In the meantime, I decided to join my husband on a work trip to Akureyri, the capital of North Iceland. It was mid-March, and I don't usually travel in the wintertime; I use the winter months for reading and writing.
But I don't regret accompanying him, as during our 5 days up north, I felt like I had entered a fairytale world - Winter Wonderland. And now I was in no doubt of what I wanted to write about :)
Top photo: Minjakirkjan church in Akureyri
The Akureyri theatre
When my husband was working, I roamed the streets of Akureyri for hours, taking in the beauty of the moment and snapping lots of photos.
I was mesmerized by the beautiful scenery. I had never visited Akureyri in the winter before, and I was so happy to find it greeted me with gorgeous weather.
A lovely stay at guesthouse FE - gisting
We stayed in this house - the top 3 windows were ours
We stayed at a guesthouse called "FE gisting". I chose this location on Booking because it was one of the cheapest options (apart from hostels) and was well located in Akureyri, next to the Akureyri swimming pool.
The guesthouse is located at Þingvallastræti 2, at the corner of Þingvallastræti and Oddeyrargata streets, but in the latter one, you will find the Fairytale garden of the folk artist Hreinn.
The Fairytale garden of Hreinn in the snow
On the evening that we arrived, I walked down Oddeyrargata street with my cameras to see if there were any fairytale figures in the wintertime in Hreinn's garden. I had never seen them in the snow before.
A couple of figures were still outside, but most were put into storage during the wintertime. In the wintertime, Hreinn mends them and gives some of them new costumes. Don't miss visiting this beautiful, privately owned garden when you visit Akureyri.
I have written another travel blog about the Fairytale garden: Wonderfully colourful Fairytale Figures in Akureyri, with plenty of photos of the colourful figures.
The reception at the guesthouse
Þingvallastræti 2, where we stayed, is an elegant house, and I felt immediately at home when we entered it. This house has a good spirit - "Það er góður andi í húsinu", as we say in Icelandic.
It is beautifully furnished in an old style, which I like very much, and you will notice a painting by our noted painter, Gunnlaugur Blöndal (1893-1962), hanging on the wall by the flight of stairs.
His nude portraits were among his best-known artworks and a novelty in Iceland at the time. Some thought they were scandalous, but they were highly sought after.
Our room at the guesthouse
The owner of the house, Gísli Gunnlaugsson, gracefully greeted us at the reception. He has lived in this house since 1990+.
I was wondering what this name FE-gisting meant and saw that beneath the FE-sign there was an almost illegible longer name, Framtíðareign - Future property (home). I later found out that it was the name of the former real estate agency that Gísli ran from Þingvallastræti 2.
Gísli took us up a flight of stairs and showed us our room, which was bright and beautiful with French windows and a lovely view.
Our bright and beautiful room at the guesthouse
The windows faced east and south. Akureyri is built on a slope, and the so-called Gilið - the Gorge, where the house is located, takes you up a steep hill, so we were high up and had a fantastic view.
To the east, we had a view of Akureyri town and the sea, and right in front of our window was the Freemasons' House of Akureyri, a beautiful building that was lit up at night.
And, the view to the south was of the pond by the swimming pool (which was 2 minutes away), the elementary school, and the landmark and symbol of Akureyri - the majestic Akureyri church.
This lovely view greeted me in the mornings
I was mesmerized by this view, and during our 5-day stay, if I was not helping out at the seminar or walking for hours on end, taking photos of snowy Akureyri, I sat in awe by the window :)
My husband wanted to close the curtains, but I protested as who wants to shut out this beautiful view? We made a compromise that I could have one of the east windows open.
I felt so at home in this lovely room that I wanted to find out more about who had lived in this house.
This view greeted me at night - Frímúrarahúsið - the beautiful Freemason's House
The house on Þingvallastræti 2 was built in 1929 by Jakob Frímannsson (1899-1995), the cooperative society manager of KEA - the cooperative of Eyjafjörður, Akureyri, from 1938 to 1971.
Jakob lived here at Þingvallastræti 2 with his wife, Borghildur Jónsdóttir, for half a century.
Jakob was a town councilor in Akureyri for 28 years and sat on the boards of several large companies. He was given the Grand Knight's Cross award of the Order of the Falcon (Fálkaorðan) and more honorary awards.
In 1974, Jakob was chosen to be the Honorary Citizen of Akureyri.
I was not spying on them, just admiring this beautiful house from my window
Jakob was also the instigator of building the Freemasons' house. He, on behalf of the Freemasons, wrote to the Akureyri Building Committee to obtain the plot next to his house for the Freemasons' House.
This beautiful house was built in 1946 with additions made in 1981.
