The plan was to drive around Iceland's Route One, or the Ring Road, starting from Reykjavik and taking the a clockwise direction. We had one diversion planned a day in Husavik on the north coast, the reason being to take a trip whale watching, and this involved us staying two days in Akureyri. The place names are going to be difficult to pronounce so address them like I do with your own pronounciation.
The trip measured a distance on google maps as just over 1600 kilometres, and here you can see the route we were proposing to take.
And so it was that we set off for Heathrow just after 4.00 am to catch our British Airways flight to Reykjavik, or to be more accurate Keflavik, the location of the international airport. The flight was uneventful, and arrived on time, we collected our bags and then the hire car that was to be pretty much our home for the trip. I had taken the opportunity to hire a 4x4 having driven some of the smaller roads before in Iceland.
Although we were staying in Reykjavik for the night we had plenty of time to explore the surrounding area, Iceland is one hour behind the United Kingdom so we had gained an hour on arrival so opted to head out to Þingvellir National Park. Driving was familiar, I could remember so of the roads we had traveled five years ago. The one thing that also remained with me was the fact that on every turn there was a different view, and pretty much guaranteed to be as good if not better than the one you had just seen.
After winding around rocks and hills and climbing up the sides of mountains we reached a peak where there were some wonderful views out across Þingvellir lake.
The water still and reflecting the moody sky that is created by the clouds rolling over the landscape. The lake is Iceland's largest at 84 square kilometres, and on our previous trip we had spent a considerable amount of time in this area, the views change throughout the day depending on the weather.
We drove on to the visitor centre, and after negotiating how to pay for the car parking, (everything is paid here by plastic!), and having a cup of coffee and something to eat. We walked to the view point that over looks the area.
Here is a rift valley caused by the meeting of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Þingvellir is a place where Iceland’s stark geological processes are playing out right in front of you; it is where the history of the nation truly began and where almost all its major historical events were made.
Iceland’s settlement by the Norse started with the arrival
of Ingólfur Arnarson in 874, and for the next 56 years,
the era was called ‘The Settlement Period’. Driven away from a newly united
Norway under King Harald Fairhair, many communities from many different clans
started to spring up all around the island’s shores.
District assemblies began to form, but the majority of the
power in the island was concentrated in the south-west, around Reykjavík, in
the hands of the descendants of Ingólfur. The settlers spread around the rest
of the country resented this, thus pushed for a general assembly to establish
how they could all live together harmoniousl.
A man called Grímur Geitskör was given the tasks of
gathering representatives from each clan and finding a suitable meeting
location. As is often the case with Norse history, this became a reality
through rather grim means. Just as Geitskör was searching, the man who owned a
sheltered piece of land accessible from all corners of the country was
convicted of murder, and his property turned public.
This location would become Þingvellir. While still clearly
more convenient to reach for the wealthy individuals of the south-west, it took
no more than seventeen days of travelling from the furthest reaches of the
east, so it was settled upon as the assembly’s site. In 930 AD, over thirty
ruling chiefs met for the first time to discuss law on the island and to create
a commonwealth.
It was at Þingvellir - which translates directly to ‘the
fields of parliament’ - where most of the major events in Iceland’s history
then started to occur. For example, it was here that the nation abandoned
Asatru, the Old Norse pagan belief system, in lieu of Christianity in 1000 AD,
due to the threat of Norwegian invasion. Nearly a millennium later, in 1944 AD,
it is where Icelanders declared their independence from Denmark and confirmed
their first President.
From the view point we headed down a slope between the towering walls of the rock that has been forced up by the tectonic plates. Through them you can see the vast plain and distant snow capped mountains.
Iceland is the only place in the world where this rift of the plates is
above sea-level, and nowhere can you see the edges of both plates as clearly as
in Þingvellir.
Everywhere you look the view is impressive, here a snow capped distant mountain.
A little way along the path is the waterfall Oxararfoss, and a pool where in those early days of parliament, executions were conducted.
The water from the falls flows down over more rocks and opens out on to a shallow pool. As we walked over the bridge Helen asked what the two ducks were by the shore. When I looked there was just one and it looked quite dark, then the other appeared, a stunning drake Harlequin Duck
Fortunately there was a path down the side of the bridge that led down close to the pool, and from here I was able to get some amazing close ups of the enigmatic duck.
