Iceland 2015

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We had the pleasure of spending 21 nights in the lovely country of Iceland. Iceland is stunning – it’s a mix of mountains, waterfalls, volcanoes, geothermal hot spots, geysers, fjords, glaciers, icebergs, wonderful people (all of whom speak English) and more. We spent several nights in the lovely capital city of Reykjavik at both the beginning and end of our trip. In between we had a rental car and we explored the entire island country traveling from Reykjavik in a clockwise direction. We particularly enjoyed the West Fjords, East Fjords and Vatnajökull National Park. That being said, every day we were presented with lovely vistas, quaint towns and unique touring opportunities – by car and/or hiking. Arrangements for our “self-drive” trip and wonderful suggestions for touring were made by Stephan of the Fosshotel group. If you’re interested in making a similar tour, please contact Stephan or one of his associates at selfdrive@fosshotel.is.

Below are some of our favorite photographs organized by region. We hope you will enjoy them! If you have the time and inclination, following the photographs are a more detailed diary of our travels as well as additional photographs.

The Parliament Building in Reykjavik; the 1st assembly was held July 1881.

Hallgrimskirka (Lutheran Church of Iceland)

Views from Hallgrimskirka across Reykjavik

Ed with his "troll friends"

Glacial views from Route 520 near Reykholt

Dieldartunguhver Hot Springs

Hraunfossar Falls - the water is actually flowing
under the Hallmundarhraun lava field so it appears
to come out from the middle of the rock

Icelandic Krona - all coins feature fish (or crab) images

Ed is standing on the American Plate while pointing to the Eurasian
Plate at Þingvelli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also a “must see”
for any geologist or individual interested in plate tectonics since it is one
of the few places where you can see both plates.

Strokkur Geyser in mid-eruption.

A beautiful waterfall as we begin our journey on the peninsula

A female seal at Ytri-Tunga Seal Colony on Snaesfell Peninsula

Lava Fields and a view of Snæfellsjökull (Snæfells Volcano)

A closer look at the peak of Snæfellsjökull (Snæfells Volcano)
taken from the easternmost part of the peninsula

Rauðasandur, the "red beach" due to mussels washing ashore here

The steep, winding, one-lane road to/from Rauðasandur

A beautiful puffin at Látrabjarg, the westernmost point in
Iceland that provides breeding cliffs for many bird species

A seal colony at the base of Látrabjarg

A Brunnich's Guillemot at Látrabjarg

Looking down at the fjord near Bíldudalur

Dynjandi Falls, is one of Europe's largest waterfalls.
You can envision its size when you see a few people on the right promontory (little dots).

An Arctic Tern in flight

Snow beside a waterfall in mid-July; yes, imagine
this when it's not summer

A lovely church in the fishing village of Dalvik

Two peaks with glaciers near Dalvik

Goðafoss Falls, the "Waterfall of the Gods"

Views of the mountainous scenery in the North

Dittifoss, Europe's most powerful waterfall

The town of Fáskrúðsfjörður is home to this former
hospital for French fishermen (now Fosshótel East Fjords)

Ed on our balcony with a glacier across the fjord

A glacial bowl alongside a fjord

Tundra flowers

Hoffellsjokull Glacier

A beautiful glacier (name not known)

Jökulsárlón, a glacial river lagoon known for the icebergs

Lindy & Ed & Icebergs

Ed sitting beside Svinafellsjokull Glacier; it was
amazing to be so close to this amazing & powerful force!

Svartifoss Waterfall - The water flows over
hexagonal basalt pillars

Fjaðrárgljúfur Gorge

The black basalt beach at Dyrhólaey
(including a basalt column)

Thursday, 9 July – Saturday 11 July: We arrived at the international airport outside Reykjavik on the morning of Thursday, 9 July at 6:45AM. Despite stopping by duty free, clearing Customs & Immigration and catching the Fly+Bus to the city center (followed by a van directly to our hotel), we arrived at Fosshotel Baron at about 9:00AM. Obviously, it was too early for check-in so we stored our luggage and began touring the city.

