With the thousands of waterfalls in ÍSLAND, all being dependent of the huge glaciers in the centre of the country, most of them are only water falls during the short summer period.

The most famous geyser in the world is also found nearby; however it is Strukkur–geysir that performs at least every 10 minutes day or night. Here one can enjoy the surrounding geothermal pools and flumes.

When driving the only vehicle route around ÍSLAND, one is confronted daily by the ever-changing elements of nature: crystal clear skies turning into threatening dark storming clouds; ice rain and bright rainbows bridging the landscape; contrasting colours of changing autumn leaves and green moss-covered marshes – what a contrast and diversity of scenic beauty! Monique and I were privileged to could have enjoyed the weeklong Icelandic experience with our two daughters, Leandi and Izanne.

The drive across many rivers and streams and past azure glacial lagoons leaves many unsurpassed memories.

Surrounded by no less than three glaciers, the high valley of Þorsmörk is a hidden world and can only be reached by a four-wheel-drive. The high Alpine scenery is worth the effort with numerous miniature canyons and cols (a saddle between two rocky ridges) and the fingers of ice extending down into the melt water lake of Markarfljót.

The first thing you notice as you approach Skógar is Skógafoss, a 60 metres cascade that falls in a pure white curtain of foam. According to the Icelandic saga (a unique series of epic accounts relating the history of the original Viking settlers), a hidden treasure awaits the elect who dares his life, behind the falls, but still it was not found, as yet.

Birds flock to the basalt cliffs around Vík í Mýrdal. Here you can enjoy the impressive offshore stacks and black volcanic beaches. Offshore, the Reynisdrangar needles have long been a navigation point on shipping charts.

Iceland’s most celebrated glacier, Vatnajökull casts its eye over much of the eastern coast. A vast white cap with many smaller subsidiary ice flows like Jökulsarlon and Fjallsjokul, rests upon one of the world’s most active volcanoes; Grimsvötn made its voice heard as recently as 2004. Jökulsarlon is one of the most photographed landscapes on Ísland and the venue for the well-known ice race scenes in the James Bond movie, Die Another Day. Hundreds of blue-white leviathans float silently in the limpid waters of the iceberg lake at the outlet into the sea. A boat trip meandering through the maze of floating ice-caps is a breathtaking experience.

Until the building of the ring road, Höfn, (pronounced like hope) was as remote as you could get from Reykjavik, as you had to travel right around the island past Akureyri to reach this settlement on the south eastern coastline. This was because the ice-marshlands of Skeiðarársandur  were impassable. This volcanic flood plain is an ever-shifting carpet of melt-water streams and soft alluvial sediment, and has always been one of Ísland’s most mysterious regions. Today volcanology scientists can tell how it was formed, but can still not explain the strange beauty of the lifeless plain of gold and grey sand directly next to the volcanic rocks covered by green moss and forming clear water pools, and all in an ever-changing colour spectrum as the day progresses.

About 55 kilometres before Höfn, we turned off on route F985 to the Skálafellsjökull, where we were met by the snowmobile operators: It is been said that the first time you take a skidoo (ice jet ski) trip on the glacier, it is out of curiosity; the second time it’s because you are convinced you have left something of your soul behind in the landscape of endless ice.

We stayed our second night at the Fosshotel Vatnajokull at Lindarbakki, just outside Höfn. We met Dimitri,  who works at reception, originally from Puerto Aisén in Chile and his fiancée Sylvia who was waitressing in the restaurant and came from Trogir in Croatia: both towns have been favourites with us and we spoke as if we knew one another for many years. It was the last open day of the season and they were planning a trip to Budapest and Szentendre in Hungary; by rare coincidence we met them again in the streets of Reykjavik, prior to our departure from Ísland.

Twenty-five kilometres east of Egilsstaðir over a good mountain road, Seyðisfjörður  is an attractive town set at the base of a long, narrow fjord. Today this little harbour town is one of the most architecturally interesting of Ísland’s towns with a wealth of period buildings dating from the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, when the town was still in its heyday as an important shipping port to other Scandinavian trade routes. Few places in Ísland’s past can boast such a well-preserved collection of old timber buildings. We stayed at the Hotel Aldan, a heritage-listed old restored bank building, offering excellent Icelandic cuisine like pan-fried whale meat on mushrooms, puffin-pie and cauliflower or Riette of salmon and lobster.

On route to Mývatn we drove around Lake Lagarfljót, apparently the only area in Ísland where you will find a forest of trees.

Further on, along the Jökulsá á Fjöllum, a dramatic scene awaits you when you get the first glimpse of the Dettifoss cascading falls in a narrow ravine.





 

Ísland stands square at the heart of the green dilemma. It is one of the least polluted countries on earth and takes full advantage of what nature has provided.  A good example is the geothermal power plants at Krafla, providing inexpensive, reliable heating to most of the country’s towns. On the one hand it is feted as a forward-thinking example to the rest of the world, but it is also taking decisions that are unpopular with the international community, like the policy on whale-hunting. But to the contrary, Ísland also offers some of the best whale-watching opportunities in Húsavík, a northern fishing village in the Skjálfandi-bay.

Lake Mývatn  is a unique ecosystem with its volcanic percentage and incredible birdlife. Around the lake you will find many interesting sights and activities, motivating you to stay a little longer: the Hverfjall crater is said to be the largest of its kind in the world, its walls built up by many smaller eruptions.

The lava field of Dimmuborgir (meaning place of the dead), has some of the most intriguing and surreal lava pillars and cones and features lava fields usually found on ocean floors rather than on land. The Laxá River, which is the only outflow of the lake, abounds with salmon and trout.

Our last sight of typical falls on the volcanic island was the Goðafoss, located in the river Skjálfandafljót, before reaching the sea.
 

Akureyri originally was the trading post with the Danish merchants and today is the second largest town/city in Ísland, located right on the opposite northern side of the country. This cultural capital of the north, boasts a renowned arts scene of professional theatre and art gallery and centre. Next to the Edda hotel is a sculpture park, representing most of the country’s artists.

We returned to Reykjavik with Flugfélag Íslands, (the main domestic airline to service most of the bigger towns on the island) having a last aerial view of both Hofsjökull and Vatnajökull glaciers. Our long haul flights were on Gulf Air via Bahrain to Frankfurt (a promotion to agents and exceptional service and food in both business and first class cabin) and Icelandair return to Reykjavik.