Iceland
Iceland

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    • Day 5

      Vík

      September 20 in Iceland ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

      Góđan Dag

      Nach einer endlich wieder längeren Nacht verabschieden wir uns leider auch schon von der charmanten und herzigen Hauptstadt Reykjavík. Wir fahren Richtung Süden und sind alle überrascht von welch schöner Seite sich Island heute zeigt.

      Wir halten am Gullfoss und sind überwältigt von der riesigen Wassermasse. Beim Geysir Stokkur lasse ich fast die Kamera fallen vor Schreck.

      Weiter gehts zum Seljalandfoss. Dieser hat es mir besonders angetan. Vorallem weil man hintendurch laufen kann. 💜

      Danach geht es zum Skogafoss.

      Da wir schon recht spät dran sind, fahren wir durch nach Vík, weil wir hier zum Abendessen reserviert haben im Hotel Vík.

      Der leckere Kabeljau mit Süsskartoffeln schmeckt super und danke Marion für den Tip mit dem Appelsín *yummi*.

      Die Nordlicht-Prognose ist zwar hoch. Jedoch sehen wir sie zweimal nur sehe schwach. Breit verteilt, aber schwach.
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      Traveler  Wow meeega 😍

      Traveler  Det hets eus fast devo blose 😁😁😁

      Traveler  💪 so cool 😍

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    • Day 4

      Reykjavík

      September 19 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

      Um 5.15 Uhr geht es für Daniela, Valerie, Birgit und mich bereits mit dem Taxi zum Flughafen. Wir haben nämlich noch grosses vor.

      6.35 Uhr heben wir der SAS nach Oslo ab. Von dort geht es dann weiter nach... Island! 🇮🇸

      Zum allerersten Mal für mich. Da wir so früh los mussten und Island zwei Stunden hinter unserer resp. Norwegischer Zeit ist, sind wir sehr verwirrt als wir dann um 10.35 Uhr landen. Für uns wäre jetzt 12.35 Uhr.

      Wir schnappen uns den Mietwagen und fahren nach Reykjavík. Zum Glück können wir schon unser Zimmer beziehen. Wir sind nämlich alle recht erschöpft und ein bisschen frisch machen tut gut.

      Wir flanieren durch die Strassen und halten beim Hotdog-Stand für unser Mittagessen an. Offenbar ist das sogar eine Spezialität hier. Ich entscheide mich für den Pulled Lamb Bun *yummi*

      Natürlich darf die Kirche und die Regenbogenstrasse nicht fehlen. Nach ein paar Stunden entscheiden wir uns und drinnen aufzuwärmen, da das Wetter sehr isländisch ist heute.

      Zum Abendessen gehen wir ins ROK. Die Tapasartigen Gerichte sind sehr fein, aber auch sehr klein.

      Wir beschliessen heute zeitig ins Bett zu gehen und eim bisschen Schlaf nachzuholen.

      #Reykjavík #island #einstök
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      Traveler  Guets erkunde 😊

      Traveler  Frauepower

      Traveler  😅 han gmeint das esch es Einhorn🫣 glaub ech han eine in de "Krone" 🫢

      Traveler  Das isch denk en Wikinger 😊

      Traveler  😂😂😂

      Traveler  😁😁😁

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    • Day 13

      Day 13 - Iceland

      September 17 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

      After forming a fierce distaste for Dutch liquorice I was convinced to give Icelandic liquorice a try. It's usually covered in chocolate but despite that, I think it's much, much nicer than Dutch liquorice! 😋
      Finally managed to get some cardio in and ran up the majority of the stairs at Grábrók Mountain, only managed to almost slip and fall into the creater twice (yay for travel insurance? 😅)
      As impressive as the photos seem they're actually disappointingly underwhelming (like most of the images I've shared in the last 6 days) in comparison to the natural beauty and vastness of the crater and surroundings. The last eruption was less than 3000 years ago. There is a university below, the dorms are currently used for Ukrainian refugees 💛💙
      Stopped at another geothermal bubbling puddle with some really pretty green moss and red rock colours, then on to the last waterfalls - Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. They run along the same river as Gullfoss (visited on first day).

