Iceland... part 2

Iceland, the land of ice and fire.  Isn't that the truth!  The country sits on one of earth's most geothermal active areas and yet glaciers are still found intermixed with volcanos. All of this makes for fascinating landscapes with hot springs, boiling mud pots and geysers all over the country.  In the top left photo below, behind where I'm standing to take the picture, sits the now (mostly) inactive 'Geysir', the geyser that all other geysers are named for. Sorry, but I'm showing one that's actually doing something :).

 

 And of course, the place everyone goes to, the Blue Lagoon.

  

Coastal areas change from dramatic rock formations such as these on the Snaefellsnes Penisula to serene coves.

  

 

There were more puffins on the mainland coast too - these were nesting on a cliff.  Not the best photos but I was happy to get a shot of one showing off his herring catch.

 

If you're looking for waterfalls, this the place to be.  A few examples below starting with Hraunfossar, a 2,900-foot stretch of lava where clear springs filter through the volcanic rocks and into a river of glacier run-off.

 

Godafoss Falls

Gullfoss Falls

Skógafoss Falls

 

A few more animals of the sea. We saw 15 whales in the Evjafjorour fjord, then did a bit of fishing (I caught a cod!).

At another location, the seals were hanging out just off-shore.

 

In Cuba I was obsessed with the cars, here it was the horses - they were everywhere!  So beautiful.

Even went for a ride!

 

One of my favorite locations was just outside of the southern town of Vik.  We took a jeep tour up to the Myrdalsjokull glacier, which sits atop the Katla volcano.  Katla is overdue for an eruption and is likely to trigger an enormous flash flood - potential enough to destroy the town.  The only building that would likely survive is a church that sites high on a hill.  The townspeople know the drill - in case of eruption, go to the church.  Two days after we visited there was a good size earthquake.  Hmm...    

I loved the moss-covered hills in contrast to the dark black lava.

The glacier is straight ahead.

Our trusty guide climbed the glacier to chop out some crystal clear ice.  See him about 1/2 way up?  He was nice enough to bring some vodka to pour over the ice :).

 

Before I close this out, a word about Reykjavik.  What a pretty city!  We walked quite a bit of it, including stopping by Harpa, the city's concert hall made of geometric shaped glass panels.  Lots of photos taken there!

 

 

The Lutheran Church is the largest in Iceland and towers over the city.

 

I'll close this trip out soon with some photos from Greenland - a land vastly different from Iceland.