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Two Lands of the Midnight SunTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
Route bewerken
Follow me as I visit two Arctic locations where the sun never sets to photograph the summertime landscapes of the far north. During my first week I meet up with other photographers in Greenland, then it is back to Iceland to explore the south coast. Meer informatie
  • RobCowell

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  • Groenland Groenland
  • IJsland IJsland
  • Engeland Engeland
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  • 5,6kafgelegde kilometers
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  • 54Footprints
  • 16dagen
  • 286foto’s
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  • RobCowellReizigerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun

    Last Photography Session in Greenland

    26 juni 2023, Groenland ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    This was the final day in Greenland. We had to check out of the hotel by 10am which was hard going given what time we got to bed last night.

    The main activity today was another visit to the board walk and the main photo shows it all ... strategically positioned by a bench! Everyone was tired and I spent most of the time here simply admiring the view. Afterwards we walked back to visit the Icefjord Centre located at the start of the board walk where it was time for coffee which was so nice, but there wasn't much to see here except a fancy building with not a lot in it. I'm sure that will change when the flood of tourists arrive.

    We then went to the restaurant at the Icefjord Hotel for our evening meal. Time for a gin & tonic for sure. 🤗    Meer informatie

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  • RobCowellReizigerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Such a small airport.The only aircraft leaving.This was the last of the views. It clouded over for the rest of the flight.

    Returning to Iceland

    27 juni 2023, Groenland ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Our flight was scheduled to be at ten minutes past midnight and our transfer to the airport was at 10pm. This was really early given there's nothing at the airport to do, eat or drink. It is tiny.

    We arrived, checked in and started the wait but we boarded at 11pm and took off early. Ours was the only flight so I guess it didn't matter.

    That's it then, Greenland is over and what an experience it has been. I have seen and done so much this past week and the group I've been with have been great. It has been such an enjoyable time.

    I have followed Nigel Danson's YouTube channel for a while and very much admire his work. He is well known in landscape photography circles and it was so nice not only to meet him, but to work alongside him this week. He's very talented and a really nice person. It's been a pleasure.

     Jeroen was brilliant too, being quick witted and very competent with a drone and he was a great compliment to Nigel's skills for sure. But the other photographers were great too, being so easy to get on with plus everyone looked after and supported everyone. Yes, absolutely brilliant.

    This has been such a good trip (did I say that already?) and yet it's not over because next week I'm in Iceland where I've rented a campervan to explore that awesome country in summertime. I'm travelling the south coast to see how different it is to winter when I've been before. I’ll miss this group though. We have all commented on how well everyone has gelled together and how much fun the whole week has been. It has been overwhelmingly brilliant.

    This adventure continues ...    Meer informatie

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  • RobCowellReizigerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Love the paint job - not! 🙈😂
    It doesn't get more basic than this! 😂I think the aim was to make it a campervan with the least effort and money.

    Keflavik to Selfoss

    27 juni 2023, IJsland ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    The second part of this adventure is very different. I am no longer part of a group of twelve in lovely accommodation and a miriad of organised activities, with great food in restaurants. Now I am on my own and my accommodation is a campervan which I've hired to travel along the south coast of a country I love, but in the summer rather than winter. I've only ever seen Iceland covered in snow and ice where a 4x4 is essential, so I wonder what it will be like.

    The flight from Illulisat was extremely early arriving so I had to hang around the airport for a few hours. Nigel was killing a little time here too and John (wearing the yellow jacket in photos) was also waiting to pick up a 4x4 to travel into the Icelandic Highlands for a few days. One day I'd like to do that.

    Having had breakfast, Nigel left to go to the Blue Lagoon thermal spa and John and I went our separate ways to get our vehicles.

    The van is a bit 'in your face' in terms of the paint job and the inside is extremely basic as you can see in the photos, so it is best to describe it as 'functional, with character'! It'll do, given I intend to only to sleep and have breakfast in it but it has a heater (essential) and is more comfortable than sleeping in a car after all. The best bit is the sleeping bag which is brand new and high quality. You get warm the moment you get in it.

    My first overnight stop was supposed to be at Vik, but having collected the van I was so tired given yesterday was extremely long and I'd not particularly slept on the overnight flight. I therefore decided to drive and park by the light house I visited last week ... and sleep. I really needed that, but it meant that Vik wasn't sensible for my first stop.

    I decided on Selfoss, which was not so far and a great choice. Not only did the site have a small cafe but it sold pizza too, so I sorted myself out and went for a meal where I was amazed to find John there, who had indeed met up with his wife and they too were enjoying pizza. That made the evening very pleasant as we chatted about Greenland and what we'd all be doing in Iceland.

