Iceland Adventure
Sunday
26th May
I arrived at Heathrow just
after 7am, ready for my flight to Iceland – just 2 hours, but in a completely
different direction than I had ever travelled before, past Nottingham, over the
Lake District, and across Northern Ireland. As we approached Iceland, the
weather started to deteriorate and we landed amidst torrential rain. Luckily,
by the time I got to my hotel in Reykjavik – it had dried up! I had heard that
the weather changes very fast here, I just didn't quite realise how fast!
Reykjavik was named by its Viking founder in 874, and the name actually means
“Smokey bay” - after the pockets of steam rising from the ground and its many
streams. I was surprised how grey the countryside looked; it was as if the island
was a huge dark rock. As we approached civilization though, it was a completely
different view - everywhere was so clean and pristine. Iceland had been
somewhere that I wanted to visit for a long time. Its unspoilt mystical
scenery, its active volcanoes, its spouting geysers, glaciers, waterfalls and
lakes had been drawing me there for years - and now I was finally there. The
landscape was going to be exceptionally diverse; from fjords with glaciers,
through vast black lava plains, to green valleys and dramatic coastlines.
It
was going to be an exciting, adventurous trip. At only 20 million years old,
Iceland is the youngest country in Europe; and it lies across the vast undersea
split known as "The Mid Atlantic Ridge" - where the 2 great plates of
the earth's surface are pulling apart. This makes it one of the most
volcanically active sites in the world and it is constantly on alert. On a
different note, it is blessed with wonderfully clean, fresh air, the midnight
sun - giving endless summer days, and Northern lights brightening the long
winter nights. I was staying at the Natura hotel, on the outskirts of the city,
with views across Faxafloi Bay and the majestic Mountain Esja. Once I had
checked in, I went a walk around this most northerly capital city, but the wind
was howling, and it had been a very long day, so I put off walking too far
until later in my trip. The sun came out though, and the views of the snowy
mountains, not too far away, were just waiting for me tomorrow. It was light
most of the night due to “The Midnight Sun”, when sunset and sunrise almost
become the same time. It was a good job there were blackout curtains, else I
never would have slept. But then, after how long a day I had just had, nothing
was going to keep me awake.
Monday
27th May
The
tour I had booked on was "Volcanoes and Glaciers - The Land of Ice and
Fire" and the group was mainly Americans, a couple of Danish people and
two other Brits. We left Reykjavik at 9am, and within a few minutes we were
driving through endless lava fields, two different types - flat lava and
prickly lava. We passed herds of Icelandic horses, which are very similar to
moorland ponies - a hardy breed, with thick coats and a sturdy appearance. We
travelled south down the "motorway", which was only a country lane by
our standards, to the greenhouse town of Hverageroi where almost every home has
a huge greenhouse. The area is so fertile, that it is known as the agricultural
centre of Iceland. Everything is grown here, from tomatoes, peppers, strawberries,
oranges and bananas to fancy flowers. As we drove through the Lowlands, all the
farmhouses looked so neat and well kept, they were only one storey, mainly
wooden built and immaculately painted.
Our first stop was at Seljalandsfoss
waterfall, a 180-foot high torrent of gushing water. I excelled myself, and
braved the cold, slippery pathway, and walked behind the waterfall. What a
noise it made when you were between the water with the rocks behind. I did get
rather wet - as you would expect, but it was something I was glad to have done.
We continued south past well-kept farmland, crossing many glacial rivers, and
the next stop was the now-famous farm at the foot of the Eyjafjallajökull
volcano that had erupted in spectacular style only two years before.
The family
that live there documented the whole event and put it on film for visitors to
watch. It was really interesting to see how normal people dealt with and
overcame such a catastrophic natural event. Further in the distance was Mount
Hekla, which is the currently the country's most active volcano. Experts are
saying that it could start erupting at any time, and the results would be
devastating not only for Iceland - but for the whole of Europe. Our lunch stop
was at the Skogar Folk Museum, where we were given a guided tour of the 70 year
old museum, and introduced to its founder who showed us how to "hand
spin" sheep and horse hair into usable wool.
Just a few minutes from the museum was
Skogafoss waterfall, where I opted out of the 400 steps up to the top to see
the view. It was amazing enough at the bottom for me this time, and it had
taken hours to dry out after my earlier waterfall adventure. Then we continued
to a black beach, with basalt formations both below the cliffs and rising out
of the ocean, these were known as the sea stacks of Reynisdrangur.
