Iceland

Flying over Iceland on our way to Reykjavik, there were some fleeting views, between the clouds, of the landscapes we had come to see.

I went to Thringvellir National Park to see some of the waterfalls and vistas there. It was the first time in Iceland where I could see a landscape that looks like it has been split apart in places.

The main reason for my visit to Thringvellir on that day however was to dive in the Silfra Fissure.

It is a unique dive site, between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates (actually they meet some kilometres away but there is no reason to let facts spol a good story). The water comes from a glacier some distance away, percolating through the volcanic rocks before arriving in the fissure some ninety years later. The water is about 2c all year round, which is cold, so it's a dry suit dive. It is also a very saw tooth profile, going up and down throughout the dive, so making buoyancy control trickier.

It was one of the more surreal dives I have done. There is no aquatic life and the water is extremely clear. With the visibility as it is and the underwater topography, it feels more like flying through the narrow canyons than any other dive I had done previously. The closest experience was the cenotes in Mexico but this was still very different. As the water is so pure, it was nice that one can have a drink during the dive without having to take ones regulator out.

The Kerid Crater is pretty and the still water gives an almost mirrorlike reflection.

We spent a day driving around the Golden Circle, which is more of a triangle, if it is any sort of geometric shape. We went back through Thringvellir (those photos and the previous ones are almalgamated) and then to Geysir. The site unsurprisingly of a number of geysers of different sizes and intensities.

One of the geysers spouts with great intensity, high up in the air every few minutes.

Others just bubble away quietly or emit plumes of steam. There are ones which are like belching mud and yet others which look like little streams coming out of the rock. All of them within a small area and set in a lovely landscape.

The cataracts at Gulfoss are impressive with vast quantities of water pouring over them.

On the way back to Reykjavik, we stopped in Selfoss and visited Skyrland - a museum to the Icelandic dairy product of skyr. It was better and more interesting than I thought it would be, with some nice interactive exhibits.

Back in Reykjavik, we passed the Sun Voyager. It is a representation of a viking ship going westwards by Jon Gunnar Arnason and is made from stainless steel. The light around the bay was just right and gave it all an ethereal quality.

On another day, we drove along the south coast of Iceland, to see a variety of different things.

Seljalandfoss is notable for being a waterfall one can walk behind, inside a cave.

Also at Seljanlandsfoss, there are other waterfalls along the escarpment and one inside a cave that some felt a compulsion to stand under and get soaked.

Sometimes on the drive, we just stopped to appreciate the beautiful views.

We visited the Solheimerjokull glacier.

The Reynisfjara beach is famous for the black sand and basalt columns, as well as the dramatic outcrops in the sea.

Skogafoss is another impressive waterfall. It is very dramatic when viewed from the bottom. There is a stairway to climb up to the top and despite a sense that it was not going to be worth it, I climbed the stairs to have a look. It was nice enough at the top, though clearly the better view is at the bottom.

From Reykjavik I went on a whale watching boat trip. Our first stop however was to see the much littler puffins. We continued to see puffins as we went seeking the whales and also saw some arctic terns, which apparently have the longest migration of any birds.

Duringh the boat trip we saw three different individual humpback whales. The third was so close at one point, when it surfaced, its tail would have still been under the boat.

In the Reykjanes peninsular, there is a bridge linking the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

The Reykjanes lighthouse affords nice views out to see.

There are lava pools along the coast here.

The coastal scenery is varied and mostly dramatic.

The church is in an isolated position.

There are pretty lakes and there was a disused factory of some sort.

There are steaming geysers, rocks and bubbling mud pools.

Reykjavik was our base and is a nice town with a number of things to see. We stayed just across from the Hallgrimskirkja, which has become the symbol of Reykjavik. As it is on top of the hill, it is always easy to spot and therefore navigate back to where we were staying from there. The architecture is inspired by the basalt columns found in different parts of the country.

The changing light on the church, changes its appearance quite dramatically.

In front of the church is a statue of Leifur Erikson.

In the market, they sell several distinctive foods, such as whale blubber, fermented shark, different meats and eggs. I had the sense that this is more for the tourists now. When I spoke to some younger locals, they said that those traditional foods were not something they ate.

The Harpa down by the waterfront is an architecturally interesting building. It is a cultural centre and concert venue.

We went to see the lava show and were very impressed. They pour out lava that is made on site and give explanations and descriptions of what it is, how it forms and so forth. It was very interesting, informative and engaging.

The Perlan is a great museum, with interesting, interactive exhibits, including an ice cave, planetarium and aurora show. It also has a viewing area from which one can see across Reykjavik.

The botanical gardens in Reykjavik is a pleasant place to wander around.

Whilst we were wandering around the botanical gardens, we could hear the cheering of a crowd. We wandered around the corner to find Throttur FC playing the final minutes of their match. There were no turnstiles and we were able to just wander in and watch the last part of the match. Once the game was over, the team came over and did a call and response chant with the crowd and then some of the crowd went on to the pitch to speak with and meet the team.

When we were in Iceland, it was summer and it didn't really get dark. A couple of evenings, there was a bit of a sunset over Reykjavik.

Leaving Iceland and flying across it, we were able to see some of the stark landscape from a different perspective.