GRÁBRÓK TO REYKJAVIK

3 things I liked today

• A surprise seal
• Finding 7 four leaf clovers
• Inside a volcano!

Today we head back to Rekjavik 😦

Our first stop was at Búðir in the Búðahraun lava fields in Staðarsveit, which is in the western region of Iceland, on the westernmost tip of the Snaefellsnes peninsula where the land falls into the sea.

There we  admired a picturesque  old church where many four leaf clover grow in the grounds.

We strolled down to the beach and were surprised to find light sand rather than the black lava sand that we found around the country.  Whilst admiring the scenery we saw a seal watching us from the water.   Strolling back to the church there were 7 four-leaf clovers found.  I looked but did not find one.

We then stopped to see the Grábrók volcano.  Here we hiked up the cone and were able to walk around the summit.  We could clearly see inside and the surrounding lava fields and a second cone nearby.   Happily it has not erupted for 1,000 years.

Looking into the crater

Another cone nearby

Sheep pens where farmers’ sheep are sorted after the summer roundup

Another drive away were the waterfalls of Hraunfossar and Barnafossar. The first we visited was the Barnafossar (Children’s Waterfall) which is a series of rapids on the Hvita river that gushes through a narrow canyon.  The name Barnafossar gets its name from the story of two children who disappeared into the falls many years ago, and whose mother destroyed the arch crossing the falls, cursing any who should try to cross.

The Hraunfossar (Lava Waterfall) gentle series of rivulets that tumble over bright green mossy cliffs into bright turquoise waters.

We then arrived at steamy Deildartunguhver.  This is Europe’s hottest and highest flow thermal spring at 180 litres of 36C degrees per second.  Much of the water is piped to surrounding villages, as far as 60 kilometres away.

Following that we followed the road around the Hvalfjörður (Whale Fjord) towards Reykjavík.

Our last waterfall!

Back where we started (There and back again)

As this was our last night together we went o a restaurant and enjoyed the last supper.  We left at 3:30am the following morning.  Adieu Iceland.

Our little bonus was that we travelled back to Paris with a planeload of very excited Icelandic men wearing their football or Soccer shirts.  They all went for the Beer and Pringles option at refreshment time.  We were thrilled that they beat England in the UEFA Euro 2016 match.  Boy, England took a double beating coupled with the Brexit!

June 21, 2016July 2, 2016 by Family Holidays Categories: Iceland 8 Comments

HRÚTAFJÖRÐUR – SNAEFELLSNES PENINSULA

3 things I liked today

• Walking along the coast
• Our cottage
• Seeing the midnight sun

When we were packing the bus ready to leave, I was amazed to see a man driving a tractor with a large water tank spraying the public flower bed in this land of water and ice.  We spent much of the day driving around the the north-western Snæfellsnes peninsula coastline,  much of which is a National Park.

We made a stop at Stykkishólmur and walked around the port.There was a lookout and cliffs of different hues.  There is a legend, that Larus told us.

Once upon a time there was a farmer that has a dispute with some trolls.  God helped him to solve the dispute in his favor:To reward his Almighty, the farmer asked his wife to make the best porridge she could make to give God a portion to show his gratitude. To be able to deliver the porridge to God, he built a ladder to heaven and started to climb it, The ladder was obviously very high. When the farmer reached the clouds he looked down  and when he realized how high he was, he became so dizzy that he lost his balance and fell to the ground. When he hit the ground, his head and the bowl with the porridge smashed and the content splashed all over. the rocks on the cliff today, you can see where the brain splashes formed the white spots, the porridge splashes formed the yellow spots on the cliff.

We made a lunch stop at Hellissandur.  There we had to try the highly recommended hot dogs, the best in Iceland we heard.

Following the hotdogs and coffee we drove on to Djúpalónssandur and see the smooth, black basaltic pebble beach.

There were interesting lava formations and a wonderful., which is set to a backdrop of glaciers and strange lava formations.

On the beach lie four ‘aflraunasteinar’ (lifting stones) weighing from 23 to 154 kilograms, and once used to measure a fisherman’s strength for working on the boats.

We were pleased that the clouds and mists parted for us to glimpse the Snæfellsjokull Glacier on the 700,000-year-old volcano.

This volcano was the entrance to the Earth’s core in Jules Verne’s 1864 novel ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’.  This mystical volcano has inspired many folk and fairy tales.

We arrived at Arnarstapi, In the village, look out for the large stone monument to the pagan figure Barður Snæfellsás who, according to local legend, still lives in Snæfellsjökull and protects the area from evil.

Hellnar for a walk  where we walked along the coastal cliffs rich with bird life and stunning lava formations.

From there we headed off around the magnificent coast towards our guesthouse.