Our hotel
for the night was only on the other side of this cliff, at a small town called
Vik - when I say town, I think hamlet would be more appropriate, but our hotel
was pleasant enough overlooking the sea. When I went into the lounge before
dinner, a group of Americans shouted me over to join them, and made me feel so
welcome – I felt so lucky! We had a lovely evening meal, angelica soup (which
is supposed to be good for many ailments!), followed by pan-fried trout in wine
(absolutely delicious), and a type of apple pie with cream.
Tuesday
28th May
Today
was going to be so exciting; I went a little walk before breakfast and took
photos of the picturesque red and white church, standing high on the hill above
Vik, and of the rock formations out at sea. The houses that were everywhere, in
a multitude of colours, were stone/brick built, but had corrugated sheets
around the walls as well as on the roof. This was for extra insulation, and
also, as I noticed later on, it made them very easy to clean down - with a
hosepipe! When we left Vik, we were travelling over lava fields, which I
expected to be dull and dreary. How wrong could I have been!
The lava is
covered in a "grey moss", which is actually green moss and it takes
everything a lifetime to get a foothold and grow on this moss. There are hardly
any trees about, because the early settlers cut down what trees there were, to
make houses and boats, not realizing that they would take more than a lifetime
to regrow! The small blue lupins that have been introduced to this island, to
stop erosion, stand out very well against the dark black lava. We headed back
onto the motorway, crossing temporary bridges that were still being repaired
after the eruption and subsequent floods of only 2 years ago. The bridges are
built in sections now, so that only a section or two may be washed away, not
the whole bridge! The first stop of the day was to have a close look, and feel,
of the aged moss, on the mounds of lava - which surprisingly was very spongy
and dry, quite a picture. As we drove along the coastal road, the scenery was
amazing; I was expecting it to be rather dull, but it was spectacular and so
like the Scottish highlands. The cliffs were huge, with so many waterfalls and
crevices in them. Some of the cliffs were different shades of black and grey,
and others were varying shades of green. At the base of these cliffs, sat
pretty farms, so neat and tidy - just how you would have drawn as a child, with
a door in the centre and a 4 section window either side. There were sheep in
the fields, with their new lambs, a few cattle, and more Icelandic horses.
It
wasn't long before the glaciers and mountains appeared on the horizon. This was
the National Park, which contains the highest mountains, well over 6000 feet
high, and the largest glacier and ice lagoons! We stopped at a viewpoint just
before the entrance to the park, where an old plane was situated; it had
crashed many years ago high up the mountain in the snow, and was carried down
the glacier and deposited here. We entered Skaftafell National Park, Europe's
largest National Park, with an area of over 12,000 square kilometres and
contains much of Iceland's most outstanding areas of natural beauty. The coach
parked up and we walked up to see Svartifoss waterfall with its
thundering water rushing over black basalt columns.
The view from the top, of
the panorama back over the way we had arrived, was far more interesting. You
could see the glacial rivers flowing through the lava field, as well as the
deep canyon, that the waterfall had carved out, running down to the plains
below. There were several ptarmigans nesting in the hillside too.
I did a bit
of exploring on my own, and discovered another smaller waterfall, plunging into
a small, dark pool with the quaintest wooden cottage standing next to it - that
was my favourite bit! The last stop of the morning was down a bumpy unmade
black lava road and what we saw at the end of it was totally unexpected. It was
the end of a glacier, with icebergs calving off it. They were varying shades of
black, grey, brown and white, and as much as it was an amazing sight - I did
feel slightly disappointed.
The water they were making, and falling into, was
such a murky brown colour - it really spoilt the scene. The glacier itself
though was an incredible sight and knowing how dangerous they are, I felt
terribly privileged to be able to get so close to the edge of one. We couldn't
get too close to the edge of the path, where only a couple of years ago two German
men had lost their lives.
After having lunch we continued driving past
impressive high cliffs, the extensive lava fields and glacial rivers and I was
full of anticipation for the highlight of the day, (actually of the tour for me) - Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon. After an hour, we crossed a suspension bridge
and below it, there were icebergs floating towards the ocean. OMG!
