Final Day in Iceland

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Some say save the best for last... for our last day here in Iceland we have something really special planned.  The Vatneshellir Cave tour was a "warm-up" for today's experience...

Our plan is to descend nearly 400 feet into a dormant volcano-

The "Inside the Volcano Tour" takes us for a 1 hour hike to Thrihnukagigur volcano. This unique tour company has made this natural phenomena available to the public via an open air elevator system decent into the dormant crater.

True to itself, Iceland gives us wet, windy conditions...

First, the hike to the base of the Volcano

The wind made the hour long hike feel much longer...

Once "geared up", then to the top

Harnessed in to cross the bridge to the elevator

Ready to descend-
it takes 7 minutes to reach the floor of the chamber

All limbs must be kept inside the basket to make it through the narrow opening!
Descending down 120 meters...

Look at the colors...

Our only way back out!!

Head lamps- ON!

We have about half an hour to explore the magma chamber

Really AMAZING to imagine hot molten lava flowing & blowing out the rock in this very space!

What a volcanic eruption can do...

This hole goes down another 80 meters but is not open for exploring by us novices

Up and back out... heading to "base camp" to warm up and have some refreshments

Icelandic Meat Soup warms us after being in the damp cavern that maintains a year round temperature just above freezing.

 On the hike back, we get the opportunity to go inside another lava tube similar to the cave we explored in Snaefellsnes except this one is very close to the surface.  Our guide tells us tales of "outlaws" who used to live in these caves and one very tragic story of a couple who was falsely accused accompanied by a song sung acapella...

Yes, this is snow still on the cave floor 

You can see the "channels" on the cave walls where the hot lava carved the earth

 Back in Reykjavik we had another very special encounter-

We had the wonderful opportunity to sit and talk with this special man who is bringing the true message of Christ to his own Icelandic people-  Gunnar Gunnarsson.

To learn more about his work go to www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/europes-most-godless-country-may-suprise-you

We closed out our time here with one last dipped ice-cream cone, compliments of Ross!

Tomorrow- Faroe Islands

Iceland Day 12- To Reykjavik

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Today we head back south toward the country's capital city of Reykjavik.  It is only about 95 miles (2 hours) away but of course, we have a few stops planned along the way...

Budakirkja- the "little black church"

Gerduberg-a natural formation of columnar basalt

It looks more like ruins of something man made-
reminded us of the Roman ruins we explored in Italy

Raudamelsolkeda- a small spring of naturally carbonated water

We filled our water bottles and drank nature's own La Croix!

The Blue Lagoon & Myvatn Nature Baths are geothermal springs diverted from the source by man-

This natural "hot pot" is AT the source of the geothermal spring... in the middle of a farm... just big enough for 3 boys!  
Our waiter in Stykkisholmur told us how to find it- locals know it as Storahraun. 

Blue skies change the colors of the landscape...

...and make the drive even more pleasurable!


We make a stop for lunch in Borgarnes & then continue to Reykjavik & check in to our downtown hotel, Kvosin Hotel (which means "downtown hotel")-
It is quite a contrast to be back in a proper city after traveling along the Ring Road with it's sparsely populated little fishing villages...

Bricked pedestrian roads & multi-storied buildings...

Hallgrimskirkja Church with statue of Leif Erikkson (Norse explorer from Iceland who discovered North America before Christopher Colombus)

View of Downtown Reykjavik from Hallgrimskirkja Clock tower

Same viewpoint but looking in different direction-
I love the colored roofs!

The inside of the church is beautiful for its simplicity-
these of course are the organ pipes.

Fun painted building with no known historical importance-

Solfar- The Sun Voyager
**Many tourists think this is a Viking longboat because of Iceland's history, but the artist deemed it a "dream boat" and an ode to the sun symbolizing light & hope-

Another rare photo of the 4 of us together

The boys in front of Mt. Elsa-
*Note R's runic necklace- he chose the rune for "wisdom"

Harpa Opera House-
I originally thought the windows looked like a bee's honeycomb but could not make the connection, then realized they are the shape of the columnar basalt formations we saw throughout this volcanic land!

The Laundromat Cafe!

The food was decent here but the MAIN ATTRACTION was the laundry facility in the basement!! I cannot begin to tell how nice it was to enjoy a meal with my guys while the dirty clothes were getting washed...this is a DRASTIC improvement over other coin operated laundromats I have had to use in the various countries we have visited!! This was a real find and special treat for this mom-

Today is also the day we returned our rental car-
WE DROVE A TOTAL OF OVER 1800 miles in Iceland- that's a lot of territory!

Iceland Day 11- The Cave and the Gorge!

Tuesday, May 30th, 2107

Because of our audible book experience, there has been much build-up and also some unfounded dread about this little piece of the trip for the boys.  Today began with the announcement from Matt, "Welcome to Snaefellsnes!!"  We set out immediately after breakfast for the Vatnshellir Caving Tour.


Side bar about the weather-  MUCH less wind today as noted by the photos of this waterfall:

Taken yesterday as we drove in- 

Exact same waterfall taken today!
Amazing what the wind can do!

So here begins our own "Journey to the Center of the Earth"-
Snaefellsnes Glacier &  Stapafell Mountain just to the right

Helmets & torches- Check!
(The helmets fit some better than others...)

Our guide "Gummy" (short for an Icelandic name we could not pronounce) explained that we would be visiting 3 different chambers cut into the earth by flowing magma.  
Hollow lava tubes were created as the top of the hot magma cooled more quickly than the center which continued to flow, leaving the holes we get to explore.

Down, down, down we go...

"Frozen" drips

Colors created by the iron content in the rock

The route that Professor Lindenbrock and his nephew Axel took...
(straight out of Jules Verne's novel!)

Gummy has us turn off our flashlights...
With the flashlights off, we were in complete blackness...the total absence of light!

Back into the light we visited two small towns, Hellner and Arnastapi, along the coast with beautiful formations along the beach between them.  The boys and I stopped to view a few of them, then drove to lunch while Matt walked the full 2.5K to meet us. 

Arnastapi also has a natural harbor which makes it a great fishing port-

Only part of the day's catch

Songhellir Cave-
once inside the acoustics are perfect for making beautiful melodies...or just loud echoing noise!

See the split in the mountain...this leads to Raudfeldsgia (Red Gorge)...
We want to go there!

Once inside the split, there is a small stream flowing through that leads up to the gorge- you must follow, i.e. climb, the steam to reach the view-
We are prepared with all our waterproof gear and an extra measure of adventure-

It is steep and narrow...
and raining!

Following the light...

We trekked as far as we could go...
It is difficult to tell from this photo but the rope was out of reach & I decided that it was a bit too frayed looking to test...it was a long & rocky way back down!

Maybe next time Raudfeldsgia!

All of our efforts weren't for naught... Nash became this woman's hero when he fetched her glasses from the mountian!

Londrangar Volcanic Plug & Pufubjarg Cliffs

The church at Ingjaldsholl-
the oldest concrete church in Iceland

All of the beaches we have seen in Iceland have been black...
This beach at Skardsvik is called the "white" beach.

**At the beginning of this post I mentioned that the weather was better today...scratch that.  This afternoon the gale force winds and rain moved back in!

This lighthouse marks the most western point of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula-

The black & white birds are Brunnich's Guillemot-
This cliff in Iceland is the most southerly place you will see them. They do not make nests but lay their eggs on the bare ledge!

Stone bridge...

We drive back to the guesthouse because we have had a FULL day but also because the weather is just yucky...
...but I guess not bad enough for these crazy golfers staying with us!