I love this building style and the symmetry. I could stare at it for the longest time, thinking about the Knights Templar and the Temple of Solomon.
The Freemason's house from the other side
My father's cousin, who lives in Akureyri, told me that when she saw my photos on Facebook, in 1942, Jakob had been the best man at the wedding of my great-aunt, Ragnheiður, who moved from Húsavík village to Akureyri and lived there for decades.
The wedding took place in Húsavík on my great-grandfather Bjarni Benediktsson's 65th birthday at Bjarnahús, and it was a double wedding, as Ragnheiður's sister, Bryndís, also married that day :)
Ragnheiður Bjarnadóttir (in the middle) with her sisters (my grandmother Kristín is to the right)
I love this connection, that the first owner of Þingvallastræti 2 had attended this double wedding of my relative, and was glad that I had chosen this accommodation :)
I have written another travel blog about Húsavík, where I share a little about my ancestors: Húsavík, the Whale-Watching Capital of Iceland, and the Story of my Ancestors.
A lone cat on its rounds in the snow
When we were little, we would always stay with my great-aunt Ragnheiður and her husband Arthur when we visited Akureyri.
After she passed away, I stayed in various accommodations in Akureyri as I love visiting this town.
I have camped in a small tent on a campsite next to a supermarket, stayed in a hostel, a haunted guesthouse, and different hotels here in Akureyri over the years.
I still have many relatives in Akureyri, but none of them is close enough for me to stay with them.
My cousin and more relatives once lived in this beautiful house called Sigtryggshús
Then our best friend moved to Akureyri and always had a spare room for us, so we didn't have to think about finding a place to stay anymore. Now he has passed away way too early, so I have to look for accommodation again.
I am glad I found FE-gisting, and I will definitely stay here again when travelling up north. And I will ask for the same room.
It is more expensive to stay here in the summertime, though, I noticed.
Check out various accommodations in and around Akureyri: The best Hotels and Accommodations in Akureyri.
You can compare different accommodations and find the one that suits you best.
The Akureyri College looked magical in the snow
During these 5 days, I walked around Akureyri and couldn't believe how beautiful it was in the snow, and how lucky I was to have visited it in such lovely winter weather.
I have always loved Akureyri and its charming old houses, and during this winter visit, I saw the town in a completely different light.
Akureyri is renowned for its old and well-maintained houses in the oldest part of town, so it is a delight to visit this part of Iceland.
Icicles on Akureyri's oldest house, Laxdalshús, built in 1795
While looking for good photo opportunities, I noticed the melting icicles on many of the old houses.
Icicles can form on houses in the winter, so be careful when walking around Akureyri on a winter day. Don't walk next to the houses; stay closer to the street. The same goes for my hometown, Reykjavík.
The icicles are beautiful but can be lethal if they fall on your head.
Lystigarður Akureyrar - the Akureyri Botanical Garden
I visited one of the main attractions of Akureyri, Lystigarður Akureyrar - the Akureyri Botanical garden, and I was alone roaming around in this beautiful garden.
It was magical walking amongst the many snow-covered trees in this garden that is filled with people in the summertime.
Lystigarður Akureyrar was founded by a group of housewives back in 1912. They ran it until 1953, when Akureyri town took over, and a Botanical garden was added in 1957.
You can read up on Lystigarður Akureyrar and see how beautiful it is in the summertime in my travel blog: Akureyri - the beautiful Capital City of North Iceland.
Nonnahús museum in the snow
I walked as far as the Nonnahús Museum, as I always greet the statue of Nonni, another Honorary Citizen of Akureyri.
Jón Stefán Sveinsson (1857-1944), also known as Nonni, got the opportunity as a child to study abroad and became a Jesuit priest, Pater Jón Sveinsson.
He only visited his beloved Iceland on two occasions after he had moved abroad, and his body is buried in Melatenfriedhof cemetery in Cologne, Germany.
Nonni wrote 12 children's books about his life in Eyjafjörður, which have been translated into approximately 40 languages.
Nonnahús, built in 1849-1850, is his childhood home and is now open as a museum.
Jón Sveinsson - Nonni
This was the first time that I had seen Nonni in the snow.
I always have my photo taken with him, but this time around I was alone, so we took a selfie ;)
Unfortunately, the museums were closed when I visited, but the whole of Akureyri looked like a museum, and I felt as if I were inside a postcard, so I was happy just being outside and taking photos.
Minjasafnskirkjan - the Museum church is a part of the Akureyri museums
You can buy a pass for 5 of the Akureyri Museums, including Laufás turfhouse museum on the other side of Eyjafjörður fjord. I have visited all but 1 of them.
I have written another travel blog about our beloved Nonni: Nonnahús and Nonni - the Honorary Citizen of Akureyri, the Capital City.