Our hostess met us and showed our lovely cabin.  She talked about the farm and her horses.  When she purchased the property, she told us that she was very annoyed as the government obliged her to buy half of the volcano that sits at the rear, towering over the property.  She complained to us that she really didn’t want half a volcano and she couldn’t use it and didn’t know what to do with it.

We enjoyed our dinner immensely. Our hostess addressed us all before the meal, explaining the Icelandic food and demonstrating the passion she had for her cooking.

After dinner I kicked my heels so ensure that I saw the midnight sun on the solstice.

The horses at midnight

June 20, 2016June 29, 2016 by Family Holidays Categories: Iceland 1 Comment

AKUREYRI – TROLLASKAGI PENINSULA – GAUKSMÝRI

3 things I liked today

Goðafoss waterfall

The fjords

We enjoyed our stay in the Cottage on the Hill that was surrounded by lovely coloured poppy-like flowers.

After an ample breakfast we headed off towards the 30 metre wide Goðafoss waterfall. This waterfall is called the ‘Waterfall of the Gods’ due to the pagan Lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði in the year 100A.D. throwing the idols of the Norse gods into the waterfall after declaring that Christianity was Iceland’s official religion. Source : Wikipedia

Much of the day was to be travelling around the coast via the magnificent gorges. Apologies for the numerous bus window shots.

I like the way the ice melts on the crest of the hill leaving a line of rock which makes it look as though somebody has drawn the outline with a pencil

Akureyri’s fjord

Next stop was the second-largest city in Iceland, Akureyri. This city is situated at the head of Iceland’s longest fjord.

Here we were dropped off at the best ice-cream shop in the city and we all enjoyed an ice-cream in the sun.  Then we set off on foot to tour of the town.  We first visited the gardens before meandering down the hill towards the Akureyrarkirkja or the Lutheran church of Akureyri .

Akureyrarkirkja

From there we wandered the streets looking at houses and shops.

Our meeting place for departure was on the harbour near a cafe that had a modern jazz band playing outside. Three guesses who tripped over the electrical cord and disconnected the sound?

From here there was a long drive across many hills following gorges the whole way along the Trollaskagi Peninsula on the North coast.  We stopped briefly at Siglufjordur, then continued onto Gauksmýri, for the night.  Unfortunately there was a mix-up and we had to return one and a half hours back to Siglufjordur for the night!

June 19, 2016June 25, 2016 by Family Holidays Categories: Uncategorized 3 Comments

HÚSAVÍK – LAKE MÝVATN – LAUGAR

3 things I liked today

• Stunning rock formations
• volcanic activity
• many walks in interesting places

We enjoyed our stay in the Cottage on the Hill, situated on the highest farm in Iceland.   After a generous breakfast, we set off for the day.  Happily the cloud cleared so we could see the highest mountain (volcano) in Iceland with a glacier.

The volcanic lands at times look like moonscapes

Our first stop of the day was to visit Dettifoss, Europe’s mightiest cascade.  “The falls are 100 metres wide, with a 45-metre drop down into the craggy shores of Jökulsárgljúfur canyon below.”

Ásbyrgi canyon, is a massive horseshoe-shaped gorge that was formed by a glacial flood after the last ice age, some 8,000 years ago. “Legend has it that the gorge was formed when Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse, stamped one of its feet to the ground here.”
Source : Wikipedia 

We then continued on towards the town of Husavik at the south end of Skjalfandi Bay. We came across the glassy surface of Lake Myvatn.

Geothermal power plant

This area bears the scars of volcanic activity.  The landscape is imposing and it is one of the most interesting geological regions in the northern hemisphere.

We then visited the interesting pseudocrater group at Skutustadir.

From here we drove a while before walking through the lava labyrinth of Dimmuborg.

At the end of the day we went to soak i, for a few hours in the hot blue waters of the Myvatn Nature Baths.

June 18, 2016June 21, 2016 by Family Holidays Categories: Uncategorized 5 Comments

EASTERN FJORDS | EGILSSTAÐIR | MÖÐRUDALUR VALLEY

3 things I liked today

• the spectacular scenery
• the thai red curry soup for lunch
• the sheep and goats on the farm

Today was a little different than most days.  We had a good 300+ kilometres to travel on both made and unmade roads.  The scenery along the way was more than spectacular.  The changing landscape kept us glued to the windows the whole way.  The road took us along the southern coast road and through the Eastern Fjords.  Most of these photographs were taken on the road through the window, so please excuse the quality.

The steel grey mountains

The Glaciers

The last sights on the coast.

The fjords

The waterfalls

The mountains

We pulled into the harbour village of Höfn and had lunch.

We then wandered down to a local mechanic’s garage to see his amazing precious stone and polished agate collection. He was so passionate about his hobby and related his tales of discovery as if it was a Viking tale of wonderment and adventure.

On the way out of the village we saw the local community celebrating Iceland’s National Day.

