April 2002
Visiting Iceland in April was pretty cool, it was still snowy but the days were getting longer and weather changed a lot.
The landscape of Iceland is so interesting, stark and otherworldly.
The obligatory Blue Lagoon stop right outside of the airport, perfect to relax after a flight.
Driving through the countryside, landscapes like I’ve never seen.
Huge Kerid Crater from a volcanic explosion.
Famous Gulfoss waterfalls were so beautiful and the thunderous sound was deafening and exciting. The last pic is not mine but just showing the beauty when the sun is shinning and the contrast with the sky.
The original Geysir for which all geysers are named after. It was exciting to watch.
Another smaller turquoise blue geyser named Blesi and a view of this area from above (not my photo).
Thingvellir National Park contains one of two rift valleys that you can see on Earth, the other is in East Africa. It is an extension of the mid Atlantic ridge and shows the separation between the European and North American plate. You can stand with one foot in Europe and one in North America!
Visiting the immense glacier that covers much of Iceland. It looks dirty from all the volcanic ash that has settled on it.
Vatnajokull Volcano is buried beneath the glacier but in the photo (not mine) you can see how it melts the glacier.
This waterfall is beautiful and we managed to catch a rainbow, too bad my eyes were closed!
Dryholeney or door window island is in the distance.
I love the black sand beaches! They were spectacular, good thing it doesn’t get too hot here or it might not be very comfortable!
The basaltic columns are one of my favorite geologic landforms! The composition and slow rate of cooling allow these to grow.
I love this little town named Vik for the colorful church that presided over the town with the volcanic sand beach along the coast. It is the southernmost town in Iceland.
Probably my favorite picture from the trip!
There are no shortage of waterfalls in Iceland in the spring as the edges of the glaciers retreat. This is a famous one named Skofagoss.
Reykjavik is such a colorful city! This is done on purpose since half of the year is dark and dreary. Reykjavik has one of the highest costs of living in the world.
Church was very strange looking but had great views from the top. It reminded me of something from Beneath the Planet of the Apes!
Horseback riding on Icelandic Horses was a great day. The weather changed from sun to wind to rain to snow then sun but it didn’t stop us. We had our new Iceland wool sweaters on and wow did they work well!
A small fishing town along the coast and the small group of houses in the lava fields for the workers.
Stunning rock formations on the Eastern side of Iceland at this treacherous shore. The water was churning, waves were crashing-I would not want to be in it!
What do you do before you go back to the airport? Visit the Blue Lagoon of course. It looks almost like the moonscape! In fact the astronauts practiced in Iceland before they went to the moon.
Goodbye Iceland, hope to see you again!