Reykjavík

 

This is Hallgrimskirkja, the largest church in Iceland which towers over the centre of Reykjavic. The 75m tower provides a360 deg view over the town with the mountains and sea beyond. It is the most visited tourist destination in Reykjavic. It was built to represent a waterfall.

Views over Reykjavík from the top of the church tower.

As you would expect the interior is large and stark.

On a hotel wall opposite the church.

The town is not large and is easy to see on foot. Many of the streets are pedestrianised with street art everywhere including the road.

Colourful fire hydrant

We left the centre of town and walked towards the harbour which was not far away. this impressive building is the Harpa concert Hall and Conference Centre.

This is what it looks like from the inside.

This is the Hofoi building, not far from the hotel where we were staying. In its 104 history it has been used by ambassadors, poets and artists. Today it is the mayor's reception hall. the house is probably most famous for holding the Regan - Gorbachev summit in 1986, believed to be the beginning of the end of the Cold War. 

Also near the harbour was the Sun Voyager sculpture.

These were taken on the last night we were there( not by me I hasten to add)

National Park, Iceland

Before we returned to Reykjavik we visited a national park. One thing you notice whist travelling around is the lack of trees. Landowners are encouraged to plant trees but on this part of the island they are few and far between. It is mainly birch shrubs that you see.

These channels are crystal clear and a beautiful shade of blue. You can snorkel here although personally I prefer to do that in much warmer water.

The air temperature was freezing as you can see from the ice on the plants.

A few trees stood out on the stark landscape.

 

Waterfalls

As we travelled around the Golden Circle in Iceland we stopped at a few waterfalls. 

This one I was able to walk around the back. A different experience for me.

 

You can't visit Iceland without experiencing the thermal waters. The Blue lagoon is well known but fully booked. We visited the Secret Lagoon which has only been open to tourists for a few years. The temperature was perfect although there were some spots near the edge which I found too hot to handle. 

Because of its geological position

Iceland is a volcanic hotspot. Geothermal energy is used for heating and generating electricity. 90% of all homes in Iceland are heated with geothermal energy. There are numerous thermal pools in Iceland which are a joy to use (once you have braved the freezing air to get from the changing room and showers to the pool).

Iceland: Day2

Today a group of us were going glacier hiking. I had my own boots and waterproofs with me so didn't need to hire anything.  Before starting the walk, we put on a helmet and harness. If you have ever worn a climbing harness, you will know how easy it is to put it on incorrectly. Anyway, once we were all kitted out with crampons and ice pick, we walked up the mountain towards the glacier.

 

We didn't put the crampons on until we were close to the glacier.

 

It was difficult to walk with the crampons on as you had to stamp your feet into the packed ice and walk with your feet slightly apart so that the crampons didn't get tangled.  Progress was slow as you can only walk at the speed of the slowest, so we didn't get as far as the white pristine snow. I would like to have walked a bit faster and gone further but this can be a dangerous activity with the slippiness of the ice and crevasses everywhere, patience was needed. Sadly, the glacier is receding by 60m per year and I imagine in the not so distant future this activity will no longer be feasible. 

Once the wind dropped it wasn't too cold and I really enjoyed the experience. We were out walking for about three hours in the end which was probably long enough.

On the way back once off the ice we removed the crampons and washed them in the lake taking care not to get wet in the icy waters of the melting glacier.

 

In the afternoon we visited Black Sand beach. Because it is a volcanic island all the sand on the beaches is black.  I wasn't that bothered about seeing a black sandy beach but what was impressive was the rock and cave formations.

The hexagonal basalt columns by the cave were very impressive. I have seen similar formations at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. This natural wonder is formed by the cooling lava which can form a variety of patterns, but they are mainly hexagonal. (Far more detailed and accurate explanations of  these columns can easily be found on the internet.)

The ideal place for a photoshoot.