We expect ice in Iceland. And where there’s ice, water follows—especially on land growing out of a thin spot in the earth’s crust, beneath which bubbles an endless supply of scorching magma. And then again, where water flows in sub-freezing air, we find more ice. It’s almost a closed loop.
Our first waterfall encounter was early in the morning on the north side of a miles-long ridge of snow-capped mountains. Seljalandsfoss (the “foss” means “falls,” so from here on I will drop the word falls.) actually drains the infamously unpronounceable Eyjafjallajökull volcano which, when it erupted in March 2010, closed down European air travel for several days. As if poured from a tea spout, water sheets over the lip of the cliff that once marked the coastline. Plummeting 200 feet to the utterly flat land below, the water proclaims independence from the rocky wall behind it, where a treacherously icy, but well-worn path encircles the falls. Dear readers, you have no idea how convincingly that ice-encrusted path beckoned me. I had rubber boots, a warm coat, hat, gloves, and tripod. What I needed was cleats and an ice-axe. I practically crawled on all fours to get closer to the ice-covered basin of the falls. My hands were frozen into claws that could barely hold a camera. My friend waited patiently in the car as my self argued with my other self. Common sense seized me by the collar and hauled me away from guaranteed disaster. Perhaps if it had been afternoon and the sun were shining and no one was waiting . . .Barely back on the Ring road, which circles the island, we marveled at many more falls of all sizes and shapes, all draining the glaciers of the highlands. Skógafoss was one of the more spectacular falls, due in part to the long staircase that leads to the top. My friend counted the stairs. I just puffed my way up.
During our horseback tour, we explored the Gullfoss area which is a vast flat grassland that cracks in two where the Hvítá River cleaves the granite to reveal a history of multiple volcanic eruptions.This canyon and falls were nearly obliterated by the proposed construction of a hydroelectric dam in the early 1900’s. Thanks to the forward thinking activism of one of the daughters of the men involved in the project, the dam became a rare environmental controversy with a happy ending.
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p style=”text-align:left;”>We squeezed in a quick flight to fjord area up north where on a cold, snowy and foggy day we saw Goðafoss, or Waterfall of the Gods, so named for the 10th Century law speaker who lobbied for Christianity by disposing of pagan deities in the ice-blue water.Perhaps in my next post I’ll talk about those charming little Icelandic Ponies!
Elmar Kölsch said:
und wir warten gerne auf den nächsten Reisebericht.
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rangewriter said:
Vielen Danke,Elmar! Mehr jetzt zu gekommen. (More yet to come.)
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btg5885 said:
Wow, many thanks for sharing. You have been a one person Iceland visitor bureau. All the best, BTG
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rangewriter said:
Yeah, I guess I’m going a bit haywire over Iceland, but it was a pretty big deal for me. So much to see and do and think about.
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shobi balti said:
nyce
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rangewriter said:
Thank you, Shobi!
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Glenda Hornig said:
WOW! Just WOW!!!! Love living vicariously through you!!
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rangewriter said:
Just call me your Avatar! 😉
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dinkerson said:
Beautiful pictures. I’m sorry that I’ve not stayed up on the trip, but did you go alone, or with friends? Your pictures make me wish I’d been along with you.
Great work here. I really like how you’ve introduced, or reconnected, your readers to such a beautiful area.
What an interesting history this place has.
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rangewriter said:
A friend came with me.
I’m glad I haven’t bored everyone to death by dragging out this little adventure. It was a pretty big deal for me and I was wildly impressed by the accomplishments of the Icelandic people.
Thanks, as always for your encouraging words.
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dinkerson said:
Never fear being boring. I think of you as a sort of inspiring person who finds adventure everywhere. Because you are so adventurous, it makes it all the more interesting that you’ve chosen to spend a while getting us in the know about this trip.
I’m all ears, and plan to go back and read a bit of what I’ve missed.
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rangewriter said:
There will be more, I suspect! 😉
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rangewriter said:
There will be more, I suspect. 😉
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Kathy said:
Wow! Spectacular!!!!
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rangewriter said:
Thank you! Glad you liked.
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deansgreatwahoo said:
Wow, Rangewriter. What a great introduction to the falls of Iceland. Hadn’t seen them before. Very beautiful and a highlight of the trip I’d think. Thanks!
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rangewriter said:
Yeah, there’s water everywhere there.It takes many forms, spewing straight up like a prone giant having a spitting contest, bubbling in hot pots like a witche’s cauldron, tumbling over rocks, freezing, melting, and then there are the tides: in and out and in…
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Playamart - Zeebra Designs said:
possibly like lucy and ethyl, i would have been crawling/freezing over that ice with you!
how beautiful is the frozen landscape, but the weather’s perfect here, and i’ll appreciate it even more today!
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rangewriter said:
Perspective! Even though I’m not happy with the inversion over my valley, It is warmer here, and not as dark as it would be if I were in Iceland right now.
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Doreen Pendgracs said:
Totally breath-taking photos! The video shows us just how massive those falls must be, as the people are truly dwarfed in its presence. I don’t have a strong desire to visit Iceland as ice and snow are where I want to get away FROM, not TO, but I do appreciate why so many people cannot resist its draw. Thx for sharing!
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rangewriter said:
Iceland is not for everyone. I can understand that. That’s kind of how I feel about equatorial countries. Would be cool to experience, but not sure I’d be up to the heat and humidity.
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bronxboy55 said:
One of the most important things we can learn in life is how to live. You seem to have figured it out, at least to a great degree. I love following you around.
Happy New Year, Linda.
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rangewriter said:
I’m glad, Charles. I’m honored to have you in my wake. 😉 Happy 2014 to you, too.
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Nel said:
These shots are breathtaking, Linda. 🙂
I particularly liked the one of Skogafoss with a rainbow.
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rangewriter said:
Thanks, Nel. Yes, Skogafoss is very photogenic. And we were lucky with the light.
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Dia said:
I’m finally getting a chance to read all your Iceland posts…been saving them up for a quiet morning. The photographs are incredible Linda…no wonder editing/sorting/selecting/displaying them consumed so much of your life. Although wasn’t it also a great way to continue savoring the adventure? I’m fascinated by this place and wish I could join that one reader who’s studying medieval history and Old Norse at the University!!! Right up my alley, that one.
I was thinking of you the other day when we went to see the movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The cinematography is stunning and covers parts of Greenland and Iceland. I immediately recognized the Ring Road from your description and there’s a hysterically funny scene that revolves around pronouncing that unpronounceable volcano you mentioned. I think I’m going to see it again soon…an excellent movie for all sorts of reasons…and would love company if you feel like it.
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allesistgut said:
Breathtaking shots. And the light is so awesome and warm. I love that. Thanks for stoping by and support my blog so often. I wish you all the best for 2014. Have a really nice day. 🙂
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