Lady's Birthday Adventure - Part Two

First, Happy 4th of July to all our American friends! Hailey, who was born in Ohio doesn't enjoy celebrating this day (or Canada Day for that matter) because of the fireworks.

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Where we slept.

We stayed in 8 places in 9 nights, moving about 250 km (150 miles) a day. The following places were selected after reading reviews on line and using the Lonely Planet (for some),  and based on price (we aimed for under $200 a night) and location.

What they had in common: They were all super clean!

Nights 1 and 2 - Grand Hotel Reykjavik
Didn't take a picture of this room but it was your standard nice North American hotel. It had a great breakfast buffet included.

This sign was confusing as we had taken the red up, been up for a day and a half and were room 1245 (which was to the left)

The bathroom had a tub and this shower that opened up beside the toilet

Night 3 - Hotel Edda Vik
Here we slept in a cottage. This cottage had 2 identical rooms with private bathrooms. It also had paper thin walls. It was one of our least favourite rooms. Our toilet leaked and when we reported this we ended up with a free breakfast (which was a savings of about $35 - which is great as it wasn't a breakfast worth that kind of money).

Our side was the right

Night 4 - Hali Country Hotel
The reception for this series of guest houses looked like a book shelf because it housed the museum for a famous writer from the farm. This was our first night on a farm. We stayed in a guest house with a shared bathroom. The room was fine and it is where I woke up a decade older. The food at the restaurant at the reception was amazing!

Reception, restaurant, museum

The farm

The guesthouse

Night 5 - Vinland Guesthouse  - near Egilsstadir - Room 2
This guesthouse outside of town was quiet, clean and every of the 6 rooms (rooms 4-6 were at the back) had their own bathroom. With a kitchenette it would have been a great place for campers. It was the only place we stayed with sulphery water. All the rest had amazing water.

Night 6 - Guesthouse Stong - near Myvatn
This guesthouse was also on a sheep farm which had been in operation for over 100 years. They added the first guesthouse in the 80s when the government quotes on sheep made it difficult to make a living. Now with the guesthouse (with shared bathroom) and cottages they can sleep 70. The restaurant was excellent, breakfast was included, so was the morning wake up "maaaing" by the sheep. I had one of my best nights sleep here and it was a favourite.

Sheep in the parking lot

Outside reception 

Night 7 - Hotel Edda Plus Akureyri
Once we found this place (as it doesn't show up in the GPS) we were surprised to find ourselves in a dorm. It was amusing because I hadn't slept in a dorm for nearly 22 years. It was probably my least favourite place, but it was cheap, easy to walk to the centre of town and like everywhere we stayed was clean.

Back to school we go!

Night 8 - Guesthouse Nedra-Vatnshorn near Hvammstangi
Ok, this was my favourite. We slept in a converted shipping container (bucket list item check) on a horse farm. We had our own private container behind the guesthouse. It was so quiet. Breakfast was served (for a fee) in the house of the people who owned the farm. I thought it would feel weird to eat in a strangers home, but since the guesthouse employee was off cooking and we ate before the other guests it wasn't.

The container 

Inside

Man visiting with the horses

Night 9 - Borganes Bed and Breakfast
I realize I never took a picture of this place. It was in a house that now has 8 guest rooms. With shared bathrooms it was the only place we ever had to wait for one. It was the cheapest place we stayed and the included breakfast was wonderful. The older woman who runs it seemed very nice. Our bedroom was a new room and was likely a sitting room before. We did a have private door to the garden.

View from the garden

Hope you enjoyed seeing where we slept. Next week will be about our wildlife encounters.