From here we visited the wooded village of Egilsstadir before driving up the mountain dirt roads to highland farm village of Möðrudalur.  At  469 metres above sea level with visible snow year round, Möðrudalur Valley is the highest inhabited place in Iceland.   Here you can see Herðu­breið, one of Iceland’s most recognised volcanos/mountains.

Our quarters

Reindeer wood

 

June 17, 2016June 19, 2016 by Family Holidays Categories: Uncategorized Leave a comment

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon / Höfn

3 Things I liked about today

• The moss on the lava
• Glaciers, glaciers and more glaciers!
• A photo of a puffin !

We left our lovely little guesthouse to travel across the black lava sands that were a result of the formed by Laki or more correctly Lakagigar’s 8 month eruption in 1783-1784.  In fact Lakagígar is part of a volcanic system of fissures that run in a southwest to northeast direction.  It eight-month period and poured out basalt lava, poisonous hydrofluoric acid and sulfur dioxide compounds.  This decimated more than half of the livestock which led to a famine that  was responsible for the death of approximately 25% of the island’s human population.  It also cause a drop in global temperatures that caused crop failures in Europe. The eruption has been estimated to have killed over six million people globally.

We stopped along the way to feel the black sand and take photographs of the incredible moss that covered the lava rocks on the plain.  Larus also demonstrated how to drink from the river.

We continued on to Skaftafell National Park.  We went for a short walk up a steep hill Svartifoss (the Black Waterfall).

This waterfall is surrounded by black hexagonal basalt columns.  We then sat down and had a picnic lunch together. Larus pulled out a pot of something local.  We had all taken a piece and popped in our mouths before we realised it STUNK!  It was shark and it tasted like ammonia. Peuuuwww!  We all  had stinky fingers for the afternoon.

We drove on and stopped at Svínafellsjökull. I saw my first icebergs.  They were patterned with the black ash.

We drove on to Jokulsarlon where a lagoon has formed just prior to the sea.  We jumped onto an amphibian vehicle to cruise the lagoon.

The floating icebergs were stunningly beautiful.  We even spotted a seal!

We passed so many glaciers.  I cannot identify all the glaciers as I do not yet have the skill to differentiate, nor pronounce their names. Dyrholaey, Reynisdrangar & Solheimajokull Glaciers are actually tongues of Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier.

From there we walked to the black sand beach where the lagoon empties into the sea.  It was strange to see ice floating in the water and blocks of ice sitting on the sand.

FINALLY … puffins!

We stopped for the night at a guesthouse on the water.  It was a lovely position.

 

June 16, 2016June 18, 2016 by Family Holidays Categories: Uncategorized 1 Comment

South Coast

3 things I like about today

• Waterfalls and more waterfalls
• Chasing puffins
• Stunning scenery

Beautiful blue lupins that grow all over the country

After a  stop to admire the lupin fields, and a minor waterfall. …

…. we arrived at the narrow cascade of Seljalandsfoss that drops 60 metres over the cliffs. These cliffs were once the ancient coastline.  This imposing waterfall may be viewed from the front, behind, above and below.

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Passage behind the waterfall

Looking out through the curtain of water

Skógafoss is a magnificently powerful waterfall.  If you haven’t realised by now, ‘foss’ means waterfall in Icelandic. it is 25 metres wide and the water drops 60 metres. I climbed a steep track to  the viewpoint you can see around two thirds of the way up on the right..

Just next door is the Skógasafn Museum. This museum houses a large collection of fascinating cultural folk artefacts from the challenging early days of settlement.

A few period buildings are open for viewing in the grounds.  These fascinating stone and wood houses were covered with earth and grass.

From here we continued along Iceland’s south coast.  We stopped to admire the Mýrdalsjökull glacier.  The glaciers are not ‘dirty’ but carry black ash on and in the ice from previous eruptions.

If you look carefully, you can see people on the top

From the glacier we drove towards the promontory of Dyrhólaey.  Here we descended to the ‘Bllack beach’.  This beach is Iceland’s most southerly point.  The tortured coastline provides great material for photographers!  I had grreat hopes of seeing a puffin here, but to no avail.  I was looking up at the cliffs, heavily populated by sea birds.  Later I discovered that there had been some floating on the water just off-shore!

The amazing stepping-stone rock formations of Reynisdrangar

We drove to the other end of the bay from where you can really appreciate the name ‘Black Beach’.  Once again the rock formations were impressive.  Once again,  searched for a puffin.  This time i saw one from the cliffs. Disappointingly the photograph I managed to take showed only a blurred coloured blob.

From here we drve back to our new guesthouse. Tired out we enjoyed a fish dinner of aAtlantic Char a liight tasting fish similar to salmon) and retired gratefully into bed.

