Our trip to Iceland – by Alan Campbell
Michele & I visited Iceland for our second time back in Feb 2019. We had been there previously in 2015 but we missed so many things that we knew we had to plan another visit to get around many more of the amazing sights that we wanted to cover.
The first thing that we decided was that this time we wouldn’t stay in a Hotel for the duration. Instead we opted to rent an apartment. We also hired a car to ensure that we could go where we wanted when we wanted, rather than having to stick the schedule of the organised tours.
Top of our list was the South coast with all the magnificent scenery it has to offer, from mighty waterfalls cascading over volcanic landscapes to the dramatic “Diamond Beach” with its jewel like ice formations found just lying around on the sand at the edge of the ocean.
Unfortunately, after a 6 hour drive from Reykjavik and an overnight stay in an Air B&B, the weather put paid to a lot of the plans for the second day.
We went to a costal town to the North west of Reykjavik called Akranes and on the way there we went through a tunnel that is more than 4 kilometres down which was an experience in itself! On the way we stopped to photograph the Icelandic ponies which can be seen in the fields by the side of the road. They are such hardy animals living in the open in the severe conditions of sub-arctic Iceland.
A trip round Reykjavik has to include the Hallgrimskirkja church and the view from the top of the tower over Reykjavik is amazing. Close by is the Sun Voyager by Jon Gunnar Arnason. The artist intended it to convey the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom.
There are many fascinating buildings in Reykjavik and the Harpa concert Hall is one of many. There are also lots of houses and shops that have murals and strange designs too.
We then took a trip to another “must see” location further north and west, the Snaefellsnes peninsula, where amongst many other sights is the Kirkjufell Mountain and the Black Church at Budhir which are both high on the list to see for many visitors. Finally, on the last day I was able to get a few shots of a lighthouse on the outskirts of Reykjavik called Grotta. There were also lots of birds around this area which was nice to see. I do hope we can get back someday as there is so much more still to be seen and I would highly recommend a visit, especially if you are looking to combine a holiday with the opportunity to photograph some amazing scenery.
