Abandoning all plans, I slept until 1pm the next day, slowly got up, and went to eat at Sandholf Bakery again. Pairing Danish with coffee is full of happiness.

When you are alone, there is nothing more pleasant than looking at the exhibitions and eating.

Before leaving, I searched for 10 art museums in Iceland and wanted to check in all of them. But after time was compressed, I didn’t want to clock in just for the sake of clocking in, so I only chose the National Gallery of Iceland.

The art museum is right next to Lake Toning. You can take a look at swans and waterfowls before entering the art museum. It’s so relaxing to sit on a bench at Lake Thorning and eat a hot dog.

In terms of appearance, the museum building is not amazing. In winter, it is almost hidden in the snow.

But the design of the exhibition hall and the selection of exhibits are very ingenious. On the first floor are oil paintings by Icelandic artists.

Some of the exhibits really touched my heart. An entire wall is painted with Icelandic stones. A stone, a branch and a leaf, they are inconspicuous, but they are all unique existences.

There is a very interesting device that uses resin materials to create all the glaciers in Iceland. Climb the stairs for a bird's-eye view of Iceland's glaciers.

There is a limited watercolor exhibition on the top floor. With a few simple strokes, the light and dark colors of basic colors outline the beauty of women.

Attracted by the strange device on the first floor, I couldn't help but walk into the screening room. I was almost dissuaded by the black and red space arrangement.

The screening room is completely dark and has a large sofa where you can sit and watch movies. There is a blood-red scene arranged in a small space next to it. The first feeling you get when you come in is that it's weird. But I had nothing to do, so I still endured the pain and watched the movie.

There is not a single line in the whole film, just expressionless actors wearing weird costumes, constantly walking among forests, streams, and attics. Interspersed with daily chores and bizarre ritual-like behaviors. The transition is a highly saturated dance. Extremely absurd beauty.

▲The headgear of the protagonist of the story

I walked out after watching water and blood and found that it was snowing heavily in Reykjavik. I was originally going to see the limited art installation designed by the museum.

There was a voice in my heart saying: The snowy Reykjavik must be very beautiful. I really want to stand on a high place and see the snowy Reykjavik.

So I changed my plan temporarily and ran all the way to the church.

Fortunately, in the last 20 minutes before the church closed, we climbed to the top of the tower and overlooked Reykjavik, which was covered in heavy snow. The streets and vehicles were covered with light snow, like a scene with building blocks and toys.

I originally went to change money today and planned to eat at Dill restaurant. But there are no reservations, so I want to try my luck on the spot. In the end the truth is, I had no such luck.

So I returned to KEX, and in order to fill my stomach, I randomly ordered a tacos at the restaurant of the hostel. I didn’t expect it to taste amazing! The only drawback is that the portion was too big and I was too full!

By the way, I also went to eat at a decent restaurant today. Messinnde's pan-fried fish is better in presentation than in taste. Desserts are better than main dishes.

In fact, that night, I also reported an aurora group, but what I saw was extremely faint. The return trip was super late, and before going to bed, I was worried that I would oversleep and miss the airport bus. Sure enough, I overslept!

However, we managed to resolve it smoothly through various means and successfully arrived at the airport. There are constant surprises when traveling, but the beauty of traveling in Iceland is enough to soothe all worries.

Before traveling, many people advised me not to go, and there were many things that prevented me from going. However, I have always been stubborn. Insist on going. I just wanted to see what daydreaming looks like. Go see what Iceland is like.

And Iceland was everything I wanted. Glaciers that have been silent for thousands of years, the Atlantic Ocean with a bad temper in winter, deserted wilderness huts, and lonely country churches. It all felt too much like a daydream I had that never happened.

Most of the time, life and work are mediocre and repetitive. That trip was a little sparkling star in my pocket. If you feel like scolding someone, getting angry, or giving up, think of the last trip and the upcoming next trip. You can just keep walking with a smile.

Traveling won’t change my world, but it can give me a little courage to fight against this boring world.

I wish you a happy day, sisi, a 26-year-old girl.