The road back to Reykjavik

October 10th, our last day with the tour.  We left Hali Country Hotel and I am sad that I never made it through their little museum to honor author Þórbergur Þórðarso.  We packed up and had a quick breakfast before the drive back to Reykjavik.  I took a few quick shots of our temporary home.

 The little yellow cottage was home to our tour leaders and where we met for Lightroom discussions.

Our rooms were in the building to the left and they were very nice,  There were historical photos throughout the wing of the area and this farm that gave a real sense of life as it was here several generations ago.

This is the restaurant and  museum.  I love the facade that looks like a book shelf. The large dining room had lovely photographs taken in the Skatafell National Park. The owners of this farm and hotel were lovely people.


We made several stops to photograph the scenery on the road.

Robin and I spent one more day exploring Reykjavik before the long journey home.  We had a great time but were happy to be going home to those we love and missed.

Iceburgs on the beach, horses and movie sets!

We visited the beach where the icebergs from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon make their way; the Breiomaerkursandur glacial outwash plain.  Some of these shots were at sunrise and some at sunset. 

Sunset

Sunrise

On the road to Hofn we stopped to take a few shots of the mountains reflected in the water - really beautiful!

We were promised horses at this next location - I could hardly wait!  We had bags of carrots as friendship offerings!  As you drive the main road between Hofn and Djupivogur, which is in the middle of nowhere, there is a gravel road that twists away from that main route.  Then signs for "Viking Coffee" start to appear, it must be a joke I'm thinking.  Eventually we come to a gravel parking area and a little building - Viking Coffee!  The sign says you must pay for parking at the coffee shop.  A short walk reveals a valley with what looks like a Viking village in a beautiful landscape and a large herd of Icelandic horses!

These horses are the descendants of the horses brought over by the Vikings over eleven centuries ago.   It is thought that there was a separate species of horse found in the Scandinavian areas that were later crossed with European breeds, except in Iceland where it has remained pure. The horses are short in stature and sturdy looking.

The Icelandic horse has a "running walk" gait similar to that of the Paso Fino and the Tennessee Walker.  Some are also bred for a "flying pace" which is very fast, some can run almost 30 miles per for short distance racing.  When you see them at this "running walk" they are beautiful to watch, very smooth.

The people of Iceland seem very proud of these lovely horses which is why it is so hard to understand why they raise them for meat.  We did see it offered on one menu but apparently most of the meat is exported to Japan.

The Viking Village that we saw was built in 2010 as a movie set for an Icelandic film that was never made.  It does feel like the real thing and is very fun to wander around in; I wish we'd had more time here.  Apparently Universal is supposed to film something here.....?

As we wandered back toward the coffee shop a few of us took an alternate route and found ourselves looking at a large pool of water or seasonal lake of unknown depth.

 

Walking on water!

 It was a mud flat!  Although there were a few places where it was deep enough to get our shoes good and wet!

A cappuccino at the coffee stand was surprisingly well done.

One final stop on our way back to the hotel was made at a beach where we hoped to get a nice sunset and reflections on the sand.

 

On the road from Vik to Skaftafell National Park

Our first stop after leaving Reykjavik on October 6th was at Reynisfjara beach near Vík.  There are basalt columns, black sand and two sea stacks.  The weather was overcast and there were many people on the beach so it wasn't the most promising for photographs.  It was very lovely to see.  I made an attempt at an HDR photo at this location (sandwiching multiple shots with different exposures to compensate for the range in correct exposure).  It isn't great I think because the waves and clouds were moving but it gives you an idea of what the beach looked like.

Reynisfjara Beach

We drove through the Eldhraun Lava field which goes on for many miles.  It was created by the 1783 Lakagíga volcanic eruption that caused famine throughout Europe.  The Lakagiga eruption wasn't a single event, but rather 8 months' worth of lava flows and explosions.  

Eldhraun Lava field

 

Closer to Skaftafell National Park we stopped at Gigjukvisl Bridge where the ruins of the old bridge are on display.  In 1996 a big glacier run was caused by the eruption of  the volcano Grimsvötn on Vatnajökull (a glacier - skull is a glacier).  The bridge was destroyed by floating ice boulders the size of a house! 

