Iceland
March 2010
Page 2
Now, where was I? Oh yes, our day trip. So next up was the geysers, with Geysir first up, the one that gave the name to geysers originally (it means "gusher" apparently). Unfortunately, it's a bit of an old timer and doesn't go quite as often as it used to (no sniggering at the back, please). They have nice sign in stone to let you know where it is, though.
Which may or may not be here. Not sure exactly, since it wasn't doing anything when we there.
We soon moved on to the main event. Here is where the action is. Don't get too close, random person!
Here's a close-up view of the geyser that spouts regularly, known as Strokkur.
And here is a shot of it in action. Now it gets a little higher than this, but this was the attempt to photo it first time round. Given that it was absolutely bitingly cold outside, with it being another ten minute wait until the next spoutage, I decided to video the rest of it to ensure that I sufficiently captured the moment. By the end, I couldn't feel my poor little hands.
Here you can see some of the aftermath, as the steam subsides and the water forms an indentation. Great stuff.
Back in Reykjavik, we never miss an opportunity to take a mildly amusing photo, this time spotting something reminiscent of I'm Alan Partridge ("Lynn(e), they're sex people!"). We did not purchase.
Nor did we buy this for Lynne to wear at work. Prudes avert your eyes!
Right, next day, Saturday I think, and we decided to venture up that church (digging round the first page it looks like I'd done the research - Hallgrim's Church it is!). In case you have forgotten, here is a photo.
We popped inside and briefly watched some people singing before heading up the lift to the very top. It gave some splendid views. This one is obviously looking straight out to the coast. The not-really-visible road that runs from 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock at the end of the long straight road is the main street through Reykjavik where all the restaurant, shops and bars are. Well not all, but that's where you head when you want something like that.
A view across the sea to the mountains we took photos of at the start.
You could see a fair distance from some angles.
As we came out, a dozen or two old cars trundled past in a fairly noisy manner. It seemed that there was some sort of convention afoot.
But someone took a wrong turning Herbie-style. Oops!
Wherever you are in the world, your location can always be expressed by your proximity to an Irish pub.
We later took a trip to the National Museum of Iceland, which makes the average British university campus building look like the Sydney opera house. Whilst the outside wasn't exactly awe-inspiring, the inside displayed a fascinating history of Iceland.
This was a slightly sinister underwater downward staircase near the hotel. We didn't fancy it.
On the square near the Icelandic Bar, not too far from our hotel, a hotchpotch of a crowd gathered to protest about the financial crisis. Ruddy banks, eh.
In the evening, we ventured out to try to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, which involved driving around in a coach a lot in the dark, the idea being that you get as far away as possible from the non-natural lights of the city. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in seeing it, which meant that we spent even longer trying to look for it. This isn't it. It's just a light-enhanced photo of a distant setting sun.
This isn't it either. Yes, it's the moon, I know. In fact, it is hovering over the lake near ρingvellir as we went back there whilst waiting for things to get properly dark. The conditions were in favour of a sighting, but it wasn't to be. The moon didn't help with visibility.
Sunday and no rest for we atheist types, although that's not to say we weren't a little sluggish in getting going. We're only human. An hour's coach ride towards Keflavik airport and we were at the Blue Lagoon. This is the view from up on the, erm, viewing terrace after we had been for a swim.
The Blue Lagoon is essentially an excuse for a communal bath in hot mineral water, which is meant to have properties beneficial to one's skin. The contrast between the temperature of the water and the icy winds that persisted throughout the day was striking, no more so than when people had to endure the shuttle run into (and out of) the pool. It was entertainment in itself watching the look on people's faces, and their subsequent reaction, as they first ventured from the main building and legged it, towel in hand (although not in Lynne's case - d'oh!) to the edge of the pool. No more than about 4 feet deep, you ended up crouching until almost everything was submerged, with only your head above water, buffeted by the winds, but nevertheless smeared in mineral gloop. There were also steam baths and a super power shower which an oriental girl spent at least twenty minutes under, bizarrely. I would be surprised if she wasn't a foot smaller than when she started. Anyway, here's the steamy view from the ground level.
And all that typing has exhausted me so it will have to do you for now. Ta-ra!
I've been distracted by updating the Twinnies and Croatia pages. I'm back on Iceland now, though. Strong winds swirled round the main streets, picking up the dusting of snow and making it look a little like a poltergeist. Spooky, eh.
Just in case you didn't have it figured out already - it was bleedin' cold.
Lynne, meanwhile, was busy chatting to a local. Er, statue. He seems to be saying "well, it was here a minute ago".
The multi-mirrored lift at the hotel meant lots of Lynnes. Good thing or bad thing? Answers on a postcard, please.
We decided to go for another Northern Lights expedition, a decision helped by the fact it was free if there was no success the previous visit, which there wasn't. Again, the sunset was striking.
It was also possibly the coldest night we have ever encountered. It wasn't helped by having to stand around near a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere waiting for the Northern Lights. Look! Look how cold (but happy) we are!
And then, finally, the Northern Lights made an appearance. They actually came out better on the camera than they seemed to at the time, certainly in terms of the colour. It was less clear that the swishes of light were green on the actual night. But finally we had seen what we had come to see. We'd seen the Northern Lights. Chalk that off the "things to do before you die" list.
There was still time for a moody shot of the lighthouse by the full moon as we headed back to the coach in search of warmth (i.e. to thaw out).
Lynne kindly provides a before and after shot at a coffee house the next morning.
Two more of those statues were on the main street. They don't look happy to be trapped in there.
And finally, we spent rest of the day milling around, checking out the exhibit of how Iceland was first inhabited...
...and having lunch at the Icelandic bar.
We headed home the next day, having thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Iceland. Sure, the combination of earache and biting winter winds was not an ideal combination, but it's breathtaking beauty and laidback attitude were definitely what was needed at the time.