      And with that the Ring Road is complete 🥺 Iceland has set the standard for the rest of Europe very high 😬 ..goodbye 4-5 star hotels/restaurants, hostel life here I come! 🤣
      Had one last dinner with most of the group at Seabaron in Old Harbour (where they serve shark 😬 had lobster soup #2 - So. Yum.) and was sad to say goodbye to a couple I've formed a very close bond with.
      Back to Luton and on to the next adventure - Derby!

      **Misc Iceland facts that if I don't put here, I'll forget: 😅
      *Sheep roam free over the majority of the island, it's not unusual to encounter a "lambvalanch" (sleep crossing the road), there are very few fences for both horses and sheep. And if there are fences, they're usually on the wrong side of them 😂 Keeping to tradition, farmers only move sheep once a year (mid Sept), they use horses and sheep dogs to collect them from highlands, take inventory, and herd them into barns for the winter. After the winter they're released again from April. Icelanders use the sheep for lamb only 😢 and wool.
      There are around 800,000 sheep in Iceland - still not half as many as NZ 😅

      *Icelandic horses are mostly free roaming like sheep but there aren't so many - around 80,000+. They're smaller, fluffier and more sturdy than other, usual horse breeds - designed for tough climates and rough terrain. They even have an additional gait (5 - usual horses only have 4?) to navigate through some harsher terrains. Some fields the horses hang out in are covered in lumps - the lumps are grass and moss covered lava rocks. While they look like it, apparently they get offended if called ponies.. 😂

      *Icelandic horses and sheep happily roam freely as they've no natural predators.
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      Traveler  There’s no good reason to eat liquorice of any nationality! 🤢

      Traveler  You were the one that tried to introduce me to it in the first place 😂

      Traveler  Just like Roy & Ian tried to introduce me to English mustard by the spoonful when I was 4yrs.🤣

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    • Day 12

      Day 12 - Iceland

      September 16 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

      Iceland's government has an elf negotiator purposed to seek permission from elves before laying out roads, dams or building houses. The reason I could be so interested in Icelandic way of life is that they basically live in a fantasy story 😂
      Heading back west we visited a lookout on Lake Myvatn with some excellent views including horses and sheep, neither of which wanted to have anything to do with me 😢 but I tried with the horses nonetheless.
      Next was Goðafoss waterfall, the water falls over a width of 30m.
      Visited Akureyri, known as the capital in the north. The town is situated in the longest fjord in Iceland where whales often shown up (unfortunately not today - at least not visibly). The drive down into Akureyri was stunning!
      While in Akureyri we gave the northern most botanical gardens a visit. How any flower is able to grow there is beyond me 😂
      Walked down streets with cute old houses (some built 250+ years ago) to the township, bought lunch ($37AUD 😅 looking forward to £3.90Tesco's lunches again in the UK). Akureyi's red traffic lights are hearts ♥️ and there are knitted monsters around their bins.
      Staying in Laugarbakki, in the middle of nowhere tonight (being in the middle of nowhere is def my favourite place to be, especially in Iceland). The complex was recently converted into a hotel after serving as a school since mid 1900s.
      Back to Reykjavik tomorrow, definitely not ready to leave this place 🥺
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      Traveler  Nice photos!

      Traveler  Happy to knit you a bin monster ! What scenery and wonderful folklore.

      Traveler  Love the photos, esp that single flower and the knitted bin 😍

       
    • Day 38

      Hólmavík bis Súðavík

      September 16 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

      Heute regnet es zum Glück nur einmal den ganzen Tag lang, stellt euch vor, es würde mehrmals regnen. Daher genießen wir die Fahrt mehrheitlich von innerhalb des Autos und fahren der Westfjorde-Küste entlang bis Súðavík. Unglaublich diese Farben, in denen sich die Landschaft trotz des schlechten Wetters zeigt.Read more