This was
nothing like the ones we had seen a few hours ago - these were magnificent. I
could not believe what I was seeing, and I would never be able to describe the
unbelievable beauty of this magical place, that I felt so privileged to be
seeing. There were hundreds of turquoise humbug striped icebergs, moving
stately and subtly out towards the sea. They are calves of one of the glaciers
belonging to Vatnajokull, the largest ice cap in Europe.
Its snout is stained
with black lava grit, which has been flowing down these mountains for centuries
- gouging out a 100 metre deep lake before eventually reaching the ocean. This
stunning lagoon is almost 18 square kilometres of pure magic, and unbelievably
the pieces of ice that we were seeing were 1000 years old. Real Jurassic park,
but on the water!
Some of the icebergs were washed up on the black beach, which
was on the ocean side of the bridge; but this area was home to violent Arctic
terns, so I resorted to take some long distant photos. It didn't matter though;
there was plenty to see in the lagoon.
Amid the colourful ice, there were seals
enjoying the attention and having their photographs taken; it was one of those
occasions when you cannot stop taking photographs.
As well as having the view
from the ground, we went on an amphibious craft, which was like a lorry (with
wheels), but then it floated on the water like a boat. We had a delightful hour
cruising around this amazing lagoon that has been the backdrop in many movies,
such as Batman and James Bond.
After getting the last photos of the amazing blue, black, grey, turquoise and green icebergs - we had a very long drive back to our hotel in Vik.
We didn't get back to the hotel until after 8pm, so it was
about 9pm before we had dinner, which was tomato soup, lamb with vegetables and
cheesecake, after which I went straight to bed - I couldn't even stay awake to
write my diary up.
Wednesday
29th May
We
left the hotel at 8am to catch the ferry to the Westman Islands. I had no idea
what today held in store, so I have to confess to not being excited about it! I
am not good on boat! I had taken a travel sickness tablet and intended
remaining seated for the 40-minute crossing - which wasn't too bad. I went out
on deck just as we were docking, and could not believe my eyes.
What a
beautiful place - it looked just like the Scottish islands (one of my favourite
places in the whole world)! The sun was shining, the grass was green and the
sea looked like a mirror. The small harbour on the main island of Heimaey was
so colourful; all of the houses were immaculately painted in different colours,
as were the fishing boats.
Then there was the most unusual backdrop - two
volcanoes. The younger had erupted continually for 5 months in 1973; you could
see where it had destroyed houses - and where the lava flow had come to a halt
- in some peoples back gardens. This is why it is now known as the new Pompeii
of the North.
Our coach and guide had come over on the ferry with us, so we had
a two-hour tour of the island. The first stop was to see some replica
"Turf houses" which is how they would have been made in Viking times.
We continued around the island, up to the lighthouse where the scenery was
absolutely breathtaking.
The islands surrounding Heimaey were magnificent; many
stood hundreds of feet tall, with black steep sides and grassy tops. It was
incredible to see a house literally perched on the top of each one! Apparently,
everything to build and sustain the house and family within it, has to be
hoisted up the steep cliffs to the top. The photographs that I took of the
coastline from here were absolutely "picture postcard" quality, and
that wasn't to do with my camera - it was the fabulous location.
Just down from the lighthouse, we went to a bird hide - there were supposed to be puffins nesting in the cliffs. It was easy to see them flying and floating on the ocean; but to be able to get a photo of one standing up was a different matter. It seemed that as soon as they came out of their tunnelled nests, they flew straight off. But, as one to preserver, I did eventually get a shot of one standing up, just before he took off. Next we were taken to see where the lava had reached, when the volcano erupted in 1973, and to see how they were rebuilding, even leaving an old house in situ, and building around it. We drove up the volcano next, although we did have to walk up the last few hundred yards, to see inside the crater. That was pretty hard going because the hillside was so crumbly with loose lava. At the top, it was charcoal black, as expected, but it was compact and totally rounded. The last place we were taken to was the far side of the harbour, where the water was like a mill pond, close to the high cliffs and there was an old Norwegian church with a quaint old house next to it. By now it was lunchtime, and we were free to explore by ourselves for a few hours. I was so thankful that the sun was shining. I knew exactly what I wanted to do!
