Thursday 28 August

Early morning walk before breakfast ....these lakes are just down the road from our hotel...between the mountains and the ocean...

A little farmhouse with a waterfall in the back yard!

The coastal walk from Arnarstapi to Hellnar... This was so amazing, the rock formations were like nothing we'd ever seen before . At Hellnar we stopped at a cute little cafe for fish soup and beer then walked back to Arnastapi. It was surprisingly warm as there was no wind.

It doesn't look quite as astonishing in the photo but the rocks in the cliffs and the black sand were so striking...amd it went on for a couple of kilometres . 

Behind this rather attractive house is Snaefellsjokull ...a mountain covered in a glacier ....fell in Icelandic means mountain and jokull means sheet of ice. It is the predominant feature of the peninsular and we were on our way to see it up close.

After a rather hairy drive up the mountain and then a 30 minute walk ( my legs only just made it) we arrived at the ice.  It was so worth it. Cloud still covered the top but we could still see this great expanse of ice ..too dangerous to walk on but so interesting to walk around. 

What it looked like under the surface...so beautiful...

Wednesday 27 August

A brighter day today, still some cloud but no rain. This is Hvalfordur...fordur is Icelandic for fiord...and we are on our way to the tallest waterfall in Iceland.

In the distance is the fiord from the previous photo, where we have parked the car and began our ascent to the Glymur waterfalls.

After an hours climb we see the falls....they are stunning...onwards to the top where we will cross over to the other side of the gorge.

Almost there....

It felt wonderful to reach the top of the falls and then walk across the river....had to strip off our socks and boots and paddle up to our knees in freezing cold water. Peter refilled our water bottles with the ice cold water.

In the late afternoon we arrived at Langaholt, where we will be staying for two nights. It is again a country hotel on the Snaefellsjokull peninsula.  There are mountains to the right of us and ocean to the left. Peter and I went for a walk before our dinner along the beach and watched the cloud lift above the  mountain...called Snaefellsjokull . What a perfect day.

Tuesday August 26

Today we were tourists, visited three of Iceland's top 10 . Although it was cold, rainy and windy and a challenge to keep my camera dry we were amazed by the beauty of this country, it was a perfect introduction to Iceland's history, volcanic features and waterfalls.

Pingvellir National Park is the site of the foundation of Iceland as a nation,in AD 930 this dramatic setting was chosen by the island's chieftains as the site of their annual general assembly. It is also one of the world's great geological boundaries, a rift valley where the North American and Eurasian plates meet. It took our breath away. I am have a sudden interest in geology, (see last photo also).

The Geysir area....containing hot water blow holes and geysirs....more geology.

These are a couple of the many photos I took of the powerful two-tier waterfalls at Gullfoss. I chose photos that had people in them to give you some idea of how enormous the falls are. I used my underwater camera for these shots because of the fine misty spray . I particularly loved the second tier of the falls where the water dropped into this beautiful gorge.

Monday 25 August

The beautiful blue glacial water at Blue Lagoon....

The scenery is stunning, like nothing we have ever seen before and the clouds and mist come and go.

Our first night is spent at Hotel Hekla , which takes its name from the legendary volcano Hekla which can be seen from the hotel. Not only is there the accommodation, bar and dining room and outdoor spa area, there is also the working farm . This afternoon we relaxed in the 40 degree outdoor spa looking out towards the farm and mountains beyond...heaven.

Sunday August 24

A beautiful morning in London... Peter and I walked to Regent's Park from our hotel in Marylebone. This is a photo taken in the Queen Mary's Garden in the centre of Regent's Park.

Regent's Canal near Camden Lock...gorgeous.

After exploring the Camden High Street and Camden Lock markets and eating a tasy lunch from one of the many fantastic international food stalls, we walked on to Primrose Hill...wonderful views and a delightful park.

    We kept walking, eager to see Hampstead Heath.  Thanks Tash for encouraging us to visit this amazing parkland....and we loved the walk there...beautiful houses and lots of trendy shops and cafés.

August 23

       Dubai Airport

 

Todd took this photo of Tash and me with my new short hair...perfect for traveling.