Susan Solo – Photographer | Traveler | Adventurer

Tag: Iceland

Southern Iceland Sampler – Part II

Back to Ring Road Day Two! Our tour of Southern Iceland was one of the busiest days of the trip with the most planned stops, but to make it even more jam-packed we kept stopping the car (sometimes every 10 minutes) to try to capture the essence of Iceland. I’m not sure if it’s even possible with other-worldly landscapes like this.

One of the spontaneous random stops along the road included this one at Laufskálavarða where we learned the real meaning of the rock stacks, or stone cairns, scattered throughout Iceland. After learning about the tradition, I topped one of the existing stacks with a pebble for good fortune.

The next stop at Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon was one of our favorites of the day, although it’s hard to rank them with so many great sights to see! The canyon is just a short ride on an unpaved road off Rt. 1. I found excellent directions to the canyon online here. Fjaðrárgljúfur also shows up in Google Maps, so it’s pretty easy to find. We loved playing on the edges of the cliffs even though the signs told us to stay away from the edges. Just kidding, we didn’t go near any edges – only as close as seen in the photos below, and we were very careful. Also? Not a single drop of rain fell the whole time we were there! Which is great, because the ground was already soft and spongy, and we didn’t need it to be extra slippery with that big of a drop into the canyon.

A while after we left the canyon, something magical happened – the skies cleared considerably! Expansive stretches of blue sky appeared nearly out of nowhere, and we were even casting a shadow with the car. We could finally see the entire horizon to confirm that there were indeed mountains out there. All over the place. They had been completely hidden for the first leg of our road trip!

Our day wrapped up with a sunset over stunning Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon in Vatnajökull National Park. Did you hear that? A sunset! That means the sun stayed out and we still had a pretty clear sky. I was so thrilled you’d think I hadn’t seen sun for months. We were able to spend the entire time at the lagoon without any rain, which means lots of photos. And speaking of thrilled, you should have heard me when we approached the lagoon – I saw just a glimpse of it between hillsides and flipped out. It’s just so pretty! I was mesmerized by the textures and patterns in the ice to the point that I hardly took any photos. It was one of the many times I felt completely overwhelmed and immobilized by Iceland’s beauty. Using the wide-angle lens, I tried to take it all in with the landscape shots below, but I felt like I just couldn’t capture it all in an image. Chris took the amazing close-ups of the icebergs (I’m obsessed with the last black-and-white image of his) and he also took the photo of the cute little seal.

We checked into our hotel pretty late that evening and didn’t eat dinner until almost 10pm, but it was worth the long day of amazing sights and photo opportunities. We crashed hard that night, and headed out the next morning for Day Three – the Eastern Fjords and the amazing landscape of Mývatn (seriously, it felt like we were on Mars). Stay tuned!

September 4, 2014
Southern Iceland Sampler – Part I

Not unlike Ring Road Day One, the weather on Day Two started out chilly and wet so we bundled up again and sported our waterproof outer-layers as we set out to explore Southern Iceland. Also similar to the first day on the road, our scheduled activity (glacier hiking) was thwarted by the weather, but we had plenty of other sights we planned to see rain or shine. In fact, there were so many things we squeezed into Day Two that I had to split the blog post into two parts.

We knew to expect some dreary weather, but I admit I pouted a little bit upon waking up to a third gray day in Iceland. I suppose it was good to practice dreary-weather photography though. Sometimes it’s hard to take interesting photos when the light is completely flat and the sky adds no interest. Again, the clouds hung so low that we often couldn’t see the mountains in the background, but occasionally it added an interesting eerie effect. And this is the day that we started to see more farm animals, so of course I was excited about that!

Our first stop brought us to a waterfall called Seljalandsfoss (so fun to say) fairly early in the morning, or at least early by my standards. We did beat the majority of the crowds by arriving just after 9am, but there were plenty of other photogs already there and several more were arriving with tripods in tow eager to capture the magic of the waterfall. I set up in an empty spot near a small footbridge and soon after extending my tripod legs I was joined by several other shutterbugs. I was especially excited to try out my new neutral density filter that would allow for long exposures resulting in that creamy blurred water look. I need some more practice, but I like the results! Oh, and a tip if you’re planning to visit and take photos – bring a lens cloth. Even in good weather you’ll need it to wipe mist from your lens every few minutes or so.

We left Seljalandsfoss after the combination of spray from the falls and rain from the sky proved to be a little more water than I wanted on me or my camera. (I brought my camera’s Storm Jacket, but in my excitement to photograph the waterfall I forgot to take it with me.) On the way to our next spot we passed Eyjafjallajökull, but we couldn’t really see it because of the cloud cover. Am I starting to sound like a broken record yet? I can’t be mad at Iceland though – it’s gorgeous in even the ickiest weather.

