Iceland

In late October of 2014 
I went to Iceland 

with a crew of beloved girlfriends.

What a magnificent country! 

Here is a taste.

 

Reykjavík 

 is the capital and largest city of Iceland.

 Its latitude, at 64°08' N, makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state.  With a population of around 120,000 it is the heart of Iceland's cultural, economic and governmental activity.

Reykjavík is believed to be the location of the first permanent settlement in Iceland, around AD 870. Until the 18th century, there was no urban development in the city location. The city was founded in 1786 as an official trading town. It is among the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world. -wiki

 

 

 

  It is fairly well known for Icelanders to at least entertain the possibility of Elves' existence. 

(In one 1998 survey, 54.4 percent of Icelanders said they believed in the existence of Elves). 

I saw evidence of the Elves

 in some of the shoes for sale in Reykjavik. 

 I have yet to meet a Scandinavian city

 that I do not like, but this one is extra special.

Hallgrímskirkja Church

It was designed by Guðjón Samuel in 1937, who was inspired in his endeavours by the fascinating shapes and forms created when lava cools into basalt rock.

 The view of Reykjavik from the tower of the church.

Carrye, June, Chenoa, Laura, Lisa, Paetra

 On our way to the South, to our old converted farmhouse.

Our farmhouse was very charming. 
It's located at the foot of Eyjafjallajökull, the very same volcano who last erupted in 2010, throwing volcanic ash several kilometers into the atmosphere which led to air travel disruption in northwest Europe for six days. 

 The eruptions also created electrical storms!

 As of August 2010, Eyjafjallajökull was considered dormant.  I can vouch for how beautiful she and her ice cap are.
The ice cap covers the caldera of the volcano with a summit elevation of 1,651 metres (5,417 ft).

 We had some serious Icelandic Horse action where

 we were staying.

One day, we drove to the delightful town of Vík, the southernmost in Iceland, which has been a trading post
 since 1887.

    

  

Towering over it is the majestic Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which embraces Katla volcano, 

last erupting in 1918. 

The Gulf Stream passes by the coastline, 

granting shorter and milder winters than other areas of the country.   

Reynisfjara black sand beach

  Seljavallalaug geothermal pool. Est. 1923

  The rock that this old house is built into is considered by locals to be a Elf zone and thus no one will mess with it.

 The waterfalls were unreal!

Now, we are with Thor.

 

 There is a strange desert southwest resonance with the land in the South of Iceland,

 the rocks and the horses especially. 

 It's golden because it's Autumn.

 Our destination is a glacier not at all far from the
 Holuhraun vent that is currently erupting. 
 We didn't go that far though, because 
we had a date with a glacier. 
 I love glaciers.

 

OK, so like I said, I can't get enough of glaciers.
 So what follows are a photo essay on the ice of a glacier, 
with an occasional person in them.

 This is approximately 1000 year old ice.

 These krampons give us our magical powers on the glacier.

 

 

 And now, onto Jökulsárlón
the exquisite glacier lagoon.

 Get ready!

This amphibious duck truck was the chariot that drove us to, and then into the lagoon.

I couldn't choose! You get them all.

I didn't get a photo of the one that I saw, but if you, 

like me, were wondering,

 "Who plays here?" The answer is seals! 

Now on the beach, at sunset.

So all these big chunks of ice are the ends of the glacier calving off and slowly re feeding the fresh water supply. The water everywhere in Iceland is amazing; glacial for drinking and bathing in, and easily heated by geothermal. The early Viking settlers may have had it rough in many ways landing here in the 9th century, but they had ready made hot water to cook, wash and bathe with.

 Back at Yzta Baeli (aka home), which translates as 

"the Outermost Nest of the Arctic Fox'.

I did not take this picture.

 Lisa is holding a green apple in hope of feeding a horse, Chenoa is holding a bouquet of swan feathers gathered down the lane on our black sand beach.

 We're pretty sure that those are whale vertebrae.

Our horse friends were really interested in us. 

Feathers from by migrating swans.

 Our black sand beach.

 I'm telling you, it could have been the scene of a Western.

  They have triangle suns in Iceland.

 

We've been here since the 8th century, when the Vikings brought us over.

View out the front door of Eyjafjallajökull . 

 

This is Olivia, our friend.

 The horses all surrounded us the morning we were leaving and nuzzled the van and followed us out. 

  Turns out 'Geysir' is an Icelandic word.

 I developed a woolen knee sock fetish while there...

 

These are Icelandic wrestlers from bygone days.
 Did anyone see Loki in the movie Thor?

What a wonderful posse.

 Þingvellir    

 is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance. The Þingvellir area is part of a fissure zone running through Iceland, being situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.  

Parliament or Alþingi was established at Þingvellir in 930 and remained there until 1798.

 Sundial 

 Ok, now onto the Blue Lagoon spa. 

Wow this place was unreal. 

The Blue Lagoon was formed in 1976 during operation

 at the nearby geothermal power plant.

 In the years that followed, people began to bathe in the unique water and apply the silica mud to their skin. 

Those with psoriasis 

noticed an incredible improvement in their condition.

Now it is both a clinic where people are treated,

 as well as 'the coolest bar in the world'. 

Your magic bracelet lets you lock a locker and then you can also buy drinks while swimming around with multinational folks soaking in the incredible turquoise steamy water, against the black lava rocks and chartreuse moss that covers much of Iceland. 

So dreamy!

 One last nite in Reykjavik

 ...Where they really love their volcanoes.

And tend towards minimalistic whimsy.

 Here you find the ubiquitous pram outside of the house/store/cafe. There is almost no crime and Iceland and the Icelandic folk strongly believe raising their kids with consistent exposure to the cold vs always bringing them into the warmth, makes them healthy and some of the strongest people in the world. "We definitely do not mind cold", said the woman I asked about it.

 

Finally, back to the Keflavik Airport,

 where you find Bifrost. 

 Nice touch Iceland. 

See you next time. xxoo