The Christmas House in the snow
On this day, after my husband finished work, we drove 10 km to one of the obligatory stops in Eyjafjörður: Jólahúsið, the Christmas House, which is open all year round.
You can see in my travel blog what I wanted to buy at the Christmas House: the Christmas House - Jólahúsið is open All Year Round :)
The Akureyri Marina - Smábátahöfnin á Akureyri
The Akureyri Marina and eider ducks in the left corner
Two minutes from where my husband was teaching his class is Smábátahöfnin á Akureyri - the Akureyri Marina in Sandgerðisbót, in the part of Akureyri called Þorpið - the Village.
I had never visited the marina before, as it is in a part of Akureyri that I never go to.
Eider ducks
The weather was still, and it was frosty and sunny, just the perfect weather conditions.
There were beautiful reflections in the sea, and some eider ducks were peacefully floating on the calm sea.
The marina was so serene that I spent a long time taking photos and taking in its beauty.
I took a video of the marina and posted it on YouTube so you can see how peaceful and lovely this moment was.
And I thought to myself: "This is life".
It is not often that I can be in the moment, but this was a pure moment of mindfulness.
The Akureyri Marina - ice floating on the sea
The only time that I can be in the moment is by calm lakes and in nature in the summertime when the sun is shining, and the birds are singing.
The trip back to Reykjavík
The center of Akureyri town
After five wonderful days, we left Akureyri and hoped that the heaths would be passable.
Akureyri is 388 km from Reykjavík, where we live, and it usually takes us about 5 hours to drive back, assuming the road conditions are good and we stop only once on the way back.
We usually stop in many places, but this time around, we just wanted to get back quickly and safely.
The drive takes you for 25 km through the beautiful Hörgárdalur and Öxnadalur valleys.
Mt. Hraundrangi
Although it sounds like a long drive, the scenery in the Hörgárdalur and Öxnadalur valleys is so beautiful that you will not feel it is so long.
I greeted my favourite mountain in Iceland, Mt. Hraundrangi, and took the only photos I have of it in the snow.
I always stop and greet it when I travel up north. It is a majestic mountain, and I have seen people stopping in the middle of the road to admire it and take photos.
Beautiful Hraundrangi
There are some places where you can stop, so let's never stop in the middle of the road.
There was fog on the highest peaks, but fortunately, it lifted just in time, and the blue sky and a ray of sunshine appeared :)
I have written another travel blog about Hraundrangi: Hraundrangi in Öxnadalur and Hörgárdalur Valleys in North Iceland - my favourite Mountain.
Gil gorge looked beautiful in the snow
After driving through the valley, we ascended the Öxnadalsheiði heath.
Vegagerðin - the Road Administration closes the Öxnadalsheiði heath in bad weather, as the highest point is approximately 540 meters above sea level.
Always check their website for information on road conditions, and the Safetravel website to see the current road conditions. The red colour indicates that the roads are impassable and closed.
At the highest point of Öxnadalsheiði heath, the fog was, fortunately, lifting
It was relatively clear when we passed Öxnadalsheiði heath, only a bit foggy at the highest point, but I would not want to be stuck on this heath in a blizzard, as there is a long way down into the steep canyon.
The old road was higher up, and you can still see parts of it. My mother told me that when she was a little girl and driving with her parents, her father told her and her brother to stay dead still on this part of the old road.
Descending Öxnadalsheiði heath
The gravel roads in the olden days were much more dangerous than they are today, and it took a long time to drive from Reykjavík to Akureyri.
Now it only takes about 5 hours if you don't make many stops on the way. And we, Icelanders, are often just driving from one place to another, so we tend to be more in a hurry to reach the destination than our fellow foreign guests on the road.
On the other hand, since I am a travel writer, my husband and I take our time in the summertime and visit the valleys and off-the-beaten-track places. But not this time around.
Skagafjörður in the wintertime
I was happy when we started descending Öxnadalsheiði heath, and from there on (until Holtavörðuheiði heath) the weather was beautiful.
I have written another travel blog: An interesting Hike into the craggy Kotagil Canyon, a beautiful gorge with a waterfall at its end.
The gorge is in the Norðurárdalur valley, the valley you drive through after you descend Öxnadalsheiði heath.
Bólugil gorge in the snow - shot from a moving car
Now we drove into the historical Skagafjörður, which looked lovely in the snow.
The photo above is of Bólugil gorge, but I recently wrote a travel blog about the well-known Icelandic folklore about Bóla and Skeljungur.
They were two farm workers at Silfrastaðir farm, and their fate was awful: The Ghost Skeljungur and Bóla in Bólugil - Folklore from North Iceland.
