We awoke to rain and overcast skies with a high of 46, but we had plans so we kept on our tour. We followed the Diamond Circle which covers many sites around the northern reaches of Iceland. The Diamond Circle is a magnificent circuit of 150 miles in North Iceland, which includes some stunning sights.
GODAFOSS
This pretty horseshoe shaped waterfall is only about 40 feet tall but is about 100 feet wide.
HUSAVIK WHALE MUSEUM
The weather cleared a bit at Husavik, but being cool and damp, we opted for a museum.
Kurt standing next to the jawbone of a sperm whale.
This blue whale washed up on the shore in 2010 near Skagi and died in an upside-down position, as it is displayed. The baleen is still present in the mouth.
An immature beluga whale.
Cuvier's Beaked Whale
HUSAVIK WOODEN CHURCH
This very unusually colorful town church dates back to 1907.
This church was designed by shipbuilders and in some ways resembles a boat hull.
DETTIFOSS
Detifoss is 150 feet high and 340 feet wide. 130,000 gallons of water rush over its edge every minute, making it the second most powerful waterfall, in terms of water discharge, in Europe.
SELFOSS
About a ten-minute walk takes you to Selfoss.
LITLA STELLA
Litla Stella will be our home for two nights while we explore the Myvatn area.
NAMAFJALL GEOTHERMIC AREA
Boiling bubbling pools and mud pots dot the area.
Fumarole with Sulfide fumes
KRAFLA GEOTHERMAL VALLEY
The Vita Crater with a lake inside was formed during eruptions in the 1720's. It looks calm and peaceful, but don't be fooled, it is very hot water.
The Krafla Geothermal Power Plant taps into super-heated water deep underground to generate electricity. We stopped at the Visitor Center which had displays and a movie explaining how electricity is produced using geothermal energy at Krafla.
Almost all the homes in Iceland use the natural geothermal water for heating homes and bathing. Consequently, there is a slight smell of sulfur when showering, however, the water is very soft.
MYVATN NATURE BATHS
People were soaking in the thermal pools, but with the rain and cold, we skipped that "fun".
The word Dimmuborgir literally means Dark Castles. After a soup and bread lunch buffet at the cafe, we walked around these pillars and formations.
These lava formations were formed when the area was underwater. Lava spewed out of a volcano cooling in spiky stalagmite-like columns. There were several paved loop trails through the lava fields.
SKUTUSTAOIR (PSEUDOCRATERS)
These craters were formed by steam. Water under the lava boiled into steam, rose to the surface and popped.
Lake Myvatn was formed when flowing lava dammed the river.
2 comments:
Litla Stella looks very comfortable. Other than a soup and bread buffet (which sounds wonderful!), how was the food?
We only ate one meal a day out. Restaurants were hard to find and when we did find one a simple meal was extremely pricy. Lots of pizza and lamb and fish were the main items on the menu. One restaurant offered horse steak and Whale, which we had neither.
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