The downtown area of Reykjavik is compact and it’s very easy to walk from place to place. Since it’s a bit hilly, you can enjoy some great views and get some exercise too. As you wander it’s interesting to look at the different styles of architecture. Many old buildings are simple structures covered with corrugated metal while new construction is concrete and very modernistic. One thing they often have in common is their brightly colored metal roofs.

The Parliament House is a 19^th century building located in central Reykjavik. The Parliament’s first assembly was held there in July 1881. Nearby is Reykjavik Cathedral which was built in 1847. It is the seat of the Bishop of Iceland and mother church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland. Not too far away (and up a long hill) you can see Landakotskirkja (sometimes referred to as Kristskirkja), the Catholic Cathedral of Iceland. A small chapel originally was built on the site. The current neo-gothic cathedral was consecrated in July 1929.

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Reykjavik’s modern City Hall sits on the edge of Tjornin, a small lake in the city. It houses the office of the mayor, a small café and a great 3D map of Iceland.

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Sitting alone on a high point is Hallgrímskirkja, a Lutheran Church of Iceland cathedral, that is popular with tourists due to its observation tower with great views of the city. Construction of the church began in 1945 and ended in 1986. From the church it’s an easy walk down to some of the popular pedways with their abundance of stores, restaurants and bars.

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	The one and only Hallgrímskirkja
	A view of one of the city's ports from the observation deck
	Look at this colorful view looking towards Tjornin
	This view shows Perlan, a building fashioned over water storage tanks, with the beautiful mountain background surrounding Reykjavik
	Ed with his "troll friends"

The Fosshótel Baron sits just one block back from the sea and there’s a great walking path along Saebraut Drive. It affords excellent views of the port, some interesting sculptures and you can reach Harpa, a modernistic concert hall and conference center.

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	A view of the fjord near Reykjavik from our room at the Fosshótel Baron
	Us by a sculpture of a Viking ship
	A large fishing vessel owned by Ice Fresh, an Icelandic fishing company
	Another view of the sea and the surrounds

[ T O P ]

Sunday, 12 July: We acquired our Hertz rental car and began our first day of driving from Reykjavik to Reykholt. We had to take Highway 1 (the “Circle Route”) to exit the city. However, instead of continuing on Highway 1 and taking the direct route, we turned off on the “road less traveled” – Route 47 to drive around Hvals Fjord. Wow, we saw some amazing sights such as views of the nearby mountains, Laxa i Kjos waterfall, the old stone walls and water fall at Fossarrett. Very impressive!

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As the road turned back toward the sea deep within the Fjord, we turned north on Route 520, a fairly decent gravel road. Eventually it reached a dead end on Route 50. Once we reached Route 50, we found the Deildartunguhver Hot Springs. Here water boils to the surface and at times the water itself puts on quite the display by bubbling & hissing. Of course, there was lots of steam so photography was a bit of a challenge. Afterwards we took Route 518 to Reykholt which turned out to be a tiny village comprised of a library/research center (former high school), an old church, a modern church and a homestead built partially underground as well as the Fosshótel. Since it was too early to check-in, we continued on to see the Hraunfossar Falls and nearby Barnafoss Falls. They are interesting because they flow from beneath the Hallmundarhraun lava field so they appear to come out from the middle of a rock wall. The falls flow along a 1km stretch. While the waterfall isn't incredibly powerful, it's quite beautiful because the water is a pastel shade of blue rather than the brown you'll see at some falls due to muddy glacial rivers. About 4:00PM we returned back to the Fosshótel and spent a lovely evening there.

