Iceland diary 2010

Sunday June 20 2010
Virum – Reykjavik

I landed late in the afternoon at Keflavik and was received by Peter, our guide. I met the rest of the group, and we all went to the Guesthouse Aurora. This guesthouse is situated in Frejusgata not far from Hallgrimskyrkja.

Monday June 21 2010
Reykjavik - Hella.

This morning we started with the classical round trip in Iceland: þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss.

Þingvellir lies north of þingvellirvatn, the greatest lake in Iceland. Þingvellir lies on the midatlantic ridge where the continental plates of America and Eurasia meets. It is a part of the fissure zone that stretches through Iceland. We walked down to the plaine through such a fissure.

Geysir, which gives the name to the phenomena does not jump any more. The neighbor Strokkur comes wit a small burp every 10 minute. The jump is not very high.

Gullfoss is a two step waterfall. The two steps are perpendicular to each other. The total fall is 32 m.

Tuesday June 22 2010
Hella – Skeiðarsanður

The first stop was Seljansfoss a 60 m high waterfall. It is possible to walk around the fall. The next stop was Skogafoss another waterfall. Right after we visited Skoga museum an open air museum with old buildings and their old artifacts. There were living houses but also a school and a church.

We were now in the vicinity of Ejafjallajökul which recently had an eruption. There were plenty of ashes fallen on the nearby mountains but the roads and the roofs of the houses had been wiped clean. New grass were fast growing on top of the ashes.

Dyrhóleay (The keyhole) is the most southern point of Iceland. It is a 120 m high promontory where seabirds are nesting. Fulmars, Arctic Tern and Puffins lives here.

Wednesday June 23 2010
Skeiðarsanður – Höfn

We spent most of this day in Skaftafell National Park. We started a tour walking towards the ice from the main buildings of the national park. The glacier lagoon prevented us from coming close to the ice. Later on we tried another place but met the same problem. At Jökulsárlon we sailed in an amphibian vehicle on the glacier lagoon right between the icebergs. We had a lookout scout in a dinghy boat in front of us so we did not hit the icebergs.

Thursday June 24 2010
Höfn - Eiðar

We were following the eastern fiords in the morning. We had a long stop at the end of Alftafjorður (Swan fiord) I took pictures of a nesting Eider. We had another stop at the small village Djúpivogur.

In Stõðvarfjorður we visited a private collection of stones. Later on we passed a 6 km tunnel through the mountains and then we were away from the fiords.

Late in the day we reached first Eigilsstaðir and then our destination Eiðar.

Friday June 25 2010
Eiðar – Skúlagarður

First we saw Geirstaðir, a replica of a church from the time of the vikings.

Yst i Rjúkandi was a waterfall right next to the road. We made a short stop there.

Next was a visit to a farmer who had a couple of domesticated reindeer's. Reindeer has been imported from northern Scandinavia as wild animals. They are hunted in the season.

The farmers wife had a small shop where she made souvenirs and small things from leather or wool.

Next on the programme was Dettifoss. This 44 m high and 100 m broad waterfall is the biggest I Europe in terms of water volume. The river continues in Jökulsárgljúfur canyon which runs north.

Last on the program was Asbyrgi canyon. It is a huge birch forest surrounded and shielded by vertical canyon walls 100 m high. The canyon ends in a horse shoe form with a lake in the middle.

We were walking around in this wood for more than an hour.

Saturday June 26 2010
Skúlagarður – Ljósavatn

We had an early rise because we had a boat to catch in Husavik. We had a 3 hour ride in the fiord to watch whales. The weather was rough and the boat sailed to the other side of the fiord where we were shielded by the high mountains. I saw only dorsal fins from dolphins but our ship guide claimed to have seen one Minke whale

We left Husavik to find a spot where we could have our lunch. We found a place with an abundance of lupines. I took a picture of all these lupines.

The rest of the day we spent in the Krafla area. We climbed up to the crater of Vita volcano. We went on a long walk in the Leirjuhukur area watching strange lava forms. We visited Hverir Namafjall geothermal area with boiling sulphur pools.