Next up, we popped by Skógafoss, but I won’t show you the image I took of the waterfall because it was still raining (the theme of our first few days) and I didn’t even get out of the car to snap the photo. Tsk, tsk – what a lazy fair weather photographer. In an attempt to get out of the rain, we decided to duck into the Skógar Folk Museum which turned out to be really interesting and cute so I’m glad we checked it out.

Thankfully it stopped raining while we were inside, because a big portion of the museum is outside where visitors have the opportunity to tour the interior of actual turf houses and buildings that were moved from various settlements and reconstructed on the museum property. The photos of Chris and me standing inside the teeny dining room in one of the houses crack me up. We also saw elf houses! But no elves. Maybe they weren’t home.

We decided to take advantage of the stoppage in precipitation to head to the beach! Only about 6km off of Rt. 1 just south of Vík is the Reynisfjara black sand beach where you can see some fascinating basalt column formations formed in the side of Reynisfjall mountain. I had seen photos online while planning our trip so this site was flagged in my notes as a must-see. Whether you’re into geology or not, the mountain is really impressive and the beach is beautiful so I highly recommend a visit. During the spring and summer, I think it’s also an area where you can spot Puffins (we were there after Puffin season). As a bonus, we were starting to lose the hoards of tour buses at this point on the Ring Road. This is a fairly well-known spot, but not as popular as others so the crowd was definitely thinner here.

When we arrived, the temperature finally felt a little warmer and we were treated to a peek of blue skies. Just a sliver, but we were buoyed by the hint of nicer weather. I was even able to put my hood down! Out of all the places we planned to see, Reynisfjara was the spot where I wanted a photo of myself. I tried a selfie, but it didn’t capture the big picture of the basalt structures, so Chris took a portrait of me sitting on the columns and it’s one of my favorite photos of myself from the trip. I love the geometric pattern of the basalt, and it’s just not something we get to see every day.

Our schedule was so jam-packed that day that we barely had time to stop for lunch, but we did manage to pop into a small grocery store in Vík to make a picnic lunch before heading to the spots next on our list – Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon and Jökulsárlón lagoon. More photos and stories coming up!

September 3, 2014
Driving in Circles: The Ring Road and the Golden Circle

On our second day in Iceland, Chris and I picked up a rental car and kicked off our Ring Road adventure. Highway 1 goes all the way around the island in a complete circle, also known as the Ring Road, and it passes through or near many of the major must-see items in Iceland. The total length is over 800 miles, but Chris and I added several mini trips off the main route to see some off-the-beaten-path areas and we ended up adding about 400 miles to that total. Throughout my Iceland blog post series, I’ll point out which places are detours off the Ring Road. I’ll also be writing a Ring Road tips and logistics post to share some of the things we learned (the hard way).

map and flag photos courtesy of tour.is

We drove the Ring Road in a counter-clockwise direction, so Day One started off with the classic Golden Circle route just outside of Reykjavik. Not to be confused with the Ring Road, the Golden Circle consists of three major sites – Þingvellir National Park, Haukadalur valley (home to Geysir and Strokkur), and Gullfoss waterfall. The Golden Circle is one of the most popular attractions in Iceland and it’s easily accessed right from Reykjavik as a day trip. There are tons of tour companies who take groups out on Golden Circle tours, but I highly recommend the self-drive option. It’s very easy to drive in Iceland, and that way you can see the places at your own pace.

Our first day on the road started off gray and quite cold, and then it quickly turned into a steady drizzle of rain. That weather would normally call for staying curled up under a warm blanket with hot tea and a good book or movie, but our adventure awaited so off we went! I think we might have missed out on some scenery because of the low hanging clouds (we kept wondering if there were mountains out there), but we were able to see most of what we set out to experience starting with parts of Þingvellir.

One of my favorite sights was this field of rocks stacked in neat little piles in Þingvellir. Yep, piles of rocks. Sounds exciting, right? On the drive from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik, I noticed random stacks of rocks every once in a while in the lava fields along the highway, but I wasn’t exactly sure what I was seeing. When we arrived to this field in Þingvellir, the signage didn’t explain the stacked rocks, so (this is embarrassing to admit) I assumed it was a natural occurrence. I was fascinated! How did these piles of rocks stack themselves all over Iceland?! Spoiler alert: it’s not a natural phenomenon; the piles are man-made. The story is really cool though – over a thousand years ago, there was a farm destroyed by the first recorded eruption of the volcano Katla. Icelanders memorialized the tragedy by leaving a stone for good luck when they pass the farm. (We saw the original site later in our trip.) The tradition has continued, and I think I like that even better than if it were a natural occurrence.