    Tomorrow I start the journey across Iceland, but already it is very different from before and although I'd heard there were lupins and I'd seen them last week, they are in fact all over the place. This must be the world's centre for lupins.    Meer informatie

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  • RobCowellReizigerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Some random child with no self awareness. I waited ages for him to move and just gave up. 🙄So many people made photography tricky.This photo is another in the series of once-bitten food, especially for Richard . 🤣If the weather had been sunny there might have been a rainbow. It wasn't and there wasn't.

    Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss

    28 juni 2023, IJsland ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    If you have followed the two previous Iceland trips with me then you will know of these two waterfalls. They are not too far away from each other and you can visit them on the way to Vik, but what would they be like to visit in the summer? I was dreading what I would find.

    When I visited last, with my friend Tony, Seljalandsfoss was overrun, overwhelmed even, with tourists, or Penguins as we say in the trade. 😉 When I arrived, and let's be clear it's the height of summer, I was staggered that there was parking space to spare and the location didn't feel crowded at all.

    The other noticeable feature was a new car park and the need to pay using the Parka app so maybe this is why it wasn't so crowded. For Iceland however, I didn't feel the charge was unreasonable.

    It was quite windy which meant those walking behind the waterfall were getting extremely wet, so as I'd done that before I chose to stay dry. Photo 4 shows the view along the cliffs and this time I wanted to walk down there and see the other waterfalls, especially the last one, which is inside a cave. This was very busy, because the entrance is relatively small and meant I spent ages waiting for a moment to capture a photo. I think I managed one in the end (no I didn’t), but there were too many people at this particular spot. I should regally have come here at midnight.

    Having believed I had got my photo, I walked back to the car park and grabbed a coffee and sandwich whilst watching the wind blow the waterfall upwards. You can see this in the video.

    I spent too long here really, but eventually I moved on and visited Skogafoss and again, this wasn't overly busy. I wasn't here long though because I wanted to get to Vik, not that things would go to plan though.

    Conclusion: I think both waterfalls look nicer in winter. Just my opinion you understand. 😂    Meer informatie

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  • RobCowellReizigerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Yes, I know, more icebergs.
    I wish I had my campervan instead of this one.

    Sólheimajökull - a glacier surprise

    28 juni 2023, IJsland ⋅ 🌬 6 °C

    I'd not been driving all that long when I noticed a sign to Sólheimajökull which you might think is meaningless, but the word Jökull means 'glacier' and somehow I never expected to find one where I was. This belief is a bit daft really, because a lot of Iceland is covered by a huge glacier called Vatnajökull, and there are many tongues spreading from it. This will be one of those. (Bet you can read Icelandic now. 😉)

    At first I drove on and ignored the turning, but then I changed my mind and headed back. I was so glad I did and spent an absolute age here exploring the landscape. There was a path to follow to a viewpoint but you could wander off it and I did. I've photographed the information board for you and also a sign warning hikers about walking further into the wilderness. I didn't have time for that anyway ... I had stayed here far too long so Vik was once again out of the question for tonight. You can see from the last photo in this footprint that I ended up staying at Skogafoss because that is a campsite too. Handy that

    I was so pleased to have found this place and although I wasn't the only person there, there were no more than twenty others at random times. It felt like real wilderness - if you ignore that I had to use the Parka app when I arrived. 🤷😂

    Iceland is changing and becoming much more tourist focused.    Meer informatie

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  • RobCowellReizigerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    There are puffins in the grassy bit to the left of the group.The new car park lacks character I feel.Even the old car park area has been tidied up.

    Dyrhólaey

    29 juni 2023, IJsland ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    The next morning I was finally heading to Vik, which is a town about halfway along the south coast of Iceland. A little before you arrive there is a right turn which takes you to this viewpoint where you can look towards the iconic sea stacks at Vik.

    My goodness had this place changed. The view down the coast is the same as it always was of course, but there is now a new car park and toilets. The parking used to be a relatively small gravel area, roughly where I stood to take photo 3. It's certainly an improvement but it does remove the feeling of wilderness and I'm not sure I like that. Or maybe I just don't like change. 😱

    You may be wondering about photo 3 and why, if you look closely, there is a group of people there. I wondered that too and discovered why as I walked past them - there were puffins nesting there. I never bothered trying to photograph a puffin using my phone, but I may have a puffin on the proper camera, though it was another case if needing a longer lens really.    Meer informatie

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  • RobCowellReizigerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Penguins everywhere. 😁There were quite a few posing for selfies on the columns. Some were ridiculously OTT.My stop for tonight. It was busy but still plenty of room.