I went back to
see inside the Old Norwegian church and walked around the harbour, watching the
different birds up on the high cliffs. Next, although it was the opposite side
of town, I went to see the Viking turf houses again; stopping to pick an ice
cream up on the way. I decided to take a short cut, and went up a path that I
thought would cut off quite a big corner. It did, but I ended up going up a
cliff and along its edge for quite a long way. Exhausted, and a little worried
where I was going to end up, I decided to have a rest and finish my ice cream.
I thought if I fell, it would be better if I had both hands free! So I sat on
the hillside, high above the road below, in the pleasant sunshine. Then I smelt
an awful smell; and I realised that a sheep and her two babies had joined me -
they must like ice cream! It was time for a quick exit, scrambling down the
side of the cliff as carefully as possible. After taking some photos of the
Viking turf houses, I headed back to town and had a drink with a few people
from tour until it was time to catch the ferry back to the mainland. We still
had a long drive to our hotel and didn't arrive until after 8pm again. Dinner
was cod with lemon-flavoured potatoes, and an Icelandic pudding called skyri,
which was a sort of creamy mousse. It was such a pity we weren't at that hotel
earlier, it was the nicest hotel we had stopped at - and it had hot tubs
outside. But it was so late by the time we had finished dinner (10.30pm), we
were all too tired to use them.
Thursday
30th May
I
got up nice and early, wanting to go for a walk before breakfast, but it
started raining just as I got back to the hotel and was still raining when we
departed at 9am. The first stop of the day was at an ancient religious area,
where we all went inside the newly built church (more to get out of the rain
than anything else). We then headed on to the Gullfoss golden waterfall, which
is a national park and Unesco world heritage site. These were impressive,
probably the most impressive waterfalls that I have ever seen.
As we walked up
to the viewing platform, the wind was that strong, that it nearly blew me off
the path and the rain was so violent, beating down, it really spoilt the visit
there. The waterfalls themselves were quite amazing, they thundered down in
several steps plunging hundreds of feet below into a mile long gauge. After a
few photographs, most people were ready to get back on the dry coach. By the
time we reached the Geysir hot springs, the rain had stopped and we were able
to see the famous great Geysir and Strokkur - hot springs that spouted every
few minutes.
It was intriguing watching water being sucked down into the mouth
of the geyser, then it started to bubble, and then it erupted. But if you
didn't have your camera ready at that exact minute, you would miss it - it was
over in a second or two. It took several attempts before I managed to get a
good shot. The warm steam everywhere was quite nice, especially after getting
so cold and wet earlier, but the water spouting out of the ground could be as
hot as 200 degrees, so you had to make sure that you stood down wind of it –
else you could be scolded.
We stopped here for lunch before heading off to
Þingvellir National Park, where the ancient parliament met for centuries on the
shores of Iceland's largest lake. Thingvellir is a park not only full of birds
and wildflowers; it is an area of exceptional geological and historical
interest. It is on a natural fault line where the geological tectonic plates of
America and Europe are tearing slowly apart, which you can see as you drive
through the park.
Firstly, you see cracks in the ground where the European
plate is ending, and then you are in what they call "no man's land"
for about a 100 metres, before you see the American plate, a cliff face that has
risen out of the ground as far as the eye can see. This platform provided a
remarkable natural arena where the ancient parliament met to make laws and
settle disputes, from 930 until 1789, when the plain "fell" in an
earthquake, and the power base shifted to Reykjavik.
Even now, these two plates
are moving at a rate of 2 centimetres every year. We all got off the coach and
crossed the river, walking up to the pathway to the point where the ruler would
have addressed his people - you could easily have imagined a council taking
place right there. But the heavens opened on us, so it was impossible to get a
photograph that did this place the justice it deserved. We drove on past the
beautiful turquoise Parliament Lake, and it was hard to believe that it is actually
below sea level - as we appeared to be so high up.
I would love to have stopped
and taken some photographs of it, but neither the weather nor time permitted.
This day had been the Golden Circle tour day, and was one of the most popular
that visitors to Iceland do. It was so disappointing that our last day had been
so wet; but the other days, had more than made up for it. We weren't too late
getting back to the hotel in Reykjavik and all I wanted was a long, hot bath,
but the rooms only had showers. So, I went down to the spa, where I had a swim,
some time in the sauna and a good while in the hot tub (which was 41 degrees) -
heaven! To finish off my day, I went to the bar for some food and a beer, which
was a bit dark and thick for my liking and the term "puts hairs on your
chest" springs to mind and the young barman was really friendly and helpful.
