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The Magic of Iceland - Aug 10-22, 2003

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Day 1-4 | Day 5-7 | Day 8-10 | Day 11-13 | Iceland Tour Route Map

Trip Itinerary:
Day 	Date	Hotel - Location			Sights/Comments				
11	20	Hótel Bifröst			Restored farmhouse of Eirik the Red; Snæfellsnes penisula	
12	21	Guesthouse Sunna		glaciers Langjökull and Ok, Nesjavellir geothermal plant
13	22	Return to SEA			Reykjanes peninsula tour; Blue Lagoon swim

Day 11 - Eirik the Red farmhouse - fireside tour talk


Eirik the Red farmhouse


Eirik the Red farmhouse - tour guide threatened to 'beat me up' because I looked skeptical...


Eirik the Red farmhouse - original footprint location; restored one in background


Helgafell (holy mountain). According to local folklore, those who climb Helgafell for the first time get 3 wishes, provided you not look back or speak on the way up; make your wishes facing east; and not tell anyone what they are


Helgafell #2


Helgafell #3


Helgafell #4


Helgafell #5


Helgafell #6 Headstone of the heroine of Laxdæla Saga


Stykkishólmur Harbor panorama


Lookout from Stykkishólmur Harbor


Stykkishólmur Harbor (also got my 2nd Iceland puffin T-shirt here)


Lookout from Stykkishólmur Harbor #2


Vivid moss covered lava field at Berserkjahraun (relatively 'new')


Sea Bird Colonies at Arnarstapi


Sea Bird Colonies at Arnarstapi #2


Sea Bird Colonies at Arnarstapi #3


Langjökull Glacier from Arnarstapi


Late evening hike to volcano crater outside Hótel Bifröst - center closeup


Crater within a crater. From opposite side.


Hótel Bifröst from crater rim (~10pm)


Day 12 - Deildartunguhver Quick Time Movie (2.3MB) (download to desktop if link doesn't work)


Deildartunguhver - the largest hot springs in Iceland (Europe)


Barnafoss on the Hvita River (Children's Waterfall)


Hraunfossar (just downstream of Barnafoss)


Approaching Langjökull Glacier


Blue ice of Langjökull Glacier


On the glacier


Me and Brenda (Barbara took picture)


Glacial debris


Nesjavellir geothermal plant


Nesjavellir geothermal plant #2


Nesjavellir geothermal plant #3


Nesjavellir geothermal plant #4 - water is piped 27 km to Reykjavík with only a 2C heat loss!


World's only Hydrogen station at Reykjavík


Hydrogen station tanks ~450 psi pressure


Day 13 - Blue Lagoon2 -a pool of geothermal seawater (two-third saltwater and one-third fresh water). The source of the water is as deep as 6000 feet. Temperatures at 100 -110°F. New water is constantly led into the lagoon and the water is completely renewed in 24 hours. It is also rich in unique natural minerals, as silica mud and blue green algae.


Blue Lagoon #2 (slightly green due to algae...)2


Blue Lagoon #32


Reykjanes peninsula2


Reykjanes peninsula - symbolic bridge across rift between tectonic plates2


Mt. Snæfellsjökull glacier from KEF airport lounge. Everyone was spending their remaining krónur on ice cream. Curious part-arch in foreground

Back Home - I took a little bit of Iceland home with me thru Customs. Puffin is the national bird, there are strict export/no import rules on Islandic horses, but sheep are common. Yet all can be readily purchased for consumption. (.076 +.098 + .052)*2.2 = 0.50lbs. (319 + 549 + 281 ) / 75 =$15.32 or $30/lb.! Expensive also....


Overall tour comments:


Day 1-4 | Day 5-7 | Day 8-10 | Day 11-13

Picture Pages from other trip participants:
Brenda's Picture Page | Barbara's Picture Page


Pronunciation Guide:
The stress falls on the first syllable.

Vowels:
A as in "hard"
Á as in "how" or "about"
E as in "get"
É as in ye in "yes"
I as in "sit"
Í as in ee in "see"
O as in "ought"
Ó as in "gold"
U as in "hook"
Ú as in "choose"
Y is similar to I
Ý is similar to Í
Æ as in "five"
Ö as u in "fur"
Consonants:
Ð, ð (the eth) as th in "then"
J, j as in "yet"
Þ, þ (the thorn) as th in "thought"


Diphthongs:
au as in "oil"
ey and ei as ey in "they"
fl as bl
fn as pn as in "open"
hv as kf
ll as tl/dl as in "bottle"
rn as rdn or dd
tn and fn at end of words are silent


    Credits:
  1. U.O.N., Olympus C-740 UltraZoom Digital Photography by William F. Smith (3.2 MP, 2048x1536, 10X optical 38-380mm)
  2. Olympus D-520Zoom Digital Photography by William F. Smith (2.0 MP, 1600x1200, 3X optical 38-114mm)

Last Update 23-Feb-22