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	Glacial views from Route 520
	Bubbling water at Deildartunguhver Hot Springs
	Steam rising throughout the Deildartunguhver area
	The magnificently blue Hraunfosser Falls which appear to come through the side of a rock wall
	Nearby is Baranfoss (Children's Falls)

[ T O P ]

Monday, 13 July: This morning we explored the two churchs at Reykholt. The old church was open and we were able to peak inside. It was very beautiful. The more modern church was closed. We did explore the underground homestead before beginning today’s trek around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

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Our first stop on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula was at the Ytri-Tunga Seal Colony on the south coast of the Peninsula. If you were willing to walk along a rocky embankment during low tide, you could get very close to the seals. Afterwards, we continued around the Peninsula through Snæfellsnes National Park. It was a cloudy day so we weren’t able to see the entire Snæfellsjökull (Snæfells Volcano) but we got some nice pictures nevertheless. As we drove along the north side of the Peninsula, the rain began to fall. Thankfully it wasn’t too bad and we arrived in the town of Stykisshómler late in the afternoon.

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	One of our first views of Snæfells Volcano from the rocky area near the Ytri-Tunga Seal Colony
	The seals in the Ytri-Tunga Seal Colony; these guys are a bit shy
	This female seal is relaxing and not the least bit shy
	Lava fields in the foreground and Snæfells Volcano behind (albeit the Volcano is somewhat lost in the clouds)
	A closer view of Snæfells Volcano from the eastern edge of the peninsula
	A closer shot revealing glaciers and snow fields

[ T O P ]

We first found the Seatours office so we could exchange a voucher for our tickets for travel on the Ferry Baldur the following morning. Once that was accomplished we found the Vinbudin Liquor Store as well as a Bonus grocery to replenish some items. Then, we enjoyed a nice evening at the Hotel Stykisshólmer.

Tuesday, 14 July: It was an early morning as we arrived at the ferry terminal at 8:15AM for boarding at 8:30AM. Ed tucked the car safely in the hold while Lindy got seats for the 3.5 hour journey from Stykkishómler to Brjanslækur, a small village in the West Fjords region. En route the ferry made a quick stop at Flatey Island (only passengers who were disembarking were allowed off the ship). Once we arrived at Brjanslækur, we quickly drove along Route 62 until we reached Route 612 and then Route 614, an unpaved, winding, barely one-lane road. Our goal was to pass over the mountain to reach the other side to access Rauðasandur, the “red beach”. The beach gets its red color from the red mussels which was ashore there. It was worth the harrowing drive to see this beautiful beach! Afterwards we retraced our way back to Route 62 and continued on to the town of Patreksfjörður, our home for the next two nights.

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	Ferry Baldur
	A view of Flatley Island
	Ed driving off the Ferry Baldur
	Snow on the ground as we go up a pass on the dirt road en route to Rauðasandur
	Our steep and windy, mostly one-lane road
	Finally we reach Rauðasandur, the "red beach" due to the color of the mussels that wash ashore
	Another view of Rauðasandur
	A waterfall we see as we return back away from the ocean and up the pass
	The lovely town of Patreksfjörður

[ T O P ]

Wednesday, 15 July: We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then left the hotel at 9:30AM to reach Látrabjarg. We once again were on the paved Route 62 until we reached Route 612. This time we took it the entire way to the Látrabjarg. This unpaved road was much better than the road to Rauðasandur! We arrived at 11AM and were simply amazed! We had expected to get a glimpse of a Puffin or two but we found them everywhere and they weren’t shy at all. There were also lots of Arctic Terns and Guillomets found nesting on the cliff. Also in the water below were several groups of seals. What great nature viewing! We timed our visit perfectly to avoid crowds (and crazy drivers) as it was too early for individuals arriving via the Baldur Ferry to reach the site until well after 1:30PM and we left Látrabjarg before that time.

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	A lovely Puffin. This bird was one of several sitting on top of a grassy cliff. It was simply amazing to be so close!
	A few more of these nearby birds
	Directly below the grassy cliff we found a seal colony
	This is a view of the actual nesting cliff; if you look carefully, you'll see Puffins and other birds
	This bird is a Brunnich's Guillemot. It too nests at Látrabjarg.

