So the much anticipated, 2 week journey is about to begin. We are t-minus 48 hours. I will leave sooner, as I have to get to JFK to fly out to destination #1- Lisbon, Portugal. As hurricane Irma threatens Florida, i know it won’t impede my departure, but I hope all my friends and family stay safe.
Much planning on the part of my brother has gone into this trip, and I can’t wait for all the memories and experiences. Thank you for this opportunity- it is amazing and also pushing me out of my comfort zone. That being said…. Begin the countdown!
Today, we traveled south, eventually making it to the seaside town of Vik. On the way, we stopped at Seljalandfoss waterfall. You could walk behind it, but we got wet enough just walking up to it. Suz came prepared with a rainsuit. After getting back to the car, I noticed my purse was missing. After about ten minutes of searching and wondering, Mike came back to the car and said he had moved some things from view so they wouldn’t get stolen. Well, he did a great job!
The drive was very scenic. We even passed a glacier! Our next stop was Dyrholaey. It provided breathtaking views of the black sand beaches and large rock formations in the ocean. We didn’t see any puffins, although they would be arriving soon. It was quite windy and cold up there.
From there, it was a short drive to Reynisfjara, where you could walk on the black sand beach. This particular area has claimed a number of lives from ‘sneaker waves’. They come out of nowhere rising much higher on the shore and drag people into the freezing water. There were two brides and grooms braving the water and the cold for pictures. In search of the perfect picture, my mom also entered the wave danger zone and lived to tell about it. This beach also has very cool vertical rock formations.
After this stop, we went into Vik and ate an early dinner at a small restaurant. I got lamb soup and sweet potato fries. The soup wasn’t very seasoned or very hot. The sweet potato fries came with a delicious garlic yogurt dipping sauce. After dinner, we began the two hour drive back.
My dad decided to take a recovery day and stay at the cabin while the rest of us headed into Reykjavik. It was about an hour away. I loved the varying textures and materials used on the buildings there.
Our lunch spot was Kopar, located on the harbor. My mom and I got the rock crab soup to start. It was Thai leaning in its flavors with a light curry and bean sprouts. It was delicious and made up for the lamb soup the night before. For the main, Cory and I got the catch(a mild, white local fish) with quinoa and a butter and leek sauce. My mom got mushroom risotto, and Mike got the mushroom wellington. Everything was very good, but after trying them all, I was very happy with my choice.
After lunch, we walked through the city center, popping in and out of shops. It was the first day of summer celebration for them, which was both a national holiday and still quite chilly. Mike had a ceramic artist’s shop he wanted to visit and we stopped in there. It was also the beginning of an artist’s weekend so they had drinks and snacks. I got a small sauce bowl to add to my collection.
Souvenirs acquired, we headed back home to scoop up my dad and head to Messinn in Selfoss for dinner. They specialize in pan dishes- different seafood cooked and brought out in a skillet. My brother and I shared halibut and the Icelandic fish stew. Both were very good, but the stew ate more like a casserole with cod potatoes and cheese.
After dinner, we went back home to try and see the northern lights since conditions were a little better than previous nights, and our time is starting to run out. After a few false alarms from my mom just seeing clouds, we gave up and went to bed.
We awoke, somewhat more rested, with plans to visit a couple of spots on the Golden Circle. Gulfoss falls and Geysir. But first, a stop for lunch at a local greenhouse that grows all manner of tomatoes and their menu is very tomato forward.
They have a bottomless tomato soup with piles of fresh bread and we all got that as well as burrata and a flatbread type vegan dish. Everything was really good. I enjoyed the burrata with fresh tomatoes the most. For dessert, we tried the sampler of three different tomato sorbets, because how could you not out of curiosity. They were definitely interesting.
Full of tomatoes, we headed to Gulfoss falls, one of Iceland*s best known waterfalls. It is absolutely beautiful, and the park has multiple vantage points you can hike to. The way the sunlight hits the mist from the falls creates rainbows, adding to the beauty.