      Traveler  Sieht irgendwie cool aus 👌

      Variolife rocks  Aber nass 😖

      Traveler  Und vernebelt 🙂

       
    • Day 11

      Day 11 - Iceland

      September 15 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

      Found some geese flying in formation amongst fjords before heading north east 😍
      Drove through some Martian looking landscape to find Dettifoss (pictured) and Selfoss which are glacial waterfalls from Vatnajökull. Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe.
      Visited Námafjall Geothermal area in Martianland which smelt worse than Rotorua, was windier than Wellington but 100x prettier!
      Found two snow capped volcanic mountains with flat tops - aparently they're flat as the tops were blown off in eruptions!
      Found some epic views at Dimmuborgir lava field (also known as Black Fortress). The view includes another angle of one of the 1/2 volcanoes and apparently you can see trolls in the lava field formations if you look long and hard enough - this place gave me Labyrinth vibes (IYKYK).
      The mid Atlantic Ridge runs through this location too (last photo). Top half is North America and the bottom is the Eurasian plate.
      *Stopped to get a pack lunch, 15AUD for a small "ceasar salad" 😬 which included pasta, olives, nuts and tzatziki sauce..it was much nicer than a ceasar salad anyway 😂 apparently McDonalds went bankrupt in Iceland haha.
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      Traveler  There’s 3 trolls below the shadow near the top. Hoggle is the middle one.🤣

      Traveler  Hahaha like Mt Rushmore style? I can kind of see what you're seeing

      Traveler  Kinda? it’s as plain as the nose on Hoggle’s face.🤣

      Traveler  Yeah okay, I definitely see it now. That's actually quite ironic. This wasnt one of the formations that was pointed out as having one 😅 and this isn't the reason it reminds me of Labyrinth

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    • Day 3

      The Southern Shores

      September 14 in Iceland ⋅ 🌙 48 °F

      Off on Day 1 bus tour to the South Shore of Iceland. About a 1.5 hour bus tour to get us started.
      Gina and David were with us today which was a great way to start our cruise!
      Most Icelanders live along the coast as the center of this island country uninhabitable and comprised of rock, sand, and mountains.
      Iceland is the youngest land mass in the world, just 16m years old, and formed from volcanic activity resulting from two major tectonic plates colliding here. (Dinosaurs lived 65m years ago for a frame of reference)

      30% of Icelands power is generated from 7 geothermal power plants. The other 70% is hydropower. As a result of harnessing the natural resources this volcanic “minefield” creates, power is very cheap here.
      Earthquakes are a daily occurrence. The earth is truly alive in Iceland.

      There are 30 active volcanos on the island of Iceland covering 20% of the land.

      We got back to the ship, met up for a drink in the Explorers Lounge during the sail out, enjoyed dinner in the World Cafe, and headed to the theater for the first night at sea show.
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      Traveler  What’s the stuff on your faces?

      Traveler  They said it was volcanic mud.

      Traveler  So cute!

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    • Day 10

      Day 10 - Iceland

      September 14 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

      Yesterday was waterfall day, today was glaciers and iceburgs in the south!
      Visited Skaftafell to see the Skaftafellsjökull, one of several glacier tongues from Vatnajökull which is the largest ice cap in Europe. TIL the blue colour in glaciers indicates the density of the ice - meaning its got less carbon and air trapped in it.
      After that we went to an info centre and I took a mini hike, saw some very autumny vegetation.
      Stopped at Hofskirkja church in Hof. One of 6 remaining churches built in this "turf" traditional style. There's been a church there since 700AD but this was built in the 1880s. The graves there are mounds - more like 2ft above than 6ft under 😂
      Visited another glacier en route to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon where we took a boat tour through the iceburgs in the lagoon that have broken off from the glacier - spectacular... 😍
      The ice is thought to be over 1000 years old.
      The iceburgs are black, blue and white - black indicates volcanic and other debris picked up by the glacier, blue means the iceburg has recently broken away or flipped and exposing a new section and hasn't had time to absorb sunlight.
      *I took about 700 photos here, here are three 😂
      Travelled to Breiðdalsvík for the night, a small fishing village, population 134.
      Last photo is of a floating fish farm in an eastern fjord.
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      Traveler  So cool Kim!! These photos are awesome! 💗💗

      Traveler  Love the iceberg ones in particular. Can just imagine you taking all those photos too 🤣🤣🤣

      Traveler  Surreal!

