Trip to Iceland, Sept 4 2015

We rented two beefy but beat up Subarus from SadCars and headed out into the Icelandic landscape and encountered a huge glacier, waterfalls and steaming creeks. We went from Reykjavik to Thingvellir to the Langjökull (long glacier) to Hraunfossar and finally to Borganes.

One version of the Icelandic landscape. This one is mostly flat.

 

 

The Wpg2Isl crew in their happiest state. Stopped on the side of a road, miles from nowhere, pointing cameras at things.

 

 

Þingvellir, Iceland

“Þingvellir (Icelandic: About this sound [ˈθiŋkˌvɛtlɪr̥] Thing Fields), anglicised as Thingvellir (or, mistakenly, Pingvellir), is a place in the administrative district of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the Reykjanes peninsula and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is at the northern end of Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.

Alþingi (Althing in English), the Icelandic Parliament, was established at Þingvellir in 930, and remained there until 1798. Þingvellir National Park (or Thingvellir National Park) was founded in 1930, marking the 1,000th anniversary of the Althing. It was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and became a World Heritage Site in 2004.” from Wikipedia

 

 

The amazing Þingvellir landscape.

 

 

 

Ian McCausland, in Iceland

 

 

 

 

Building a rock Lava wall

 

The corner of Road 52 and Road 550, Iceland. Near Kaldidalur, north of Thingvellir

 

 

Little Pile of Rocks, Iceland. Littli stafli af steinum.

 

 

Near Ok Mountain, Iceland

 

Icelandic Flowers

 

A moderately rough Icelandic road

 

A big pile of stones. Stór stafli af steinum.

 

Another lunch in a parking lot.

 

Water running off Langjokull

 

Giant wheeled vehicle to go “Into the Glacier”

 

 

 

Ace loads film into the camera. Wow. Actually shooting film in Iceland.

 

 

 

“Langjökull (Icelandic for “long glacier”) is the second largest ice cap in Iceland (953 km2), after Vatnajökull. It is situated in the west of the Icelandic interior or Highlands of Iceland and can be seen clearly from Haukadalur.

The glacier is located at 64°45′N 19°59′W.

Its volume is 195 km³ and the ice is up to 580 m (1,900 ft) thick. The highest point of the ice cap (at Baldjökull at the northern end of Langjökull) is about 1,450 m (4,760 ft) above sea level.

In the past, the largest recorded surface area was in 1840.” from Wikipedia

 

Langjökull, Iceland

 

Icelandic Flag shoes, on an Icelandic glacier.

 

 

An interesting tracked glacier crawling articulating vehicle

 

 

 

 

 

Icelandic Lava macro

 

Hugh Conacher, international photographer.

 

Icelandic Waterfall, Lambá

 

Hraunfossar, Iceland

 

 

“Hraunfossar (Borgarfjörður, western Iceland) is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 metres out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvítáriver from ledges of less porous rock in the lava. The name hraun comes from the Icelandic word for lava. The Hraunfossar are situated near Húsafell and Reykholt and lava-tube cave Víðgelmir is close by.

Literally a stone’s throw upstream from Hraunfossar, there is another waterfall called Barnafoss. Its name, the waterfall of the children, comes from an accident which is said to have taken place here in former times. There was a natural bridge over the waterfall and two children from a nearby farm fell to their deaths crossing the river on the bridge. Afterwards, the grief-struck mother had the bridge destroyed.” from Wikipedia

 

Icelandic Mushroom

 

Geothermal Steam piped into a green house in Skrúður, Iceland. Just east of Borganes

 

Abandoned Icelandic Greenhouse

 

 

Our lovely B and B in Borganes

 

 

Grumpy Icelandic Cat

 

Rock painted like a house, for the Elves.

 

Borganes, Iceland

 

 

The Blue Door, Iceland

 

Borganes, Iceland

 

 

 

The view from Borganes, Iceland

 

Icelandic Viking wood carving, in the Settlement Centre, Borganes

 

The settlement centre, Borganes.

 

Fence up a steep hill

 

 

 

Sadcars, Icelandic Car rental

 

 

Jeope can play chess; he just chooses not to.

 

 

Icelandic Keyboard

 

What roads in Iceland should you NOT drive on?

 

Thingvellir, Iceland

 

 

 

 

 

We had such a good time at this Sundlaug in Borganes. Waterslide!

 

The Wpg2Isl crew on the Langjokull glacier. Ian McCausland, Ace Tiller, Evan Kuz, Jeope Wolfe, Leif Norman, Angela Chalmers, Amanda Huculak, Aaron Bernier and Hugh Conacher