Notes From The Travel Journal--Snaefellsnes Peninsula

I should warn you that this will likely be longwinded and over-photoed. I'm obsessed with Iceland and with the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in particular. It was stunning. I'm a sucker for scenic vistas and the Peninsula was this brimming cornucopia of beauty at every turn. It was also desolate with a capital d, something I tend to be drawn to in travel. I love exploring cities and their cultures and histories, but relaxing amidst breathtaking landscapes is a nice counterpoint.

I should mention (I told you this was gonna be long) that I sort of forced Simon to book Hotel Budir. Like when we picked the remote Hacienda in the middle of Mexico for our honeymoon and diverted our trip with friends to the Casa in the Pyrenees, I visited Hotel Budir's website and knew we had to go. 

Our drive there was a lot easier than our time on the Golden Circle. Roads were in fairly good condition and starting about 20 minutes outside of Reykjavik, I made Simon stop for photo opps every few minutes. Jagged snow-capped mountains meeting vast lava fields that abutted the sea. Add some Icelandic horses and sprinkle in a bit of sun peeking over the horizon and the drive itself was a trip highlight.

The hotel did not disappoint. We arrived as the sun was dipping, sort of setting everything aglow, a nice contrast to the blue, white and grey hues that are typical in days that only see 4 hours of sun. The hotel is situated on a lava field that juts into the sea - ocean on two sides with mountains on the others. Unreal. We explored the grounds when we first arrived, loving the way the sunset lit up the mountains behind us as well as the historic black wood church on the property (still used for weddings!). The interior spaces were perfect for cozying up with a book - the lounge and bar overlooked a little inlet with the mountains behind it.

We drove into the Snaefellsjokull National Park the next day and even with all the amazing things we'd seen on this trip, this day took the cake. The photos will do the talking and it was the perfect way to end our journey. I really, really loved our time in Iceland. I've already searched for return plane tickets (you know for my post-Powerball fantasy life) and am desperate to imagine that someday we will go back.