I had been very impressed with everything about this trip, the people and the
country as a whole and would recommend it to anyone.
Friday
31st May
Although
today was my free day, I still had to get up early as I was going to the Blue
Lagoon. When I arrived, I was given a wristband for a locker; but this also had
an electronic code in it, so that you could use it to buy a drink etc with it
too. I had to have a mandatory shower before putting my bathers on, and then I
went outside, carefully walking over the slippery decking to get into the
water. As I wasn't intending putting my head under the water, I had decided
that I would be all right to leave my glasses on - big mistake! The constant
steam, from cold air and rain, hitting the hot water, made it extremely
difficult to see. The hot water is a by-product of the local power station, and
no matter what the weather is like, it is usually hidden by clouds of steam.
But that didn't stop me enjoying myself.
The geothermal water was so good, it
was hotter in certain areas - apparently they are the areas where the water
comes in, from as deep as 2000 metres below ground, and it can reach 180
degrees. The lagoon is so picturesque, situated in the middle of a large black
lava field; and the water is an amazing phosphorescent aquamarine colour, rich
in minerals, silica mud and blue green algae. The temperature was between about
37 and 39 degrees, and it was no deeper than my shoulders, so I felt quite safe.
As I moved around the lagoon, I noticed that people had white stuff on their
faces; at first I thought that this was suntan lotion - but realised it was
silica mud that was free for everyone to rub on. I thought that I would give it
a try!
You were supposed to leave here looking ten years younger! It didn't rub
in very well, and someone told me later, that you have to let it dry on, rather
than getting it wet. I had a chat with some very friendly Americans and a
couple of young chaps from the north west of England, who were over here
travelling and camping for a month. I told them all about the Westman Islands
as they were quite keen to go there and they told me that the Orkneys are even
nicer than the Outer Hebrides (another place to put on my list!).
I saw huge
man, who looked like a Viking, he got in the water fully clothed and said,
"Who wants a massage?" What a sight he was, and what a photo
opportunity I had missed! After a few hours, and feeling totally invigorated, I
headed back to my hotel. As much as it would have been very easy to stay there
even longer, I only really had the afternoon to explore Reykjavík. I was given
a bus pass by the hotel, and armed with a map and bus routes - I headed off in
the rain. Two buses later I reached Reykjavik Botanical Gardens, which has an
enormous collection of plants, indigenous to this area, as well as many other
plants that prove that it is possible for them to thrive in this climate. I
found it quite disappointing, perhaps it was the rain that was putting a damper
on things - but it was just a small tidy
garden that looked like it had just been planted. I expect it would improve as
the summer wears on. I carried on walking, through an area that must have been
the sporting district, because I saw several football stadiums, a swimming pool
and an arena. There was a man jogging with two husky dogs - that made me smile!
When I finally reached the ocean, and got my bearings (I was happy to see the
new black opera house - but it looked a long way away!), I decided to make use
of the bus pass again and two buses later, I was in the middle of town.
But if I had thought it was raining earlier, that was nothing compared with the rain that came down then. I told myself that I was going to stop at the first cafe that I came to, and in the distance I could see "open". When I reached it though, it was a sex shop! I did manage to find a real cafe nearby and have a pot of tea, and shelter from the storm.
I was cold, worn out and felt wet through to
my bones - there was nothing else for it! The spa beckoned again. Oh and was it
hot! It was hotter than yesterday! A real treat though, although after a while
I couldn't stand the hot pool and opted for a relaxing swim. And a chat! I met
some very pleasant people from England and America and ended up spending a lot longer
in the pool than I intended. I had some tea and a Gull lager in the bar, before
retiring for the night. And guess what, at 10pm the sun came out! Just on cue!
Tomorrow I wasn’t going home – my adventure was continuing. I was flying off to Greenland for a few days – look out for my next blog!
In the meantime, please check out my other blogs as well as :-
Looks and sounds wonderful Lynne right up my street. Reminded me of the isle of Skye in parts. Beautiful and awsome. Keep up the good work x from Julie and Andy xx
ReplyDeleteLooks and sounds wonderful Lynne right up my street. Reminded me of the isle of Skye in parts. Beautiful and awsome. Keep up the good work x from Julie and Andy xx
ReplyDelete