Víðimýrarkirkja turf church in Skagafjörður
We drove through Skagafjörður, about which I have written several travel blogs, for example: The Horrific Viking Battles in Skagafjörður.
We only stopped by Víðimýrarkirkja turf church because I wanted to see what it looked like in the snow and sunshine.
Víðimýrarkirkja turf church is one of Iceland's most beautiful architectural treasures. There are very few turf churches left in Iceland: only five original and one reconstructed.
Víðimýrarkirkja turf church
Here you can see what they look like: A List of the beautiful Icelandic Turf Houses that I have visited on my Travels in Iceland.
These lovely turf churches require constant upkeep and are very delicate, so they must be preserved as best we can.
I have written another travel blog about this beautiful church: Víðimýrarkirkja Turf Church in North Iceland - is it the most beautiful of them all?
Descending Vatnsskarð mountain pass
We continued south and ascended the Vatnsskarð mountain pass, which was ok, with snow on the road and icy sections.
We drove the long Langidalur road and passed Blönduós village because we were in a hurry, but we usually stop here.
The roads were clear of snow and ice, but drive slowly as there is always a danger of black ice.
Langidalur valley
The rest of the journey was uneventful until we reached Staðarskáli.
We planned to stop at Staðarskáli for about half an hour so my husband could work on his laptop.
Strangely enough, I fell asleep while I was sitting next to him, waiting for him. So he stayed for a bit longer.
The roads were clear of snow and ice - Blönduós village around the corner
When we left Staðarskáli to venture onto the Holtavörðuheiði heath, we met a car from the Road Administration of Iceland and learned that the heath had just been closed due to bad weather!
If I hadn't fallen asleep inside the restaurant, we could have been stuck on Holtavörðuheiði heath!
We can always expect blizzards in the wintertime, which is one of the reasons I am not eager to travel around Iceland in winter.
Driving into the unknown on Laxárdalsheiði heath
We were directed through Laxárdalsheiði heath and Brattabrekka, where the weather was likely to be less harmful.
We were lucky that this route was not impassable, as sometimes happens, and that travellers did not get stuck in Staðarskáli.
When we ascended the Laxárdalsheiði heath, we saw the black blizzard in the distance and hoped that we would not have to drive through it.
We had just entered the Laxárdalsheiði heath when visibility worsened, and we saw that some people were in trouble. One driver, who had not seen a curve in the road, drove straight off the road and was stuck in the snow.
Driving on a clear road in Dalasýsla after passing Laxadalsheiði heath
An Icelandic couple in a jeep was trying to pull them up on the road again, but to no avail. Then another jeep stopped, so we went on our way.
Only a part of the Laxárdalsheiði heath was bad, but we were soon out of danger and hoped that Brattabrekka would still be passable.
When we drove through Dalasýsla, we wondered why a part of the road was unpaved, and the following day, on the news, we found out that there had been so many potholes that the tarmac had been removed, as it was better to drive on a dirt road than to risk driving into the potholes.
There was poor visibility at the highest point of Brattabrekka
We now ascended Brattabrekka - Steep Slope, hoping for the best. It was kept open by the Road Administration of Iceland, and a snowplow was going back and forth, clearing the road.
Only at the highest point, at approximately 402 meters, was there no visibility, but we were able to follow the marker posts.
The Brattabrekka slope is mentioned in the Saga of Grettir the Strong, chapter 67, when Grettir robbed passers-by in Brattabrekka.
Descending Brattabrekka slope
All of a sudden, we found ourselves descending, and as the snow lifted, the beautiful Borgarfjörður opened up. We were relieved, as from this point onward, driving to Reykjavík would most likely be a breeze.
There were still warnings of gusty winds beneath Mt. Hafnarfjall, where it often gets very windy. But it is so frequently windy in this spot that it didn't feel out of the ordinary.
It would have been tricky if we had been driving an RV, but they are sometimes blown off the road here and below Mt. Esja in Kjalarnes, where it can also get very windy. So, always listen to the weather report when driving an RV.
Mt. Hafnarfjall - photo taken through the windscreen
This winter adventure was for sure memorable, and I am glad I decided to accompany my husband on his third trip up north this year to teach hypnosis.
Just keep in mind that in wintertime we get blizzards, so follow the weather report and never pass a road sign saying the road is impassable; it's there for a reason.
We have seen people pass the impassable signs, only to be rescued by our rescue team. And that is costly.
I'll leave you with a photo of snowy Mt. Hlíðarfjall in Akureyri
Also note that the highland roads are closed in the wintertime.
When planning your Iceland trip, keep in mind that the shortest winter days last only about 4 hours. You can check how many hours of daylight there are in each month here.
Check out the best winter tours in Iceland: the best winter activities in Iceland.
Have a lovely time in Iceland :)
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