Running out of superlatives

Day 6

This morning dawned with blue skies and fabulous crisp views. We returned to Jokulsarlon and spent the whole morning there, first of all taking a trip in an amphibious craft onto the lake.

Getting up close and personal with ice-bergs is a wonderful experience. The colours and reflections were eery, beautiful and mind-blowing. We tasted glacial ice, which is very pure, the weight of tonnes of snow and ice having compressed all air out of it. It melts more slowly than normal ice and is truly beautiful.

We walked around the lake and down to where the river meets the North Atlantic. Here the ice blocks get pulled out to sea or land on the black volcanic sand beaches, where they shine like crystals on a coal field.

We finally dragged ourselves reluctantly away but were rewarded with the views that had been denied to us by mist yesterday.

Glacier outlets peering through mountain tops, lava flows and moraine formations creating contrasting landscapes every kilometre or so.

We passed over a huge area of 'sands' most of it was the wide mouth of a river, that runs only a few metres wide at the moment but will fill with tonnes of rushing water in Spring when the winter snows melt.

Along the way we visited a tiny church, with a turf roof, dating back to the 17th century. It was situated at the start of the treacherous route across the sands, which the local farmer or priest would guide people across. The chapel would be most welcome as a place of prayer for aid beforehand or thanksgiving when the journey was complete..

We are now staying at a farm hotel at a place with a very long and unpronounceable name: Kirkjubaejarklaustur! It is a place with a long history of involvement of church, nuns and monks - including some bawdy stories of their involvement with each other! Gossip surely - particularly in regard to the Abbot's underpants...

Without a doubt the highlight of this wonderful trip has been today's visit to the ice lake but I know there are good things to come!

Animal Magic

Day 5

It was to be a long drive today, so we were in the dining room for breakfast at 7.15 - even though the staff were not quite ready for us!

The journey took us round the edge of more Fjords and past the margins of glaciers, we discovered beaches with black volcanic sand and waterfalls - not clear now but full of glacial melt water, usually a dull yellow. Most of all we encountered Iceland's wildlife.

The first encounter was with a wild reindeer, who showed off beautifully for us, prancing and preening. Clearly competing in the 'I've got the most impressive

horns' competition was a ram resting on the road. We also spotted a Harbour Porpoise in one of the coves - too far to get a good picture, but exciting all the same.

When we reached Jokulsarlon - the lake of ice-bergs, we were astonished by the forms and colours of the ice in the midst of the now raging waters (it has rained ALL day). Not only that but about a dozen seals were swimming against the strong currents, catching fish. It was wonderful to see them so close.

The sun did finally come out as we sat down

to dinner at our hotel this evening. The lovely Skaftafell Hotel under the shade of mountains and glaciers. Sadly by time we had finished eating a delicious meal, the sun had gone down!

We can't quite decide what to do tomorrow - pay to fly over the huge glacier and volcanoes, get a tour bus up onto the ice or find our own way up one of the glacier 'outlets' nearby. Much depends on the weather!

Oh and this last picture is the view from our hotel window! Sorry about that!!!