Northern Lights and Þingvellir

Last night after a very stormy day the skies cleared and it was so windy that I was blown over! But Northern Lights trip was on! The snow ploughs had been out as roads out of Reykjavik had been impassable during the day. We left Reykjavik about 9.30pm and drove about an hour out of Reykjavik following the clearing skies. It was a freezing evening and Baldvin our guide had to stop in a couple of places to see whether the aurora was developing. the stars were amazing and at about 12 o’clock the aurora showed itself. I felt very privileged and lucky as several trips had been cancelled. Obviously nature is unpredictable. Hot chocolate warmed us up and after a successful and wonderful trip we arrived back in Reykjavik at about 1.30am. Even without the aurora it was a beautiful evening and the stars so clear. Interestingly photographs enhance the colours of the display.

Þingvellir and Kerid Crater

Kerid Crater

The journey out of Reykjavik took about an hour through barren and bleak but beautiful countryside… it’s an inhospitable land … mountainous and frozen. This is a land of grisaille; of slate, white, chalk, charcoal, lead and pewter. A monochrome landscape scoured by fire, wind, ice and water. It often looks chaotic. The Kerid Crater was a dormant caldera. We passed by farms and Icelandic ponies that live outside all winter. It was charming to see them scraping away the snow for feed. They farm horses here but only the Icelandic breed is allowed on the island to preserve the gene pool

Thingvellir

Gullfoss

Geysir and Hot Springs

Geysir

2 responses to “Northern Lights and Þingvellir”

  1. Wow wow wow!!!

    Sent from Outlook for iOShttps://aka.ms/o0ukef ________________________________

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  2. katiethompson1630 Avatar
    katiethompson1630

    Wow indeed- I’m so glad you got to see the Northern lights. What a privilege and an experience which will no doubt stay long in the memory. Great photos!
    Now don’t forget to see my aluminium smelter! Xx

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