[ T O P ]

Thursday, 16 July: We first crossed over the peninsula from Patreksfjörður to Bíldudalur, an easy drive. We then continued on Hwy 63 which became a dirt/gravel road. We took it to Hwy 60, another dirt/gravel road. These were tiny, windy roads and scary. Eventually we made it to the promised land – Dyndanji Falls – it was truly amazing! After enjoying the Falls and relaxing after the drive, we continued on to the town of Þingeyri. This too was a dirt road but it was in much better condition and much wider than those on our early morning trek. At Þingeyri, Lindy took over the driving as it was paved. However, as we approached Ísafjörður, we had to go through a 4KM tunnel which was mostly a one-lane, two-way, very dark tunnel with occasional pullouts for passing. Yikes! Thankfully, most drivers communicated with flashing lights and patience so everyone got through without incident.

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	This lovely vista is looking into the fjord at Bíldudalur
	The tiny, winding road post Bíldudalur
	One of the many beautiful, unnamed waterfalls
	Looking through a fjord and beyond
	This is truly high-mountain country
	We made it to Dyndanji Falls! For an idea of size.... on the right side on the stone rocks are two tiny people!
	This is one of the five waterfalls below Dynjandi Falls
	As we continued our drive, we stopped to take this photograph of the many fjords off to the left
	An Arctic Tern in flight; lovely!
	These beautiful purple flowers were everywhere!

We arrived in Ísafjörður at about 3:00PM and we were able to park our car at the Hotel Horn and then explore the lovely town on foot. Afterwards it was time to relax for the evening.

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	A walking pedway in the town of Ísafjörður
	One of several large fishing vessels at port in the town
	This building, built in 1902, was used for housing for whalers and later as a herring factor; the item out front is an inboard propeller shaft
	An interesting building built in 1910
	A view of glaciers looking from town to the north

[ T O P ]

Friday, 17 July: Today we had our longest drive of the trip – a 468KM drive from the West Fjords area to the north-central part of the island. The drive was long but not too stressful. We drove over a pass with snow beside the road and a river still melting beneath it. It was a great spot to take a rest and snap a few photographs. Later in the day we thought we were lost and spent a little time back-tracking. It turned out we were on the correct road – Route 83 – but our road map had indicated some less non-paved stretches than we actually encountered. At one point we met an oncoming vehicle and the driver confirmed we were definitely on our way back to the famous Circle Route (Highway 1). Our home for the evening was actually just off Highway 1 in the village of Varmhlio. We actually arrived at 4:30PM – earlier than we had anticipated. Interestingly, even if the drive had lasted a lot longer we still wouldn’t have to drive in the dark given the sun shines throughout most of the night in Iceland (at least this time of year).

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	We enjoyed this beautiful glacier as we were leaving Ísafjörður (thankfully on the road without the one-lane, two-way tunnel!)
	Ed by the snow on Highway 61
	This small waterfall was surrounded by snow
	The coast along Highway 68 looking towards the North Atlantic Ocean

[ T O P ]

Saturday 18 July: We had a short drive today from Varmhlio to the fishing village of Dalvík. The weather was gray and cool. Once we were into the fjord area near Dalvík, we considered taking a ferry to nearby island of Hrisey. However, we arrived too late. So, instead we explored the tiny village of Dalvík. You could definitely tell it was a fishing town based on the businesses. We checked into the hotel a bit early and then watched as the rain began to fall and fall.

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Sunday, 19 July: We woke up to light rain and it continued throughout the day. As we left Dalvík, we could see it snowing on the nearby highlands. Also, when we went over one pass on Highway 1, the posted temperature was 4 degrees Celsius; that’s about 36 degrees Farenheit – in other words, COLD! However, that didn’t hamper our explorations. We drove to the famous Goðafoss Falls, the “Waterfall of the Gods”. Due to the recent (and ongoing rains) the water put on a great show. There also was a smaller waterfall beneath it. Thankfully there were no tour buses so we got some great photographs.

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Although we were ultimately bound for Húsavík, the whaling capital of Iceland, we went beyond our turn to the north and continued to Lake Mývatn. We drove to the south side of the lake and explored the pseudo-craters at Skútustaðir. The rain was pouring but we hit the trail. In addition to seeing the steam craters, we got some up-close encounters with local sheep.