We didn’t spend much time exploring Þingvellir because I had booked a snowmobiling trip scheduled to meet near the Gullfoss waterfall at Noon. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the meeting spot, the guide determined that it was too windy on the glacier to even stand up, so the excursion was canceled. We weren’t that disappointed because the weather would have made the ride pretty unbearable. So after lunch at the Gullfoss Cafe, we went to see Gullfoss, one of the most famous spots in Iceland.

I’m sad to say that we didn’t take that many photos of Gullfoss because it was just too cold, rainy, and windy even with wearing lots of layers and a waterproof jacket. We definitely weren’t treated to the clear blue skies and rainbow often seen in photos of this double-drop waterfall, but it was beautiful and I’m glad we got to see it despite the weather. (Don’t mistake the blue in the sky for lovely weather – it’s really just dark, stormy clouds.)

Our third and favorite stop in the Golden Circle was the geothermal activity of Haukadalur where we found hot springs, mud pots, and geysers. About five kilometers away, we could see the geyser erupting high into the air and I shrieked! (It’s a good thing Chris is used to me being over-excited about everything, or else I would have startled him into a car wreck.) As we entered the area, we saw steam rising from the ground and streams of steamy water running alongside the road. Before we saw the signs warning us not to, we did test the water temperature with our fingers. I can confirm that it is scalding hot! Ouch!

All of the sites on the Golden Circle route were pretty well mobbed with tourists, but photographing the geysers without people in the background proved to be an impossible task, so I just embraced it to show the popularity of the area. Capturing the eruption of Strokkur against a gray sky was also tricky, so I’m not sure you’ll get the full magnificence of the geyser. Strokkur erupts reliably about every 5-10 minutes at an impressive 15-20 meters high. You’ll just have to go see it in person! Chris took the gorgeous photo of the blue bubble just before eruption.

And in the spirit of full disclosure, I’ll mention that this next photo was not altered in Photoshop – the water in this hot spring really was that blue! In addition to squealing with delight over piles of rocks, steamy hot streams, geysers, waterfalls, not-of-this-planet landscapes, I also squealed over how blue this water was. I mean, why is it so blue?!

After seeing the main parts of the Golden Circle, there are a few options for driving back to Reykjavik if you are on a day trip. Chris and I, however, were headed towards South Iceland so we continued on Rt. 1 for an overnight stay in Hella. Up next, our busy Day Two exploring sights of the south and some of our favorites from the whole trip including Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Reynisfjara beach, Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, and Jökulsárlón lagoon.

September 2, 2014
A Day in Reykjavik

After a crazy start to our Iceland trip, Chris and I were incredibly happy and relieved to be in Reykjavik, and I instantly fell in love with this adorable, colorful city. Well, okay not instantly. First we took a nap since we landed at 6am and neither of us got any sleep on the plane. But then around lunchtime we felt refreshed and ready to explore, with cameras in hand! Our hotel for the first night was several blocks from the main city center, but a walk in the chilly Iceland air woke us up even more. The day seemed typical of what we expected for Iceland weather in late August – low-to-mid 50s, gray sky thick with clouds, drizzle off-and-on, and a breeze with the occasional gust. The cheerful buildings of Reykjavik made up for what the sky lacked in color though!

After walking around a bit, our first order of business was lunch, and I had this local staple in mind – the Bæjarins Beztu hot dog stand. I had read from several sources that this is a must-try Icelandic snack/meal, and it really did hit the spot. Just FYI, they’re meant to be eaten with everything on it – mustard, ketchup, onions, fried onions, and remoulade – but I admit to skipping the mayonnaise-based sauce and ketchup. It was still delicious!

We wandered the city center streets for the rest of the day – it’s a very walkable city with lots of little shops and restaurants in close proximity. I also found several interesting doors for my door photo collection.

Of course, we spent some time photographing some of the most recognizable sites in Reykjavik. We walked along the harbor to see the Sun Voyager sculpture which I initially thought was inspired by a Viking ship, but some further research corrected me – the sculpture symbolizes a boat in search of undiscovered territory, hope, progress and freedom.

We also visited the Hallgrímskirkja church where we paid a fee (700 kr each; about $6 USD) and took an elevator to the top of the tower for a fantastic 360-degree view of the city. It’s where I photographed the first photo in this post. See those windows at the top of the tower? You can poke your camera through there on all sides for photos of the city center and the harbor. (Note: there is a short staircase to climb after the elevator lets out.) We didn’t get to go inside the church itself because there was a service in progress, but the photos I’ve seen are stunning so if you’re planning to visit maybe just double-check the schedule.