    Reynisfjara Beach

    29 juni 2023, IJsland ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    About 15 minutes before you reach Vik there is another right turn that takes you to this black sand beach. Here you can walk westward along its huge expanse back towards the viewpoint I just visited, or stay at the eastern end and admire the basalt rock columns and those iconic sea stacks. Or you can get swept away to your death by the waves. 😱

    This beach is renowned for its sneaker waves. All beaches have these, when a huge and unexpected wave suddenly arrives, but here they can be particularly fierce and with the beach dropping away suddenly close to shore it can be fatal if you get swept away. It's no trouble if you keep your wits about you and don't stay too long or too close to the shoreline but there's open ocean for thousands of miles from here so waves can be huge.

    I stayed quite a while. The tide was out so I could walk around the headland to the other side, being careful as I did so because of the incoming waves. Hopefully I got some nice shots of the stacks and waves breaking. The stacks are covered with nesting birds which you can't really see in the photos. Helpful. 🙄

    There are a lot of tourists here making photography tricky so patience is needed. I'm wondering if they should actually be called Ants, those tourist Penguins, because they really do get over everything. 😂

    There's a cafe here too and that was my next stop, not only to get a coffee but also to grab an evening meal before finding the campsite for tonight. (Last photo)

    I enjoyed today, being a Penguin visiting here and the waterfalls etc and seeing how different it all is in summer and how generally things are changing.    Meer informatie

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  • RobCowellReizigerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    I love this kind of landscape.
    This waterfall is right by the road.These are regular sights now.Great view from the campsite. £10, showers included.

    Travelling to Skaftafell NP

    30 juni 2023, IJsland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    Today is a traveling day to get to the eastern corner of Iceland. I'm stopping in a campsite in Skaftafell National Park, the nearest to where I need to be for tomorrow's adventure.

    This footprint is therefore various views along the way. I stopped to photograph a waterfall at one point, as you do, but generally it's the bleak and barren volcanic landscape that is awesome. Well, I think so.

    You might think photo 8 a bit weird but I took this to show the information boards at a picnic stop, but why? It's the fact that they are there and that picnic stops exist. None of this existed when I last visited. The road has been upgraded too and is now much wider and has been straightened in sections. Many of the single lane bridges have been upgraded to two lane and there are no long single lane bridges now. A few short ones still exist however, but not many.

    Iceland has definitely received a upgrade since I was last here.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • RobCowellReizigerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    A large car park here now.
    Walking up to the glacier.So impressive to see the glacier descending from the mountain top.Yes, even more icebergs. 🤣So different now, assuming this is the right path. 😂

    Svínafellsjökull Glacier Tongue

    1 juli 2023, IJsland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    The real adventure is this afternoon but this morning I went exploring a glacier again - I just can't help it. 😁

    This is the glacier I have walked on twice. The first time was on my surprise trip to Iceland for my significant birthday in 2015. My daughter arranged this (her partner now husband came too) and we donned crampons and had a super time walking on the ice at sunset. I did this again with my friend Tony when we came to Iceland for two weeks, so I wanted to see how much this had changed and of course it had. The campsite was only 15 minutes away from here, if that, so why not?

    It's still a great place to visit, if you like this sort of thing, but once again there is a large car park here rather than a simple gravel area. In the last photo you will see a path which I'm sure we walked along to get to the glacier for our walk. Now, however, the glacier is black with debris and huge amounts of ice have gone.

    There are properly made paths now, which take you to another section and the photos in this footprint are mostly of that area. I realise there's quite a few photos here, but it hopefully gives you the feeling of the place.

    I needed to keep an eye on the time though, because I was meeting up with a guide at 3.15pm and I had to drive there. I couldn't be late.    Meer informatie

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  • RobCowellReizigerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Those tyres are only at 15psi which helps smooth out the bumps and improves traction.
    The vehicle was pointing downwards very steeply here.The track is clear to see here but further on it all just seemed like a landscape of rocks.

    Journey to a Wilderness

    1 juli 2023, IJsland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    I was meeting my guide in the car park at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. Those who have followed my adventures before will know of this, but if you haven't then I'll take some photos to show you later.

    The first thing was to find my guide by recognising the vehicle from a photo on the website and that's one impressive vehicle isn't it. 🤗🤩 Adam was my guide, who was from England but had worked as guide in Iceland for a while and is working towards gaining his nationality here. He's well on the way.

    I was then both surprised and delighted to discover that I was the only person on the tour and that meant what was coming next would be extra special. But first we had a tricky drive ahead of us.

    The photos don't really show what the road conditions are like but I can assure you that I have never been in a vehicle driving over a track like this one. Those large tyres were essential and it was slow going even so. I was glad Adam knew where he was going because at times it wasn't so obvious where the track edges were. In the fourth photo heading towards that water, for example, you just don't see the angle the car was at. This was brilliant and we hadn't started yet.    Meer informatie

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