Iceland

The land of water

The journey starts under the sign of the fundamental element of life. An ominous sky accompanies us while we stumble upon the terrific power of Geysir and the magnificent Gullfoss.

Skógafoss

This is the land of falls. We spend the night cradled by the gentle rumble of the waters of Skógafoss.

Dyrholaey

We drive through the incredibly diverse scenery of the Mýrdalur valley, stopping by the promontory of Dyrholay. Here we are allowed to have a look at the not so private moments of the festive colony of puffins inhabiting the lava cliffs.

On the road

Driving in Iceland is challenging. All sorts of marvels hide around any corner, ready to be uncovered one after another. Stopping by every single spot is impossible, but the temptation is too high.

Skaftafell

So we decide to pay a visit to the former Skaftafell National Park. After a brief hike, we arrive at Svartifoss, the terrific black falls. We continue till we reach a panoramic point, dominating the valley and the eponymous spur of the Vatnajökull glacier.

Jökullsárlón

The glacial lagoon, where the ice tongue of Breiðamerkurjökull protrudes into the placid lake on the front, giving birth to an unreal parade of slowly drifting icebergs.

On the road again

From time to time, we come across a field scattered with cairns. Travelers passing by for the first time are supposed to add a stone to bring them good luck on the journey.

We finally reach Grímsstaðir, where we are treated with a traditional dinner of Icelandic lamb. We survive to a damn windy and cold night.

Dettifoss

The impressive power of the raw Icelandic nature finds its purest manifestation in the brutal falls of Dettifoss, contrasted with the fleeting appearance of multiple rainbows.

Hljóđaklettar

The echoing rocks, a bizarre family of swirls and sculptures of basalt, plenty of holes and caves that served as shelter to many travelers in the old days.

Heading North

Then, we decide to head to Hraunhafnartangi, the northernmost point of Iceland. We drive through the Melrakkaslétta peninsula hoping to see the arctic fox, with no luck.

Námafjall

We drive back to Mývatn, planning to rest a bit and have a hot bath, but not before getting in the smelly way of the nefarious fumaroles of Hverir, just beneath the Námafjall mountain.

Goðafoss

Body and mind rested, we proceed on our journey with new energies and spirit. Shortly after, we bump into the falls of the gods. When a god dies, he has to fall in the most spectacular way.

In the year 999 or 1000 the Lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði made Christianity the official religion of Iceland. After his conversion it is said that upon returning from the Alþingi, Þorgeir threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall.

Whale Watching

The breeze is chill, the sun warm. It’s a beautiful day for doing some serious whale watching. It doesn‘t take too long before we encounter two handsome humpback whales.

What a day!

Whales? Watched. Fish? Fished. What’s next? We drive all the way up Eyjafjörður and then down in Skagafjörður, to the beautiful Hofsós, one of the oldest trading ports in northern Iceland. Then we pass Blönduós and its bizarre church. Eventually, we decide to reach Hvítserkur, a 15 meters tall monolith not too far from a popular seals spot.

Hraunfossar

Our road trip is almost coming to an end. One of the last stops is at Hraunfossar, a series of glacial waterfalls streaming straight out of a lava field.

Literally a stone’s throw upstream from Hraunfossar, there is another waterfall called Barnafoss. Its name, the waterfall of the children, comes from an accident which is said to have taken place here in former times. There was a natural bridge over the waterfall and two children from a nearby farm fell to their deaths crossing the river on the bridge. Afterwards, the grief-struck mother had the bridge destroyed.

Weekend in the city

Back to Reykjavik. We spend three days wandering around the streets, taking pictures, drinking lots of coffee and beer. We are tired, but ravished with delight. Iceland is a land of striking beauty, and a land of perpetual change nonetheless. All is flux, nothing stays still. This is Iceland, a land in motion, and so are we. Let’s just keep moving.