Friend of mine just posted this on facebook about her trip that she just finished in Iceland:
We rented a car and visited the Ring Road, the Diamond Circle, the Golden Circle, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Myvtan, North Eastern Iceland, and the Southern coast. Every place was unique and remarkable! So pristine and not commercialized yet. The current population of Iceland is 375,422 as of Monday, July 17, 2023 and 60% live in Reykjavik, the capital. Most villages have only 1000–3000 people.
In the east on our way from Djupivogur to Egilsstadir we stayed on the 1 as much as possible. But in the North East Fjords unexpectedly there was a long section through the mountains on the cliffs that was gravel and fairly steep. Add the foggy weather plus fierce wind and it was the most challenging part of our drive.
The thing that truly impressed me were the Icelandic people. Everyone was happy, helpful, grateful, and truly enjoying life. I also really appreciated the more laidback lifestyle and lack of urgency about everything. And the food was delicious. I have no idea how an arctic island country has such fresh and delicious foods, but I enjoyed everything.
She has a whole series of photos and commentary from each day. I could ask if she will friend you, even if only temporary, so you can look through if you want to. Each day was amazing. He first day they had a few earthquakes. One day she her hotel room had an amazing view of a volcano, you can see the lava in the earth. Another day amazing northern lights.