Here the drake with the brown plumaged female, although still showing the white spot behind the eye and a white vertical line through the eye
The Harlequin Duck breeds on fast-flowing streams and
winters along rocky coastlines in the crashing surf. On our previous visit the only birds seen here on the pools at
Light was a problem, but it was possible to enjoy the slate
blue plumage, chestnut flanks, and streaks of white on its head and body. The
most distinctive markings on the head are a crescent-shaped white patch at the
base of the short bill and a round white ear patch.
Both were busy diving, snorkeling first by pushing the head under water, then diving and using the wings to swim under the water. They would then just bob up.
We stood watching as they dived, at times the drake would swim towards the duck and extend the neck, but there was no vocalisation, which was disappointing as they tend to have a squeaky call which has earned them the name of sea mouse.
Females and young birds lack the splendour of the drakes. The
female has plain, brownish-grey colouring that is darkest on its head, a white
patch extending below and in front of each eye, and a prominent white ear
patch. The belly is white with brown speckles. Young birds strongly resemble
the adult females.
Gradually they moved away, and into the darker water which made photography even harder.
Scanning around the pool there were in fact three pairs present, the other two on the far side of the pool
As I finally dragged myself away from the duck we had been watching I looked back to see one of the other drakes in front of the rocks and waterfall.
A White Wagtail appeared close to us, the White Wagtail breeds widely across continental Europe and in Iceland, while the Pied Wagtail in Britain and Ireland and the western coasts of Europe. Pieds are largely sedentary, while the White is highly migratory.
The area is full of deep fissures that have filled with crystal clear water. These can be very deep, and trips and tours use them for snorkeling and diving
Looking across the plain the starkness of the granite rock that forms a formidable wall where the plates meet was dominating the scene.
And large pools formed of shallow water on the flat plain.
As we walked around the pools we were accompanied by the sounds of Snipe above us performing there display flights. The display is called drumming, the noise coming from the extended tail feathers vibrating.
As well the breeding displays above us Snipe could be seen calling from prominent perches, a post of clump of grass.
On one of the bigger and deeper fissures what I though at first was a Goosander, but on closer study I believe is a Red-breasted Merganser, but with a partially white breast as opposed to the full breeding plumage red breast of the drake
We headed towards the Church that has been present since 1859, but my attention was taken immediately back to the water where a pair of Red-throated Divers were roosting. As I moved closer one lifted its head.
Another stunning bird that was not present at all when I was here before. The grey snake like head with the blood red throat patch, and matching red eye.
In the United Kingdom we have three commonly seen divers, mostly in the winter around the coasts. The Red-throated Diver is the smallest of these, can also be found breeding in the Scottish Flow country, which is similar habitat to these found here at Þingvellir.
Whilst having seen these divers in the UK, I had not seen them in full breeding plumage before, and have never been able to get so close.
The river ran down into the lake, and we crossed a bridge and then walk back on the other side of the river. The path took me even closer to the divers who were quite nonchalant about my presence.
Clearly just having woken up.
The Red-throated Diver is a monogamous species, forming long-term pair bonds. Both members of the pair help to build the nest,
incubate the eggs (generally two per clutch), and feed the hatched young.
This one's mate continued to snooze, but had one eye open watching its mate, and paddling every so often to keep close.
Its mate though performed beautifully.
As well as being the smallest of the divers or loons it is also the most widely distributed.
Moving between the white and dark green water that provided contrasting backgrounds.
It was clearly still tired.
We finally moved away from these beautiful birds and made our way up the main path, and the rocks of the rift valley. Walking back towards the visitor centre the granite rock of the wall framing the view across the lake.
From Þingvellir we headed back in to Reykjavik, and to our hotel on the Old Marina. We checked in, and then decided to explore the downtown area of the city, taking in the concert hall situated on the sea front. The concert and conference centre is known as Harpa and was designed by a Danish Architecture firm and in co-operation with Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur
Eliasson. The structure consists of a steel framework clad with geometric
shaped glass panels of different colours.
Everything underpinned by the natural shapes and creations of the basalt columns seen all around Iceland.
It was a stunning building. From the waterfront we headed downtown, where after walking the main street we found a bar and Happy Hour, which helped to offset the high price of alcohol, and then something to eat before returning to the hotel, where we got ourselves ready for the long journey ahead of us. Tomorrow the adventure starts.
No comments:
Post a Comment