An Early Arrival in AKUREYRI

Dawn and we cruised up Iceland’s longest fjord, Eyjafjordur to dock at the small town of Akureyri. Like most of Iceland’s towns and villages it seems to be brand new and of course spotlessly clean.  It is also our most northerly port of call….

To my surprise much of Iceland, apart from the snow covered mountains, has been green and lush.  Trees are being planted and forests spreading elsewhere it seems to provide good grazing for cattle.  Ponies are everywhere as are the sheep….but we have been warned NEVER to let an Icelandic Farmer hear us refer to their Iceland Horses as Ponies.

But that lush green is soon  to disappear as today we head for the volcanic larva fields.  Dimmuborgir (The Dark City) a nature reserve surrounding some fantastic volcanic rock formations, where perhaps Trolls used to live!  Onwards to Lake Myvatn (Lake of the Midges) and the craters of Skutustadir, an area where the landscape is covered in sunken but solid craters.  The scale is enormous and you need the horizon to provide a sense of scale.

But our Volcanic excursion started at Namaskard Geothermal Springs….large ‘mud pots’ that bubble with molten mud and constantly hiss with steam emitting an awful sulphur stench….and strange as it seems it was not just dramatic but also attractive in a primeval way  (it was also in this area that Nasa Astronauts came to train before the Lunar landings).   Next to the Mud Pots is a thermal bathing pool, just one of many in this region.  So take a look at these contrasting locations…..

In Iceland you are never far from a waterfall.  The snow and glacial melt provides a continual flow of water…..every cliff and gorge has a fall but some are spectacular in their own right.  One such must see is the Godafoss Falls (The Falls of God)…majestic, dramatic, inspiring and also very noisy!…

All too soon we are cruising back up the fjord, the only company being a lone fishing boat and of course those wonderful mountains….

The Arctic Circle must be crossed so northwards we go and at 22.15hr on the 25th July, with a weak and watery sunset, we cross the line into Arctic Waters off the cost of Grimsey Island…..

And here is the certificate to prove it!

26th July

© David Oakes 2015

Apologies to any one making comments of recent blogs and expecting a reply or acknowledgement.  Signal drop means that I am only posting and not browsing….I will catch up in due course…so can I just say thanks.

Posted via Maritime Links on mobile phone.