Our second stop was Geysir. An area containing spots where geothermal heat is released as well as a geyser the goes off every 5-10 minutes. It was really cool to watch.
From there, we went back home and ate dinner. There wasn’t a good chance for the northern lights to happen so we went on to bed.
Today we left Amsterdam for Iceland. On this leg of the journey, I opted for the more economical coach seat with Mike. My brother and parents went to the Icelandair lounge while Mike and I slummed it in the regular food area. We got a drink and a snack and in pure procrastinator fashion were the last people on the plane. We made it but our seats were different from booking and ended up in separate rows. It was only a three hour flight. Icelandair offers extended layovers in Iceland and ours is for five days(you can do up to seven).
Once off the plane, Mike and I grabbed a sandwich for the road since our cabin was an hour and a half away and hit up the duty free on the way out before meeting up with Cory and my parents. The airport is smaller and easy to navigate. We hopped in the car and headed east. When we were close to the cabin we stopped at a Bonus store. Their logo is a pink pig. The produce and refrigerated products are in walk in refrigerator areas. We grabbed the basics and supplies for dinner.
We arrived at the cabin after Google maps took us down a rough road ending in three boulders blocking the path. After staring confused for a minute, we turned around realizing it had taken us the back, and inaccessible way. We arrived shortly at our destination. It was a cute cabin with lots of windows and was incredibly toasty inside. Too hot. I know, that sounds incredibly strange, but we came to find out between the sun coming through the windows(which were plentiful, and what views!) and the geothermal heated floors it was stifling. We opened the windows, the only cooling method and settled in. It didn’t get dark until midnight so we got a moonrise and sunset at the same time.
Our ultimate dream for this trip after seeing the tulips is to see the Northern lights. It’s definitely a bucket list item of mine. Cory made us arctic char for dinner and after that we crashed as it had been a long travel day.
We headed out for Amsterdam on a mission to have Dutch pancakes. We completed that mission at Pancakes Amsterdam. Dutch pancakes are flat like crepes. They also offered American pancakes, but who goes all the way to Holland to eat those? My mom and I wanted a sweet one and a savory one so we opted to share. We got one with spinach and goat cheese and one with apples, almonds and a vanilla glaze. Both were very good. We paid our .50 to pee before we left(it shows up on your credit card as utilities,if you were curious), full of pancakes.
We took a lovely stroll to the Rijks museum. The sun was actually out and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing the sunny version of the city. Rijks houses Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer as well as other Dutch masters. One of the main halls contains Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watchmen’, which is a popular stop for visitors. For me, it was too crowded and reminded of how the Louvre was, but on a smaller scale. It wasn’t my style of art museum. There was a Frans Hals special exhibit, which I did pop into as well.
From there, we walked over to the Van Gogh museum. It was a much more contemporary structure than the Rijks museum was. It was also much less crowded and easier to enjoy strolling through the art. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as Van Gogh is one of my favorites. There were quite a few recognizable works even if you weren’t a big fan. We stayed the full two hours til closing. I highly recommend this museum.
From there, my parents and I took an Uber to meet Cory and Mike for our dinner reservation at Marie Amsterdam. It has a Michelin bib gourmand nod, and in my opinion should easily have a star. The food and service were above and beyond. They were more than accommodating when it came to allergies as well. We started with a delicious bread and garlic brown butter, sea urchin with mushrooms and mussels, and langostinos. Mike got an eel starter and Cory got smoked salmon. The bread and butter and langostinos were favorites. We opted for a white burgundy to go with all the seafood. It was also quite nice. For dinner we all got the ray, as none of us had ever had it before. It was delicious and came with tiny Dutch shrimp, crispy artichokes and an oyster foam. We also got grilled tiny gem lettuce done in the style of Caesar salad. For dessert, tarte tatin and a glass of red closed out a wonderful meal. We ubered home to pack for the next leg of the journey tomorrow. On to the land of fire and ice!