Our day wrapped up at the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center, also situated along the harbor. The iconic building was not only an interesting subject for photography and an excellent way to escape the rain, but we decided to see a show called How to Become Icelandic in 60 Minutes so that we could truly experience a bit more of the Harpa. I bought tickets online in advance, so it’s one of the things I had to reschedule because of our canceled flight, but luckily the Harpa Center was gracious enough to allow us to switch dates. The interactive one-man comedy show includes quite a bit of Icelandic history that caters to a tourist-based audience. Chris and I had a few good laughs and learned some fun facts about Iceland including how to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull, which I had been practicing for several weeks before we arrived. I’m happy to say I was really close to having it down pat! The show currently has a schedule posted through the rest of this year, so if you’re visiting I highly recommend it as a fun way to learn about Iceland and see the Harpa at the same time. And again, not a bad way to spend some time indoors when the weather isn’t your favorite.

As for the building itself, the intricate kaleidoscopic design reflects the pattern of the basalt columns found in Iceland – a geological phenomenon created as a result of volcanic activity. Chris and I saw some of them on a beach south of Vík, so I’ll be posting about that soon!

We noticed several museums in town that looked interesting, but we ran out of time after seeing the classic Reykjavik sites. Our original schedule had us spending an additional day in Reykjavik at the end of our road trip, but we lost that day after our first flight was canceled. We’ll just have to go back another time! There is plenty more to see and do, and I would definitely love to visit again. Also? I just realized we didn’t take very many pictures of us on this first day – on top of looking jet-lagged and red-eyed, the wind and rain did quite a number on my hair so I think I mostly avoided the camera. I’ll talk more about this in a post on packing for Iceland, but for the rest of the week I relied heavily on hats! For documentation purposes, here is the one photo we took of us in Reykjavik:

Up next: our whirlwind Ring Road trip kicks off with The Golden Circle where we saw geysers, waterfalls, and geothermal activity!

September 1, 2014
Our Iceland Adventure Begins!

Eee! Chris and I just got home last night, and I’m so excited to finally be able to start posting about our Iceland adventure! I’ve been planning this trip for an entire year, and it was going to be epic – a road trip around the entire country with side trips to various sites and activities including snowmobiling, hiking, horseback riding, and going inside a volcano! But first, I need to start by telling you how our trip started – with a canceled flight and an impending volcano eruption. Here’s how that went.

We were scheduled to leave on a Friday night at 8:40pm from Washington-Dulles, but while we were at the gate, our flight kept getting delayed again and again. We knew something major was up when they started handing out bottles of water. Finally, after several hours past our initial departure time, Icelandair announced that our plane was experiencing some mechanical issues and that the flight was canceled. (It turns out one of the wing flaps needed replacement and it was not available locally so they had to order the part.) They rescheduled us for Saturday night at the same time. I was concerned about rearranging all of our hotels and scheduled activities, but we were in good spirits because at least we were still going to Iceland! That, and we were thankful we didn’t fly on a plane with mechanical issues. So we waited for our luggage to arrive at Baggage Claim (saddest airport trip ever) and schlepped all of our stuff back home around Midnight. I made some phone calls and sent some emails to shift and shorten our schedule by a day, and we went to sleep at 1am with the comfort of knowing we’d try again the next day.

However, we woke up to news of the aviation code being raised to the highest level, Code Red, due to the impending eruption of a volcano in Iceland, and I started to worry that we wouldn’t actually be able to leave at all. I’ll be honest – I kept it together during the first issue with our flight being canceled, but when our trip was threatened a second time I did break down for a few teary minutes. We have had more than our fair share of weather-related troubles with our travels (hurricanes and tropical storms mostly) and other disasters (broken collarbones and Norovirus outbreaks), and I’m normally quite good about staying upbeat and positive. I was tired though, and more excited about this trip than ever so it was a bit stressful.

Throughout the day our flight remained scheduled and on-time though, so we just crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. It turns out that it was a false alarm and the volcano hadn’t erupted yet. It actually ended up erupting while we were there, but not enough to cause any issues for us. We felt like we were in the movie Groundhog Day when we took a taxi back to Washington-Dulles, checked our bags and went through security all over again, but everything went smoothly and we actually boarded our plane this time!

We had a nice, uneventful red-eye flight on a half-empty plane (so we had an extra middle seat between us – bonus!) and just after 6am Iceland-time we touched down on Sunday morning. Yay! After such a rocky start to the trip, we couldn’t have been more excited and relieved to land safely in Iceland. Over the next several blog posts, I’ll break down our Ring Road trip day-by-day, as well as a few posts dedicated to accommodations, food, packing lists, general logistics, and tips (a.k.a., lessons we learned the hard way). So stay tuned for a slew of Iceland photos and stories!

August 31, 2014