Day 15 - Keflavík Airport (to London)

I really didn't want to get out of my sleeping bag this morning which was silly because I couldn't have a lie-in being in full view of the world! Finalising my packing went very smoothly now that I've done it so many times, and getting through airport security was laughably easy compared to the long crowding at Luton. I'm absolutely convinced my flight said it would leave at 8:35 when I triple checked it yesterday, however the departures board and Easyjet app now said 9:35. So either I'm terrible at reading, or it got stealth changed without telling me.

One of my friends back home has a 'bucket list beers of the world' chart where you cross off a country as you have one of their beers. We've been trying to complete it together, so it made sense then to grab a 6-pack of Viking lager from duty-free. Keflavík airport is one of the few airports in the world that is duty free and tax free, so this made it even cheaper than back home. 

Back on the plane, I was very self conscious about how badly my cycling shoes smelled. I never usually get smelly feet, but my shoes had been gradually getting worse and worse all trip even though they didn't get wet and I didn't sweat. It seems to just be this type though because they absolutely stank on my Morocco trip too, but the different shoes I wore in NZ/Aus didn't smell at all. Definitely time to get some new ones- I think I'll go for some that are more like trainers, with a better tread for hiking. There were lots of free spaces on the plane so everyone started to disperse into the empty seats once airbourne, and I was left with the whole row to myself. 

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Overall, Iceland left me overwhelmingly positive. I think it shoots to the #1 spot on my list as most stunning country I've visited so far. I've seen my fair share of amazing landscapes over the years, but nothing has completely taken my breath away quite like some of the vistas in Iceland did. It's an absolute treat to have both places I was looking forward to seeing the most (Jökulsárlón and Vestrahorn) completely blow my expectations out of the water.  The country is simply a photographer's paradise and the infrastructure very well equipped to help hikers and cyclists thanks to the widespread bus services, prevalence of English language, and frequent campsites.

That being said, for all its beauty, I don't think it's the most friendly destination for cycling. You're at the complete mercy of the weather here: it seems like every blog I read comments on how the weather makes or breaks your trip. The temperatures aren't the issue, it's all about how well your luck goes with the wind and rain. A day of ridiculously strong headwind drags you down, so I can't imagine how bad it would be to have that for a whole week. The ringroad is also very narrow in some places, and not that suitable for the amount of tourist traffic nowadays. Even with the quiet Covid season there were times when a stream of large motorhomes felt intimidating with a strong crosswind and zero road shoulder, so I can imagine this is exacerbated on 'normal' years.

Cheers!

Heart

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