Today we took a down day to recoup and rest. Also, the weather was very windy and rainy, so that worked out well. A good portion of the afternoon consisted of my dad trying to figure out the dryer portion of the two in one washer/dryer. It was finally conquered. Cory and Mike were on a hike, and we were not sure when they were returning, so my parents and I went to the restaurant downstairs, Renato’s for a snack. I got an octopus salad and they grabbed some minestrone soup.
Our original plan for dinner was to hit the place we went the first night and to enjoy their fireplace area. That was foiled, as being a Saturday it was very busy. The change of plans led us to Noosa in Zandvoort, the next town south of us. The menu was eclectic and we shared a lot of things. Burrata, grilled octopus, chicken gyoza, garlic shrimp and both regular and veggie bitterballen. It was all very good. I really enjoyed the gyoza and the veggie bitterballen. Bitterballen is a traditional food here- breaded and fried balls with a creamy meat center. We braved the wind and cold and headed home. Back to Amsterdam we go tomorrow.
We head into the city via Uber to go to lunch at Da Kas, a one Michelin starred restaurant located in a greenhouse featuring farm to table vegetable dishes. That last sentence sounded like we are heading to a hipster haven, I know, but erase that from your thoughts. It is a beautiful building in a green space surrounded by vegetable beds. Inside is a lovely, modern interior with a greenhouse space by the hostess stand.
We started with a glass of Aligote and their complimentary gazpacho, which was flavorful and delicious. They also brought sourdough bread with the most delicious mushroom butter. I’m both glad and sad I don’t have access to that combo on a regular basis! It was so good! We were also brought mustard seed crisps with a vegetable aioli and radishes in a mild curry. This was all before our 3 course tasting menu!
The weather here has been cold, windy and unpredictable. As we sat at lunch, sun would quickly turn into a band of rain. We watched this happen numerous times, happy to be indoors enjoying delicious food and not out in it. Our first course was beets with lavender vinaigrette, fresh strawberries and Japanese basil. The strawberries were nothing like the ones we get at home- so sweet and delicate.
At this point, we switched to a bottle of Saint-Veran. The next course was a tempura battered langostino over sweet potatoes and a curry foam. It had a nice light spice and a very light batter that didn’t compete with the sweetness of the langostino. I could have eaten a plate full of those!
The last of the three courses was roasted cauliflower with spinach and a delicious aioli. It was followed by a complementary dessert of chocolate ice cream. It’s really difficult to elevate vegetables the way they did and we all left very impressed.
From there, we went to the Jordaan area and walked through the flower market area and found ourselves caught in a band of rain. It quickly passed, and we made our way to the boat we were taking through the canals. We got to see a lot of the city via water this way. Due to the cold wet weather, we kept the flaps down for warmth. I could see it being quite nice on a warmer, sunnier day. Arnold, our captain, was great and also dropped us off at the Anne Frank house.
We began the tour with a presentation and it, and touring this house is something everyone should experience. In today’s climate, it’s easy to see some of the signs repeating that allowed Hitler to come to power, and that is scary. Being able to see the secret annex was powerful and emotional. There is so much to take in. I recommend anyone visiting Amsterdam go visit.
After that, it was time for our dinner reservation at Pesca. It’s a really cool experience. Your first stop before going to your table is the seafood market. You get to choose from all the fresh seafood they have for cold and hot appetizers, then mains and sides. I would have been happy with all of it as a seafood lover. We did tuna ceviche and Hamachi for the cold, grilled octopus, garlic shrimp and scallops in buerre blanc for the hot, fish and chips and grilled whole turbot for the main and eggplant and patatas braves for the sides. We opted for a white burgundy to go with. Everything was fantastic. The scallops, octopus and Hamachi were my favorites, but everything was great and it was a really fun experience. I assume the fish and chips were really good since my dad didn’t leave any for me to try! You got to choose a mini Ben and Jerry’s on the way out for dessert if you wanted. We had a very full day so we ubered back to the apartment to fall into bed, happy for some down time tomorrow.