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Afterwards we back-tracked to reach the road to Húsavik. It continued to pour and the wind was howling. Definitely no more touring for us today. We stopped at a local market to pick up some smoked Iceland salmon. Then we went to our hotel, Fosshótel Húsavik, our home for the next two nights.

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Monday, 20 July: We began our explorations in the town of Húsavik. From our hotel it is a two-minute walk to the main street. We stopped at the local church which was very beautiful. Then we went to the pier to watch the whale-watching ships get ready for their morning cruises. It was so cold & blustery we were quite glad we had not signed up an excursion.

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	A beautiful local church
	The interior of the church
	One of the many whale watching ships in Húsavik

Instead, we drove to the Ásbyrgi Visitor Center in the northern most section of Vatnajökull National Park. We knew we were going to Ásbyrgi for some hiking but until we reached the area we had no idea it was part of one huge national park (albeit the park is divided into five separate areas). The park’s namesake – Vatnajökull – the glacier-covered volcano is an area we’ll visit later in our journey in southeast Iceland.

Despite it raining on us during the entire drive to Ásbyrgi (about an hour north and east from Húsavik), the weather turned out to be quite nice when we arrived. As a matter of fact, we stayed dry and we weren’t freezing during our time in the park. Yeah! So, after stopping in the Visitor Center, we enjoyed hiking along several trails. Ásbyrgi is a basalt formation that resembles a horseshoe with another basalt formation in its center. Legend has it that the area was formed by the imprint of the foot of a Norse god’s horse. However, geology provides a better explanation of the formation of the area due to catastrophic glacial flooding of the river Jokulsa a Fjollum some 8,000-10,000 years ago.

While exploring the trails, we enjoyed the scenery and wildlife and we were amazed to see an arctic char swimming in the pond beneath the center of the basalt cliffs (at the apex of the horseshoe). It was an enjoyable day out and a great way to see and explore this part of Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park (and the largest national park in Europe)!

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	Lindy on the trail
	A waterfall flowing over the basalt wall
	The pond at the base of the waterfall
	Wow, an arctic char swimming in the pond (you can tell it's a char due to the white tips on its fins)
	A shot of the center basalt flow with another flow along the right side in the foreground
	This is the left lava flow with the center basalt flow
	A beautiful Redwing

[ T O P ]

Tuesday, 21 January: We enjoyed a very full day – both driving and touring. Our touring began on the north side of Lake Mývatn. There we came across a geothermal area where we assume the natural power was being harnessed for energy given the presence of piping and venting. In this same area, there was a private enterprise which had developed a hot spring into a public bathing spot similar to the “Blue Lagoon” found sound of Reykjavik. Initially, we thought this was the entire geothermal area. However, we drove a few kilometers farther in the Námaskarð area and found Námafjall, a huge geothermal park. Here there were vents, hot pots of bubbling mud and lots of mineral deposits. There were many warning signs to make sure to stay on designated paths or risk being burned. Yikes! It was an amazing area and surrounded by landscape that we imagined to be similar to that of the moon.

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	Here you can see the piping where we believe nature is being harnessed for power
	Steam emitting from the ground
	A beautiful blue, steaming pool
	The entire area looks like a landscape from the moon!
	We finally arrived at Námafjall and came across bubbling mud pots like this one
	Ed standing by a natural vent in Námafjall

After enjoying this amazing spot, we headed east along the Circle Route (Highway 1) until we turned north to reach Dittifoss, the largest waterfall in Europe. The road to Dittifoss was paved and upon reaching the parking lot, it was about a 20-25 minute walk to the Falls. The spray was amazing so once you got close to the Falls you had to really walk carefully because the rocks were very slippery. We were able to enjoy some great views and also take some really nice photographs.

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By now it was after 2:00PM in the afternoon so we had a bit of driving to top off the day. We crossed a stretch of Highway 1 know as “Jökuldalsheiði” – one of the uninhabited tracks of Iceland. It was a steep road with lots of lava fields, small gorges and not too many sheep. The road was in good condition albeit the rain started to fall late in the afternoon.