We reached Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon at dusk and returned to the site several times during our stay at Hali Country Hotel near Skaftafell National Park.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon at sunset

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon at sunset

We came back to this location the following morning to photograph ice on the black sand beach which this lagoon feeds into.  The beach did not have very much ice on it this morning so we returned to the lagoon.  Rain made us run for cover and then rewarded us with a lovely rainbow!

 

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon at sunrise

 

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon at sunrise the rainbow arrives and you can see the rain in the distance

Double rainbow!

Looking out toward the black sand beach

Our next stop of the day was at another glacier, I believe Vatnajökull glacier but am not certain.

If you look at this photo full screen you can see the ice hole and the people exploring just left of center.

We ended our day back at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon to photograph the aurora.  It was cold and overcast but the clouds eventually cleared and we got some pretty good shots.

Home Again

I've been home for over a week and have finally processed some of the pictures.  Mostly they are mediocre but I will put up some of them that I think are pretty good in the next few posts.

It was an amazing trip.  I got to mark seeing the aurora off of my "bucket list".  It is a unique place; geysers, geothermal spas, and glacier-fed waterfalls that dot the landscape.  Because of this, tourism is the nation’s fastest-growing industry.  I worry about the impact of the tourism and hope they don't let it destroy their unique and magnificent landscape.

The island was formed about 20 million years ago by a series of volcanic eruptions in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.  It is about 40,000 sq mi (about the size of Kentucky) with a population of about 329,100 (less than that of Sacramento).   The largest city is Reykjavik; about 60 percent of the population resides there.  The rest of the population live in smaller towns or settlements on the perimeter of the island.   This is because much of the interior is glacier or volcanic desert and is uninhabitable.

Iceland has one of the world's highest literacy rates at 99.9 percent.   Literature and poetry are a passion of the people as is art and music.  This is evident when you explore Reykjavik!  They have made good use of their geothermal energy, supplying 85 percent of their energy needs from renewable sources. They have a high standard of living and one of the highest life expediencies. It's an amazing country and they built it all themselves - remarkable!

Reykjavik 

Such a cute city with a quirky sense of humor!  Loaded with museums, art, cafes and bars.  Live music is always happening somewhere!

 The Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik is so unique and beautiful!
I wish I had been skillful enough to capture some of it's beauty.  It's like a glass bee hive; the cones capture the light and reflect it as well.  It shimmers with color capturing the eye and the imagination.

Reykjavik is full of art and says a great deal about the people of Iceland. 

Amusing signage was everywhere.

Notice the sign board....

"Sorry, no Wifi!  Talk to each other and get drunk!"

The front of the menu at The Laundromat Cafe...I love the one about breastfeading!

We are back in Reykjavik

It is Sunday October 11 and we are back in Reykjavik.  This week has flown by!  The pace has been non-stop with no time left to blog or look at, much less process, our photographs!  We are going to try to catch up now.

Last night we had a late dinner (as usual!) at Geysir Bistro around the corner from the hotel.  It was a very nice meal with loads of good wishes and camaraderie.  It was such a nice group of people, I feel very lucky to have shared this Iceland visit with them.  Lainie, bought us all a glass of champagne to enhance the party spirit.  Emails, were exchanged, hugs passed around and a few of us headed back to the hotel about midnight, while the more energetic in the group went round the corner to hear some live music and have a few more drinks.

We spent today wandering around Reykjavik.We went back to Harpa and the cathedral, had another Cappuccino and tea at the Laundromat followed by dinner at a Pakistani restaurant.  We are mostly packed and ready to go tomorrow.

Our room is in the north 40, we refer to it as being in the annex.  You go up to the 3rd floor of the main part of the hotel, down a hall, turn right into a windowed but dark tunnel across an alley into another building, then down one flight of stairs, turn right and we are at the end of a foyer.  It is apparently next door to a club because after dark there is dancing music that goes until about 3 or 4 am.  Thank goodness for ear plugs! 


Going back in time..............

Wednesday October 7

We got up for a sunrise shoot at the black sand beach that the Jökulsárlón-Glacier lagoon feeds into.  The Atlantic Ocean in this area is truly vicious, a force to be respected.  I have never in my life see such tumultuous surf. It is awe inspiring and a bit scary. There wasn't much ice there this morning so we went back out to the lagoon and took pictures there.The weather was still overcast with intermittent rain.  A downpour lead to a very nice rainbow.  We saw a young man out here this morning, I assume a local making a statement to the tourists, in three-quarter length pants and a bright red short sleeved tee-shirt!  I had on thermal underwear, a wool sweater, a down jacket, a rain coat, a hat that covered my ears and gloves.....I was NOT too warm.

