The Blue Lagoon and our last sunset

The Blue Lagoon, another one of Iceland's national highlights. Water emerges from the ground and is cooled to about 99F. A unique blue green algae gives the water it's color and naturally occurring silica brings mineral benefits to the skin.
There is so much geo thermal here that it also powers a hotel and the Blue Lagoon complex.
Here we are with a little 'refreshment'!

Silica treatments for all!





After returning to Reykjavik, we had a beautiful sunset!

Houses, a church and some out buildings - all made of rock and sod

OK. One of the most fascinating things to me was how Iceland was settled. As were traveling around, we're traveling on the "Ring Road" - which is a fairly recent road and is only two lanes wide. There were no earlier roads or even trails transversing the lava fields, glacial gravel beds or the glacier fields - back in 900-1100 AD. That means around 1000+ years ago, someone was tootling along the shore in a boat and thought to themselves, "I think I'll build a farm up on that hillside". So, they waded ashore, carrying their belongs and sheep, hiked to their farm site, built some dwellings into the hillside and called it home. Wow, that is tough! To make sure they didn't get scurvy - they ate stuff called scurvy grass! Yumm!!

This is what I mean. We're looking out to our right from the road to see this. The ocean is off to our left - miles and miles to our left.
The Bolti Farmhouse was where we stayed for a night. Their cooking facilities were in the blue-ish building behind Ann.
This is much more roomy than some of the buildings we've seen.


This is an entrance to an old sod house near our lodging. It's a bit fallen in - a "fixer upper" in the eyes of a real estate agent!
All the fences around the home and out buildings are made of rock. This homestead had been in existence since 1162, hence the growth over the top of the rocks. LOL

One of the places we stopped was an early village - all sod houses, most in good shape. A place where Iceland Park Services wanted you to go in and out of the buildings and really take it in.
The roof of a barn. Notice the rock piled up on top of the timbers. Timber - by the way, there is none on Iceland. The joke goes: "What do you do if you get lost in a forest in Iceland? Answer: Stand up!" So, most of this timber came from the ships when they settled or was carted in from ships that followed.
A barn, complete with hay and rock walls.

In this small village there was also a church. Here you see mighty cute blond haired, blue eyed Icelandic kids exiting the church.
Sod building or not, a church must have an organ!A simple altar, two candles... and what's that date?
Yes, the most recent altar dates to 1782!

Emily's 5'3. Low doors probably helped hold the heat in...

Waterfalls are everywhere!!! Here's a few and a black sand beach

Due to the tremendous snow-melt and glacial run off, there are waterfalls everywhere. What's the difference you ask? Well, snow melt streams are crystal - I mean, where's the water? kind of clear. Glacial run off is cloudy due to the glacial silt suspended in the water.

On either side of this waterfall, you see some rectangular-box like features. These are basalt columns that were a result of one of the many volcanoes that built Iceland.
A shot from afar at the falls and basalt formations.
Emily and Ann in front of one of the glacier fields.

The river coming off that glacier.

Sheep are one of the very few forms of animals. We saw very few birds, except along the coast; no mammals beside sheep and Icelandic horses; almost no bugs or no amphibians that we could see.

Another waterfall coming off the barely visible snow field behind this mountain.


Quick snap of a rolling falls along the road.

Emily and Evan take a break at the top of another waterfall. It's fun to throw rocks into the lower pool.
This is a snow melt waterfall. The next pic doesn't really capture the clarity of the water, but, notice the absence of silt color.

OK, not a waterfall, but a cool black sand beach - another testament to volcanic history!Some cool rock features off the black sand beach. Are we in Japan!!??

Another waterfall, wending its way to the sea, from a 'too distant to see' snow field.
This is Gullfoss , the largest falls in N.Europe. Truly an impressive falls to see. It's a glacial, silt filled river. The gray color in this pic is pretty accurate.

Iceland, On the road to Skaftafell

On the road to Skaftafell. Iceland's largest National Park.

Almost all the roads, but the one we're on, are gravel. No gas stations. Hence, take along your extra tires, not one but two, and some extra gas cans.

Geothermal activity is everywhere. 75% of the country's heat is geo-thermal. Now that's green living!

Vast fields of lichen covered rock helped decompose the rock and make way, thousands of years later, to the farms.
The farms are few and far between. Notice how they're dug into the hill. Later, we'll see some totally sod buildings.


Part of the Ring Road runs along the ocean.
A hint of the glacier fields that are in the distance. A vast field of glacial rock, threaded through by braids of glacier run off.


Finally, one of the glaciers. Here, you can drive or hike right up to them. No high climbing necessary.
Ok, imagine what the glacier field would be like if it covered 1/12 of our country. Well, that's what the Vatnajokull means to Iceland. That's what's hiding behind the mountains.

Here's a satellite view of the Vatnajokull, this is one corner of Iceland.