About 5:00PM we arrived in the town of Fáskrúðsfjörður, our home for the next two nights. Our hotel, Fosshótel East Fjords, is comprised of two historic buildings – a former hospital for French fishermen and the home of the primary physician who attended to them. Reception is located in the physician’s home on one side of the town’s main road and the former hospital is located across the street and includes the hotel restaurant and some of Fosshotel’s accommodations. We settled in for the evening and decided to leave our explorations for the following day.

Wednesday, 22 January: We enjoyed a leisurely day in Fáskrúðsfjörður. After enjoying our breakfast, we went across the street to visit the museum dedicated to the French fishermen who worked in these waters during the late 1800’s through the 1930’s. The first floor of the building includes the hotel’s reception area as well as the museum dedicated to the relationship and history of French fishermen to this small Icelandic town. It provided a great deal of information and included some excellent exhibits. The downstairs level took us into the “hold” of a typical ship where we saw how the French fishermen would live while not actively fishing. It was also a bit of fun as we were actually under the town’s main road and when we left the area, we were back in the former hospital building.

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	An early morning view across the fjord
	The former hospital for French fishermen as seen from the dock; our room was the upper left room
	Ed braved the weather so Lindy could get a shot of him on the balcony with a glacier/snow field as the background
	The house of the physician who treated the French fishermen
	A scene depicting French fishermen in typical attire
	This hallway which is fashioned after the interior of one of the French fishing boats is actually a tunnel under the street between the two buildings
	This is a photograph of the cemetery for the French fishermen; it still exists farther outside of town

Later in the day we drove farther along the fjord to visit the cemetery where about 40 of the French fishermen are buried. It was a very tough life and somewhat surprising that more individuals didn’t die. Afterwards we returned to the hotel as it was very, very cold and windy. It was a good way to relax and catch-up on a few items before more touring tomorrow.

Thursday, 23 July: Today we drove along the coast and headed to far southeastern Iceland. We enjoyed some great views en route.

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We ultimately arrived at the town of Höfn, a small city near the Fosshótel Vatnajökull, our home for the next two nights. We didn’t take time to stop in Höfn as the sun was shining and we could see lots of nearby glaciers. We took a gravel road to get a pretty close-up view of the Hoffellsjökull glacier. We couldn’t drive all the way into its base since there was a flowing river crossing the gravel road. That being said we were able to get some great shots.

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Then, since clouds were beginning to roll in from the ocean, we went back to Highway 1 and continued farther west. From a parking area near a bridge, we were able to get great shots of two different glaciers, including the glacial moraine left at the base of the larger glacier. Wow, it was amazing! Then we also got shots of another huge glacier just above the river itself.

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Unfortunately, the storm came ashore and the rain began. Afterwards, the glaciers were lost. So, we headed back towards Höfn and stopped at the Fosshótel Vatnajökull to drop off our things. Afterwards we drove into Höfn to pick up a few items at the local grocery, Netto. Then, we returned to the hotel for the balance of the evening.

Friday, 24 July: We woke up to a dreary, foggy morning. We could barely see across a nearby field and there was no way anyone would know there were nearby glaciers. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast as it continued to rain and/or drizzle.

At 10:00AM we decided to brave the elements and drive to Jökulsárlón, a glacial river lagoon known for the icebergs which come from

Vatnajökull Glacier. It was really amazing! The icebergs were there in many shapes and colors. We also watched one of the larger icebergs break apart but we couldn’t get any photographs of the split-second action. We did enjoy seeing a few birds as well as a couple of seals enjoying the area too.