       
    • Day 9

      Day 9 - Iceland

      September 13 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

      Our tour guide is named Thor (his brother is not Loki 😅)
      There are too many photos so I've limited the photo count to some locations visited today:
      Photo 1 - Þingvellir National Park, East of Reykjavik, is Iceland's birthplace of democracy (930AD) so it's a pretty significant area
      *Then to Haukdalur geothermal valley (though the geysir was actually less impressive than Rotorua)*
      Photo 2 - Gullfoss (which means golden) waterfall. The canyon below is enormous, no photo could do it justice. Probably the coldest windiest place I've ever been!
      Photo 3 - Saljalandsfoss waterfall is a waterfall you can walk behind, and get absolutely drenched while doing so 😂
      Photo 4 - Skógafoss waterfall, it's 25m wide and a 60m drop and I was lucky enough to get a rainbow and no people in my shot.
      (Yes mum this is Floki's waterfall 🤣)
      Photo 5 & 6- Reynisfjara - fjara means beach. Reynis is a man I believe? The beach is black sand featuring basalt columns, which are significant in Iceland - the construction of the church building (photo yesterday) was inspired by basalt columns.
      Photo 7 & 8 - my favourite part of the day, this is happening right outside my bedroom window in Nupar, so I'm unsure just how I'm meant to sleep tonight.
      *Disclaimer: no photos can do justice, except the Northern Lights - turns out the phone sees it better than your eyes initially
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      Traveler  Just WOW

      Traveler  Man you'd have been frothing at all of this

      Traveler  Loving all the amazing photos and all your blurb each day Kim, so awesome ❤️

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    • Day 35

      Von Þórsmörk zum Kerlingarfjöll

      September 13 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

      Heute ist vor allem Fahren angesagt, denn wir wollen ein letztes Mal noch ins Hochland, bevor der erste Schnee kommt, denn die Temperaturen waren nachts schon recht frostig.

      Von Þórsmörk fahren wir rund 220km in den Norden zum Kerlingarfjöll, wo morgen wieder eine kleine Wanderung auf dem Programm steht.Read more

      Traveler  Ja super, und wie chunnt jetzt dä/die wo gfilmt hät übere? Schwümme?? Gseht alles meeega schön us bi euch, gnüsseds witerhin und ganz liebi Grüess vo de Martin-Family

      Variolife rocks  Ist das mein Problem? 🤣 Unser “Puffin”, besser bekannt als DJI Mini 3, macht es möglich.

      Traveler  😁👍

       

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Republic of Iceland, Island, Iceland, Ysland, Aesland, አይስላንድ, Islandia, Īsland, أيسلندا, İslandiya, Ísland, Ісландыя, Исландия, Isilandi, আইসল্যান্ড, ཨ་ཨི་སི་ལནད།, Islàndia, Islandëjô, Исланди, Gwlad yr Iâ, އައިސްލަންޑަން, ཨའིསི་ལེནཌ, Aiseland nutome, Ισλανδία, Islando, ایسلند, Islannda, Islanti, Islande, Yslân, An Íoslainn, Innis Tile, આઇસલેન્ડ, Aisalan, איסלנד, आइसलैण्ड, Islandska, Izland, Իսլանդիա, Islanda, Icelandia, アイスランド共和国, ისლანდია, Aislandi, Islandi, អ៉ីស្លង់, ಐಸ್‌ಲ್ಯಾಂಡ್, 아이슬란드, ئایسلەند, Ayisirandi, Iesland, Islànda, Isilandɛ, ໄອສແລນ, Islandija, Isilande, Īslande, Islandy, Исланд, ഐസ്‌ലാന്റ്, आइसलँड, အိုက်စလန်, आइस्ल्याण्ड, IJsland, Islandii, ଆଇସଲ୍ୟାଣ୍ଡ, آیسلینډ, Islândia, Islandya, Ayisilandi, आइसलैंड, Islánda, Islânde, අයිස්ලන්තය, Iislaand, ஐஸ்லாந்து, ఐస్లాండ్, ไอซ์แลนด์, ʻAisilani, Aislan, İzlanda, ئىسلاندىيە, Ісландія, آئس لینڈ, Ai-xơ-len (Iceland), Lisladeän, איסלאנד, Orílẹ́ède Aṣilandi, 冰岛, i-Iceland

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