After some much needed rest, we grabbed sandwiches and prepared to see lots of tulips. We headed to Kukenhof Gardens. We took the scenic route and saw beautiful fields of brightly colored tulips. They only bloom from about mid March through mid May. They are quite a sight!
The weather cleared and we actually got some sun. The gardens are beautiful and filled with every color and type of tulip imaginable and then some. We had tickets to go through the fields by boat. The sun had gone and the wind got stronger. I would not recommend the boat ride. You are below eye level with the fields so you can’t see the wide swaths of color and half had been harvested leaving just grass. The gardens themselves are a must see during this season.
For dinner, we stopped into Ron Gastrobar. To start, we got a baguette with butter and bacon and a crispy onion with aioli. For dinner, I had smoked salmon. We also shared fries and salad for the table. At the end of dinner, they brought us complimentary mini ice creams in waffle cones. It was all really good. Tomorrow we go into Amsterdam.
Our flight was due to leave at 8:30, so we hopped in an Uber and headed to Newark. On this leg I’m flying budget business class. We board easily and settle in. We get a meal with our seats and I must say, Icelandair gets points for presentation and taste. At first, we got a glass of wine and some snacks that reminded me of cheese straws. The dinner was a beet salad, bread, braised lamb shank(bone removed for ease of eating) and a brownie with caramel mouse. It was all quite good.
The flight got into Iceland about 1:30am our time, 5:30 theirs. On the way in, we got to see a beautiful sunrise as we approached Iceland.
We had an hour and a half connection. A wheelchair transport had been arranged for my dad and they got him and took a different route than we were supposed to go. We went through passport control expecting to meet up once we were through. We got through,but no Bob. Our gate hadn’t been announced so we couldn’t look there for him. We ran into a helpful airport staff member and told her our situation. “You lost your father?” she asked in her Icelandic accent. She joined in the hunt. We eventually located him and shortly after, boarded the next plane following a bus ride to the plane’s entry. I opted out of breakfast as I was still full and wanted to attempt sleep. I managed a whole 45 minutes. Amsterdam was stormy, and I’m pretty sure lightning hit the plane on our descent. There was a huge flash of light that was very unsettling, but we landed safely.
We journeyed on through baggage claim and on to the car rental. Thankfully, we all fit and so did our luggage. 30 minutes later we were at our rental. I was fading fast, as our travel day was nearing around 15 hours. A quick 3 hour nap did wonders.
The place we are staying is about 30 minutes south of the airport on the beach. It is right across from a national park with large grass covered dunes. We are on the top floor and large glass windows looking out at the North Sea are plentiful. There is a restaurant right in front of our place and on the beach so we opted to have dinner there. Republiek is a beautiful space. With some help from google translate, we looked over the menu. The majority of us opted for the monkfish in a buerre blanc. I also got the potato side which looked like a cinnamon bun made of thin potatoes. Both were very good. I got a nice Rioja by the glass to go with. After dinner, it was back to the apartment to catch up on some sleep.
My dad turned 70 this past October, and as a gift, we planned a trip to see the tulips when they were blooming with a visit to Iceland as well. He has always wanted to see the tulips blooming, so we are checking that one off the list for him.
I began this journey, as I have many, at Vino Volo for a glass of wine. I headed up to New Jersey a day before we flew out to Amsterdam and am glad I did. Due to a flight corridor being closed due to weather, we circled Raleigh for a while before stopping in Charlotte to refuel. A two hour flight turned into a six hour flight, but what can you do. I did get to see a beautiful sunset, so I’ll take that positive. Finally I made it. On to travel day two tomorrow….
Ramblings of a foodie traveler 