From there we drove out to a location on Vatnajökull glacier.  We could see people out on the glacier going in and out of a hole in the ice....crazy if you ask me!  A few times we heard sounds....."glacier noises" that would have sent me fleeing but did not affect their behavior at all!


Next stop was back at the black sand beach and after dinner we headed back to the lagoon to shoot the Northern Lights.  The solar flare activity was high but the sky was overcast.  It was bitter cold when we got there about 10:30 pm.  After a time there was a break in the clouds and we were able to see the dancing lights.  It wasn't magnificent but as the evening wore on we did get some pretty good shots.  We finally packed it in about 2:00 am completely frozen and exhausted!  It was a lifetime dream of mine to see the lights so I felt very exhilarated to have witnessed it!

Tuesday October 6 - Exploring Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

This morning we headed toward our next hotel which will be our home for the next four nights; Hali Country Hotel 7.5 east of Jökulsárlón- Glacier lagoon.

Along the way we passed through an area of obvious volcanic activity covered in thick moss stretching for miles and miles.  It looked like big soft billows of green mossy wonderland; I wondered where all of the faeries were hiding!  It was so beautiful and foreign and completely captivating!  This is the result of the Laki volcanic fissure that erupted over an eight-month period between 1783 and 1784.

Bad photo but it gives you an idea.  No time to edit!

The Laki explosion not only killed 50% of  the livestock and 25% of the population in Iceland, it also had a dramatic impact on the rest of Europe. Global temperatures dropped as a result of the sulfur dioxide spewed into the Norther Hemisphere causing drought and crop failure.   It is estimated to have killed over six million people globally!

We arrived at Jökulsárlón-Glacier lagoon at dusk and stopped to shoot for about an hour before driving on to our hotel.

The hotel is owned by the family of  Icelandic author Þórbergur Þórðarson (1888 – 1974) who grew up on the Hali Farm.  The family now have a hotel/restaurant and a museum in honor of the author.  I have not visited it yet so will comment on it more once I have.

Monday October 5 - Leaving Reykjavik

We were delighted to hear that on our way to Vik, the photo tour was stopping at Thingvillir.  The weather forecast was poor; still raining, but intermittently, and no wind.  Niall, our photo guide, is quite knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna and was able to identify some of the plants for us.  The lovely red brush that we saw yesterday is dwarf birch and the yellow is willow.  Also are mosses, sedge, and alpine bearberry.  When Norse people first settled Iceland toward the end of the 9th century it was heavily forested with dwarf birch and willow.  Only a quarter of the island now has native plant coverage due to overgrazing and volcanic activity.  The area around Thingvillir is one of the few places where you can see what it looked like before it was settled.

The only native mammal on the island is the arctic fox!  There are sheep everywhere and much of the meat served here is lamb, very little beef or chicken.  There is plentiful and delicious fish and the bread is wonderful.  We passed a geothermal area where much of the local produce is grown in greenhouses.  I suspect that the recent rush in the tourist trade is taxing their resources and wonder if they are now importing more food.  Something to look into.

We were able to spend a couple of hours here with minimal drizzle taking photographs.

After leaving Thingvillir we had rainy weather the rest of the day.  We stopped for lunch at the cafeteria there at the national park and then made our way on to Vik (about 110 miles). It rained heavily the whole distance and we were all feeling a bit skeptical about the next day's forecast.  We had a nice dinner at Hotel Katla where we stayed for the night.  Early morning departure for Jokulsarlon (prounounced ˈjœːkʏlsˌaurˌloun̥) Glacier Lagoon about 118 miles.

