The Beauty of Iceland
A visit to Iceland has been my dream for years - a small island where the landscape changes like in a kaleidoscope with every kilometer traveled.
It is also a country that inspires many famous Icelandic artists such as Björk, Sóley or Emiliana Torrini. In the music you can hear endless spaces, sometimes covered with moss, and sometimes full of rocks, like on the moon.
In the above photos, the area around Þingvellir - although it was warm during the day, staying in the wild in this place turned out to be a big challenge.
After a chilly night in the wilderness, the morning did not surprise with a rise in temperature. As compensation, an extraordinary view of the clouds practically touching the ground.
Despite the fact that Hvalfjörður is impressive, the stream leading to the highest waterfall turned out to be much more interesting.
Further north we stopped in Akureyri. On the spot, Father Adam, whom we met in a small church, decided to take us in. We spent only two days with him, because he was going on vacation.
The priest took us with him to a nearby Christmas house, where we could say hello to e.g. Grýla – a giant who cooks naughty children in a huge pot. The place was full of old clocks, Christmas trinkets and many other hand-made things.
Outdoor swimming pool in Akureyri. In some pools, the temperature can be really high, which allows you to harden the body. One visit is enough to cope with the cold much better.
A little north of Husavik we came across a tub of hot water. Right next to it was a container where you could change your clothes and leave your things.
Ásbyrgi is a one-of-a-kind canyon with real forest, which is quite rare on the island. The place seemed out of this world, as if the forest in this wasteland had been created by an alien civilization.
Dettifoss, known as one of the strongest waterfalls in Europe. The level of wetting increased with the decreasing distance from the waterfall - the splashing water reached really far.
The waterfall looks angry up close compared to the dead vegetation.
After leaving Dettifoss, we headed north to the monks living far from civilization. They welcomed us with open arms, fed us, and the next day we set off on our journey.
Most of the time the south of the island is hazy and cool with occasional rain. It is difficult to wait for a hitch in such conditions, especially since the number of vehicles has drastically decreased.
Horses in Iceland are quite unusual due to their small stature and unusual legs that help them move over difficult terrain.
The tongue of the glacier, seen from street level, makes a great impression.
After a terribly cold night on the ocean shore, an elderly French couple took us with them. First stop - puffins. From the level of the ground where they were staying, several separated, rocky cliffs could be seen.
We drove inland, trying to get as close as possible to the active volcano. There were signs along the way telling what to do in the event of an eruption. On the way back we came across slowly wandering Icelandic horses.
Gullfoss is really impressive. It can be placed right behind the mighty Dettifoss.
A little further on were the geysers, surrounded by people, in silence, with cameras ready to shoot hot water.