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	Jökulsárlón, "Iceberg Wonderland"
	Us enjoying the setting
	The size, color and shapes of the icebergs was truly amazing
	Ed holding a chunk of an iceberg; look closely and you can see his hand through the ice
	This iceberg was really a deep blue along with the black earth it collected during its travels
	A pair of Barnacle Geese in the waters of Jökulsárlón

[ T O P ]

Afterwards, we retraced our path back to Höfn. Outside of Jökulsárlón, we befriended two young men from France who were hitchhiking to Höfn. We drove them to the camping ground in Höfn and then returned to the Fosshótel Vatnajökull to enjoy some hot soup and hot tea (i.e., warm up) and then review our photographs.

Saturday, 25 July: The weather was still a bit gloomy but not as bad as yesterday. After enjoying a leisurely breakfast, we packed up the car and were on our way. We drove along the same route as Friday and passed Jökulsárlón. A bit farther down the road, we came across a similar spot – Brieoarlón. It too is a site where a glacial lagoon has formed – with icebergs – but there is no outlet to the sea. We had some very different views so it was definitely worth a stop.

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We continued on Highway 1 toward Skaftafell National Park, one of the major sections of Vatnajökull National Park. The weather cleared a bit and we were able to see some of the glaciers from the road. We stopped and took photographs of what we believe was Fjallsjökull.

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As we continued closer to the National Park, we got a real break as the weather cleared for a short time. Just before the park, we turned into a road for Svinasfelljökull. Here we were actually able to walk along side this enormous glacier. It was an amazing conglomeration of ice and rocks. It too at its terminus had a pool of water and some small melting icebergs. It was truly wonderful to be so close to this giant.

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	Svinasfelljökull
	Standing by Svinasfelljökull looking into its upper reaches
	From afar a glacier looks so smooth; not so when you're up close
	Ed right next to Svinasfelljökull (like really, really close!)
	A close-up of the blue upper regions of Svinasfelljökull

[ T O P ]

We finished the day at the Visitor Information Center at Skaftafell National Park. It was drizzling again so we spoke with Ranger Sara and made plans for hiking tomorrow morning. We then drove 45km away from the park to the Fosshótel Nupar, our home for the night.

Sunday, 26 July: We had an early breakfast and left the Fosshótel Nupar at 7:30AM to return back to Skaftafell National Park. We were one of the first guests arriving there and we had the trails to ourselves. We began by taking the trail to the namesake of the park Skaftafellsjökull. It was a beautiful walk. We didn’t get as close to this glacier as we did to Svinasfelljökull but the Park provided a great trail with geological explanations along the route.

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After this walk (it was pretty easy& flat), we took a hike up to Svartifoss, a beautiful waterfall flowing over hexagonal basalt pillars. It took about 45 minutes to reach the falls and it was uphill the entire way. Ugh! That being said, it was worth it! The falls were stunning! At the bottom of the falls, there were some intact pillars that had evidently fallen from the top. Simply amazing!

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By the time we finished our hiking, it was about 11:00AM and time for us to continue our explorations outside the park en route to Selfoss. Again, we were on Highway 1. Our first stop was Fjaðrárgljúfur Gorge. It is a beautiful, deep gorge that was formed during the Ice Age some two million years ago. Then, we stopped numerous times along the way to take photographs of the Myrdalsjökull and other numerous glaciers. Our final stop of the day was outside the town of Vik. There were took a road to the ocean (yes, the Atlantic Ocean) to see the black basalt beach at Dyrhólaey. Just off the beach (at least at low tide), there are basalt columns. There were also some nearby cliffs (we were actually on top of one) where Puffins and other seabirds nest. We did manage to see and photograph several Puffins but they were not as numerous as they had been at Látrabjarg nor as cooperative.

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	Fjaðrárgljúfur Gorge
	Another view of the Gorge
	Glacial views near and/or of Myrdalsjökull
	A close-up view of this glacial area
	We believe this is Laufskalavarda Glacier
	The black basalt beach at Dyrhólaey (including a basalt column)
	A lone Puffin
	Another Puffin at Dyrhólaey
	The Ölfusá River at Selfoss

It was about another hour before we reached our hotel at 5:00PM after a very full and enjoyable day. Upon checking in at the Hotel Selfoss, we were surprised with an amazing view of the Ölfusá River from our room.

