Into the Middle

standing in a canyon at Þingvellir

Just five days before I flew back to the US, I drove a Ford Expedition basically into the middle of Iceland, or into the Highlands. The Highlands are volcanic dessert and cover the interior of Iceland. The landscape is vast and flat and covered with rocks of varying sizes and a thick layer of dirt and ash. There are a few oasis and the ultimate destination for this trip was one of them, Hveravellir, a geothermal nature reserve complete with steam, bubbling water, natural hot pool and lush grass. 

But, before getting there, a few stops were made including some of Iceland's "classics" like Þingvellir, Gullfoss and Geysir. Þingvellir marks where tectonic plates of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge meet and is now one of my favorite places in Iceland.

ever-present rainbow at Gullfoss

walking in snow near Langjökull glacier

mineral deposits at Hveravellir

driving through the Highlands in the fog at 1:30am

Hvítá glacial river, 2:30am

See more pictures of this trip here and read about my other trips here and here and here. 

Thanks for reading.

New Land, Old Ice

walking on new land

At the end of May I drove south again, but this time to Vestmannaeyjar and later to Sólheimajökull. Vestmannaeyjar is an archipelago of 15 tiny islands and I spent two days on the largest one, Heimaey. In 1973 the volcano Eldfell erupted and the lava flow destroyed part of the town here but increased the size of the island by 25%. Walking on the "new" land at just 41 years old was an incredible experience.

After Vestmannaeyjar, the next stop was Sólheimajökull, a glacier tongue that extends down to the lowlands from the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap. I walked carefully on the ice in my hiking boots, being thoughtful with each step. I was very much aware of the power of this ancient ice and moved about in a quiet, reverent manner.

Other highlights from the trip included a canyon that looked like something out of a fairytale and a hidden waterfall...

Heimaey harbor

volcano on Heimaey

Sólheimajökull

canyon at the foot of Eyjafjöll mountain near Ásólfsskáli

Gljúfurárfoss

See more pictures on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

Road Trip No. 1

lava field

A few weeks ago I went on a road trip from Reykjavík to Höfn. The drive took my friend and I along the south coast of the island with many stops along the way, a few planned and many spontaneous... waterfalls, massive rocks and the sea, an abandoned plane, fields of moss-covered lava, glaciers and glacial lagoons, icebergs, ruins of old houses and barns, black sand beaches, hot pots and a very old pool built into the side of a mountain. I think my favorite moments were the ones in which time seemed to stand still or to not even exist. What a good feeling. It was an amazing experience!

You can see all my photos on Flickr.

steam and snow

a very old croft or turf house

DC 3/Sólheimasandi

an abandoned US Navy plane on a black sand beach

Heinabergsjökull, glacial lagoon

the Atlantic Ocean at Vík

Thanks for reading.