We passed Lake Myvatn on our way to our hotel in Ljósavatn.

Ljósavatn lies between Myvatn and Akureyri.

Sunday June 27 2010
Ljósavatn – Akureyri

Today we went back to the Myvatn area for a closer look at all the things worth seeing there. We started in Skútustaðir south of the lake. Here there are many craters. They are called pseudo craters since they do not originate from volcanic eruption. Instead they are created from steam explosions taking place when molten lava meets the underground wetland.

The next on our agenda was Dimmuborgir, an area with fantastic lava formations. We went around there for a long time.

After this we went on a climb to the crater edge of Hverfjall. We had a superb view from the top.

After this it was time for a bath. We went to the Blue Lagoon at Myvatn. This must not be confused with The Blue Lagoon at Reykjanes not far from Keflavik. The last is much bigger.

The last point was Godafoss waterfall. We were very lucky while we were there. Three men fully equipped with special canoes wanted to sail down the fall (12 m) I filmed this event.

There were only a short distance from Ljósavatn to Akureyri. We checked in on a hotel and the rest of the day plus the next we were on our own. There were several options for the next day. I wanted to go to Grimsey, but this trip was canceled. Minimum were 3 persons and only 2 were interested. Another flight trip was available over Myvatn and Vatnajøkul. I decided to join them.

Monday June 28 2010
Akureyri – Akureyri

We were four people going on the flight trip over Myvatn. We arrived in time in the airport. The aircraft was a small one motor plane with space for six persons. We went into the plane, but the motor would not start. Back to the airport while a flight mechanic was called. After 2 hours waiting we finally started.

It was a wonderful trip over Godafoss and Myvatn which we had seen from the ground the previous day. We ended with a flight over central Iceland over the volcano Askja and down to the northern border of Vatnajökul.

Tuesday June 29
Akureyri – Langaholt

Langaholt lies on the south coast of Snæfellsnes, so we had a long drive today and less time for sightseeing. We visited Eiriksstaðir a reconstruction of the farm of Eric the Red. It is placed on the spot where one believes it was originally. Here we received a speech about the living in the times of the vikings.

Later on some of us visited a museum for the fishing of arctic sharks. They were caught on lines with a hook, and the fishing was from open rowing boats.

Wednesday June 30 2010
Langaholt – Langaholt

We used this day for a tour around Snæfellsnes, the peninsula north of Reykjavik. We stated seeing a small wooden church close to the beech.. The door was locked, so we could not get inside.

Next on the agenda was a walk along the coast. We started at a small fishing harbor called Arnarstapi and we ended in an even smaller harbor. All the way along the coast there were cliffs with nesting birds. The cliffs with birds nests started in the Arnarstapi harbor.

Next was Hellsandur where the remains of a british trawler can be seen on the beach.

Next again was a climb to Snæfellsjökul. We went as close as possible by car.

We visited a place where a small brook had made a deep fissure in the rock. We went into the fissure but only about 50 m. It was very wet.

The tour ended with a bath in Lysuholl pool with naturally carbonated water.

Thursday July 1 2010
Langaholt - Reykjavik

The rain was pouring down when we left Langaholt and it continued when we got the offer to climb Eldborg crater. Most of the group including me went off even if the wind now was blowing up.

In Reykjavik we stayed again at the Aurora Guesthouse.

Friday July 2 2010
Reykjavik – Reykjavik

We spent all the day driving around on Reykjanes. We started at the lighthouse with the view to the small rock island called Eldey which has a big Gannet colony.

Later on we visited Krysuvik geothermal area and a zone with big crevasses like the ones we saw at Þingvellir. A bridge has been build over the biggest crevasse.

The last point was a visit at the (real) Blue Lagoon.

In the evening we had a farewell dinner at a good restaurant in Reykjavik.

Saturday July 3 2010
Free day in Reykjavik

I attended an organ concert in Hallgrimskyrkja with a danish organist. It lasted only three quarters of an hour.

Later in the day I visited the culture house where the Icelandic hand writings are on display.

Sunday July 4 2010

Departure day.