Sunday October 4: Gullffoss, Geysir & Thingvellir

This morning after a pretty good breakfast at the hotel Robin and I were picked up by Reykjavik Excursions for a 6 hour tour of Thingvellir (Þingvellir), Gullfoss and Geysir.  It was raining this morning and by the time we got to Thingvellir National Park (31 miles east of Reykjavik) the rain was coming down pretty good and the wind was blowing hard .  It was so disappointing because it was very pretty.  There were some good shots but with the cold vertical rain it was impossible to take our cameras out.  Robin got a few shots with her iPhone.  The vegetation was really amazing; pink, yellow, gold, dark pine green, light lichen green with so much texture.  I don't know what the plants were but they were wearing their fall colors and did look so beautiful!  Þingvellir - literally "Parliament Plains" and was named such because the Alþing Parliament met at this location from about 930 to 1798.  It is in this area that the Atlantic Divide cuts through Iceland.  We crossed from America to Europe and back today!  Pretty cool.  You can see deep fissures in the land where the two plates are moving away from each other at a rate of about 2 cm a year!  It is dangerous to walk through the landscape as you can fall into one of these cracks.  There are wooden footpaths that you must stay on.

Our next stop was at Gullfoss.  It is a beautiful waterfall, spectacular and again it was impossible to take a proper picture.

Our final stop of the tour was at Geysir.We did see small geysir blow and there were many areas where steam was rising from the ground.  There were some mineral pools as well.  I had never seen any geothermal activity before so it was pretty interesting.  Robin says it's not nearly as good as those at Yellowstone.

The trip back was damp, foggy windows, wet cloths, poor visibility due to the weather.  We were glad to get back to our room and dry off and relax before meeting up with our photo tour group.

The husband and wife team leading our tour (Neal and Charlotte) are very nice.  There are 10 people signed up for the tour, only two of them are men.  I was somewhat surprised by that.  We had introductions and a brief description of the places we plan to visit before heading down the street to a very nice dinner at a seafood buffet. 

Reykjavik is Lovely

Robin and I arrived to a cold and rainy Reykjavik this morning.  The flight was not too unpleasant,  We sat next to a young man (relatively) on his way to Zurich.  A dual citizen now living in Seattle on his way back for a visit.  He was very nice and we enjoyed his company.  Behind us was a woman with two young boys.  The younger of the two was a very exited child about 4.  About the time we were hoping to get a bit of shut eye he got loud and fidgety making it impossible to fall asleep (although I almost never get to sleep on an airplane so it may not have mattered either way).  Robin was inclined to strangle him at one point but logistics save his wee little neck!

At the airport I discovered that the Golden 1 apparently did not properly notate my account, despite my calling to tell them I would be here, as I was unable to get any cash from the ATM machine. Bruce will rescue me!

After dropping our luggage off at the hotel, Robin and I wandered around Reykjavik city center.  We had a marvelous breakfast at the Laundromat (there is actually a laundry facility downstairs we discovered when we went down to use the loo).  Everything was very good.  Fresh baked bread, excellent butter and the coffee - superb! (...and I am VERY picky about my coffee!)  The service was very relaxed (read slooowwww).  Also, we might have sat there for quite a time waiting for the check if the Canadian couple at the adjoining table hadn't warned us on their way out that they did not bring you a check.  You walk up to the register and point at your table and they bring up your order by table number.

We visited Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral; a very lovely Lutheran church and the Harpa Concert Hall.  My camera battery died as we reached Harpa which was most disappointing as it is a beautiful building.  I hope to get back to it before we come home.  The cold apparently drains camera batteries quickly!


Reykjavik is a picturesque little town.  Beautiful little buildings on narrow streets and lots of interesting things to see.  We saw trolls hanging out on the street and vikings guarding some of the store entrances. It is easy to walk around town, as long as you watch out for the motorists. Our Fly Bus driver from the airport this morning ran a stop sign and this afternoon walking around town a car was driving the wrong way down a 1 way street and another car pulled up onto the sidewalk to go around him rather than queue up behind the other traffic going the correct direction that had edged over to the right so that the wrong way driver could get by!  We on the sidewalk turned around and went back the other way to make room for the sidewalk driver!!!

Speaking  of cold -  it IS!  Looking at the weather forecast for tomorrow we have seen predictions for snow, rain and mostly sunny!  I guess that means be prepared for anything!

We had a nice dinner at Hofnin Restaurant on the harbor.  The food and the service was very good.  We had a nice view and a very pleasant dinner.  Considering is has been over 24 hours since either of us has slept that we managed  to carry on a conversation was pretty amazing!

I will post some photos here tomorrow.  Off to be now!