June 15, 2016June 17, 2016 by Family Holidays Categories: Uncategorized 2 Comments

Reykjavik / Golden Circle / Hvolsvöllur Area

 3 things I liked today

• The amazing fissure
• Seeing my first geyser!
• Finding out so many things that I knew nothing about

We had breakfast in the guesthouse across the road before setting off for the day.  It was quite exciting knowing we could just sit back and enjoy.  Our first activity for the day was to explore Reykjavik.  Despite our walk the day before, discovering  architecture, coloured houses, and the famous Hallgrimskirkja church we were treated with an array of very different sights.

“The name of this iconic piece is the Sun Voyager, Sólfarið in Icelandic language, made by local artist Jón Gunnar Árnason. While certainly reminiscent of a viking boat the sculpture is in fact an ode to the sun. The boat is a dreamboat calling forth the promise of uncharted territories. It is a dream of hope.”   Source : Total Iceland

The port area where you can see large fishing and whaling vessels, commercial boats, coastguard vessels, tour boats and even Viking boat replicas

Washing the streets with detergent!

Reykjavik from Perlan

The Perlan building overlooks Reykjavík. It is situated on the Öskjuhlíð hill.  It is 25.7 metres high and has a revolving restaurant and a viewing deck that affords fantastic views of the city.

After our tour of the town we set off on the ‘Golden Circle’ route to Thingvellir National Park.  I was amazed to discover the Silfra fissure which is actually where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates slowly pull apart. The gap or large crack in the earth is ever moving and quite extraordinary!

The Silfra fissure

Lava and pressure create amazing rock formations

The path along part of the fissure.  other areas are submerged underwater

Another extraordinary fac about this place is that it was the location of Iceland’s first parliament that was  founded in 930 AD!

Parliament hill, or mound

The plain and river below where the masses camped for about 3 weeks whilst meeting were held and matters discussed and decided.

I thought this a pretty little waterfall until I discovered it’s macabre history.  This is promiscuity or infidelity.  The men involved were not drowned but burned at the stake.

 

 

 

From here we drove to the Geysir geothermal area.  Here we were entertained by the Strokkur Geyser that erupts around every 10 minutes. Sometimes it erupts twice in quick succession shooting  and spurting hot water 20-30 metres in the air.

As the first cloud dissipates a second eruption occurs

There was a field of hot bubbling craters of all descriptions

From here we drove to the impressive and powerful Gullfoss, the ‘golden’ double waterfall on the Hvita River.

We also stopped and enjoyed another waterfall.  Interestingly, there was a fish ladder along the left side.  This allows fish, such as salmon easy access to the upper river to spawn.

We finally discovered our guesthouse on a farm in the Hvolsvöllur region.  We satyed in a lovely little log cabin whilst a farmed baled hay at 8:00pm just outside our door.  Here is does not get dark until 11:30pm and the sun rises a few hours later.

Goats in the nearby field.

June 14, 2016June 15, 2016 by Family Holidays Categories: Uncategorized 2 Comments

REYKJAVIK

3 things  liked about today

• Arriving in Iceland, yay!
• My salad wrap made at the supermarket
• a walk through town

We woke at 4:30am, packed and left for Terminal 1.  We put our luggage through and went through departures to the lounge.  We found a Brioche Doré and bought a croissant and a coffee for breakfast.

In a short 3 hours, we arrived in Reykjavik and caught the bus into town.  We were decanted into smaller buses then delivered straight to our guesthouse door.  Happily they were ready for us so we put our luggage into our room, freshened up a bit then decided to go for a walk into town.

Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran Church (great landmark!)

Reykjavik almost looks like a new town.  The town is very clean and orderly.  We browsed the shops then walked back to the guesthouse for a rest before the meeting of the group at 6:00pm.  A cuppa and a nap later we attended the meeting and met our tour group and our leader Larus.

Then it was off to a restaurant for dinner.  We were so tired after the meal.  With the time difference we had been awake for 18 hours.  The brsk walk back uphill woke me up.  Between that and the fact that there is only about 3 hours twilight, sleep did not come easy.

June 13, 2016June 14, 2016 by Family Holidays Categories: Uncategorized 2 Comments

PARIS

3 things I liked today

• The meal at the farm
• the French sense of humour
• the excitement of the pending voyage to iceland

Another farewell and we set off north.   We left Chambery and returned to our friend’s farm to visit before going to Charles de Gaulle airport to return the hire car.

He had organised a real farm BBQ up near the hayshed.  He invited many of the people that were in some way involved with his horses.  We had a lovely meal accompanied by much hilarity.

Dominique ‘Le Gaulois’ with the selection of champagne and old wines

Amongst good friends!

We left in the late afternoon, returned the car and settled into our hotel room for a great sleep at RoissyPole.

June 12, 2016June 14, 2016 by Family Holidays Categories: Uncategorized 3 Comments