Monday, 27 July: It’s hard to believe that this was our final day of driving in Iceland (at least for this trip)! We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then began making our way back to Reykjavik via a very circuitous route. First we drove east and north to Geysir (from which we get the namesake “geyser”) to visit the geothermal area there as well as see Strokkur Geyser put on a show (a cascade of boiling water). The geyser erupts every 10-15 minutes so with patience we took a nice sequence of photographs.

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Afterwards we took Route 365 to Þingvellir National Park. Þingvelli is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also a “must see” for any geologist or individual interested in plate tectonics. This is one of the few places where you can see both the American Plate and the Eurasian Plate. In fact, we took a great picture of Ed standing on the very edge of the American Plate while pointing towards to Eurasian Plate. Afterwards, it was time to return back to Reykjavik. We stopped at an N1 (Nesti) petrol station for a final fill-up as well as to finish spending our N1 debit card (since most US credit cards do not have a 4-digit pin, it’s necessary to use a prepaid debit card if you want to buy gasoline at self-service pumps). Then we were off to Fosshótel Baron to drop off luggage. We returned our rental car and were then driven back to the hotel. We spent the balance of our time in Reykjavik – enjoying the city and thinking about all we saw in this lovely country.

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Our trek home began on July 30 – travel from Reykjavik to Minneapolis – and eventually returned to Cedar Crest on July 31. All and all, it was another wonderful and enjoyable adventure. We highly recommend Iceland to anyone who loves the outdoors as it has an abundance of amazing and accessible sites!

	The beautiful Parliament Building
	The Lutheran Cathedral which was built in 1847
	A closer look at the Cathedral Tower
	The beautiful Roman Catholic Church

	The original church in Reykholt
	This is the more modern church in Reykholt but it has a very similar style to the original church
	The nearby sod/stone house
	It was actually quite cozy inside this partially underground structure

	A beautiful glacial bowl on the mountain beside yet another fjord
	This eroding lava makes a spectacular picture
	And.... another waterfall
	Colorful tundra flowers

	Two glaciers with a moraine in front
	A closer view of the glacier on the left
	A closer view of the glacier on the right
	This glacier is huge (and beautiful with its different hues!)

	Brieoarlón, another "Iceberg Wonderland"
	The icebergs come in all shapes and various colors - blue, light blue, dark blue, clear, etc.
	More and more icebergs
	The glacier's edge - the point at which the icebergs cleave off into the water

	A view of the very modern City Hall
	This HUGE map consumes an entire room

	A view of Dalvik through the mist
	A beautiful church in Dalvik
	From town we had this great view of two peaks with a glacier in between them

	Snow falling on the mountains outside of Dalvik
	Goðafoss Falls, the "Waterfall of the Gods"
	Us at Goðafoss Falls on a very brisk day

	At the back of the picture you can easily identify the psuedo-crater
	Even this sheep looks cold with it's damp wool coat

	Dittifoss, Europe's most powerful waterfall
	A view of Dittifoss farther down the trail
	This view includes Dittifoss falling into the pool below

	Hoffellsjökull glacier
	Hoffellsjökull glacier
	Hoffellsjökull glacier

	A glacier and its moraine, the one we think is Fjallsjökull
	Another view of the glacier
	This is a closer shot that emphasizes the blue color of the glacier

	Our first glimpse of Skaftafellsjökull
	A closer view of this beautiful glacier
	These basalt columns were in a wall along the trail to Skaftafellsjökull

	Svartifoss - it was worth the hike!
	A closer view so you can see the basalt pillars
	At the base of the waterfall, you can easily see the hexagonal patterns of the basalt pillars

	The geothermal area near Geysir
	Strokkur Geyser
	Strokkur Geyser - the action starts
	Wow, the eruption begins!
	The full eruption with a stream of water in the center shooting upward with steam all around
	A small "want to be" Strokkur

	A view of the Eurasian Plate
	A creek and pond at the base of the American Plate
	Ed on the American Plate while pointing towards the Eurasian Plate