OLD ROADS, CHURCHES, AND A FARM VISIT IN NORTHERN ICELAND

This photo (L) is Akureyri in Northern Iceland from half-way up the ski area on the mountain behind the town. I took it this morning and it needs no further comment. I have quickly learned to love this region of contrasts and immense natural beauty.

Akureyri lies at the southern end of a 60kms fjord called Eyjafjordur. Ocean-going cruise ships call here on their "Round Iceland" voyages and offer the same shore excursions as I have done. Today, though, a smaller cruise ship was alongside carrying about 100 pax — a far cry from 3000+!!

Today was Nonni Travel's tour called
"Akureyri and Surroundings." This sounds boring but turned out to be four hours of nature, fascination, and animals. Ana, my private guide, started by showing me round the town, which is small. The residential streets are pretty below the mountains and Ana showed me some of the earliest homes and the Nonni House, which is now a museum about the famous Jesuit priest,  Jón Sveisson, who wrote children's stories and sagas. I saw the more recently-built residential area half-way up the mountain behind. Up we went to the ski hill where I shot the first image. The sun was bright and made for a great photo.

Arctic Cotton Brush

Then we crossed the causeway to the eastern slopes of the fjord and onto the "Old road." I was in for a treat. The winding, gravel road took me high into the mountains and over top into a valley I'd not seen yesterday. I saw late wild flowers and low berry bushes, moss and lichen. Again I marvelled at the fall colours this high up at about 1200 feet.

The valley was dressed in lavenders and  purple on the high slopes and the U-shaped valley floor was golden, interspersed with emerald farm fields. This is dairy and sheep farming country and is prosperous, though the photo (L) doesn't show the farms.

The gravel road was well graded and shaggy sheep were down in the fields and potatoes grew here. Eventually we came to the Eyeafjordur again where the alluvial fan of the river spread out widely. Along the east were more farms and here we soon stopped at Polar Hestar Riding Tours. The farmer of Grytubakki II, Stefan, welcomed me

L-R: Annaliese, James, Ana, and Stefan

personally and took me into his home for coffee and delicious homemade cakes. Here I met his employee, Annaliese, from Germany who is the riding tour guide and an accomplished artist. Both spoke excellent English and Stefan had a remarkable dry wit. I learned that he has 130 Icelandic horses, all broken and trained, and 250 sheep. Each ewe produces twins every April/May and he raises them for wool and meat. Their long, shaggy wool is sheared every March and late September. The horses stay out all winter growing long coats, but the sheep are brought inside.

I met their bottle lamb, Lollipop, who had to be bottle-fed after her mother died giving birth. Lollipop thinks she's a sheepdog! The farm also has three dogs, cats, and several rabbits and hens.

Then I walked down to the field where fifty of the horses were grazing. They are pony-size and very strong and sturdy. Also curious and gentle. Icelandic horses are all colours and some have blue eyes; they are descended from the old Nordic horses that arrived with the Vikings, along with the sheep. Both are unique breeds, kept pure by Iceland's strict laws.



I found the horses polite. An odd choice of word for sure, but perfect. They stand quite still and let you pat and stroke them, and never toss their heads, shy, or tread on one's feet. I adored them and want to come back and ride one. My time in the field was all too short and goodbyes were tough to say.


My next stop was at an old and tiny Lutheran church on the shore of the fjord. Inside was a 16th century pulpit —wooden, carved and painted. Ana,
who is a member of five choirs in Akureyri, gave me an impromptu concert here. Her voice was pitch-perfect and entrancing as she sang some Icelandic hymns. Next door were some genuine turf houses, one of which was the pastor's home until the 1950s.

The four hours were nearly over and I couldn't believe it could feel so short. But I had seen and done a lot, thanks to Nonni Travel and Promote Iceland who arranged the tour. My final view was of Eyeafjordur looking out to the North Atlantic.

IMAGES: © Photos by Pharos 2014. All rights reserved

NORTHERN ICELAND IS HOT...!

Typical old lava field and cinder cone

My ten-hour tour of northern Iceland was stellar in every respect: remote, contrasts, nature's power, desolate, and sunshine.

Saga Travel gave me their Diamond Circle tour that travelled 300kms through terrain that changed round every corner: Farmland, ancient and modern lava fields, lakes, their two biggest waterfalls, geothermal activity, and glens. Some of the roads were very rough with potholes and deep washboard surfaces that just about loosened every filling in my teeth. The wind blew strong and very cold, so my scarf, hat, and gloves were essential outside the van.

Saga's tour was essentially private, with only one other, my hubby, and our terrific Icelandic guide "Paul" who was knowledgeable and fun. We were all firm friends at the end. To some extent, Paul customized the tour to fit our interests and need for photography. One participant typified the ancient and modern for me. We were driving through a region with two houses in 100kms and he was Facetiming his mother in New York. Charles introduced me to her and we conversed, then he showed her the wild landscape out of the van's windows. Even in the remotest areas, Iceland has strong cell signals. Hilarious!

At every stop, there were spotless, flush toilets. Iceland is clean, clean, clean everywhere. Icelanders are an independent, hard working people who are very proud of their country.

The easiest way to show the story of this tour is with some images, rather than a long text post. So here are a few:

 
Iceland's top two waterfalls: Godafoss (L) and Dettifoss (R). The roaring waters of both are deafening. The hike to Dettifoss from the carpark is steep and tricky, but worth it. Hiking boots are the safest footwear and the spray blows over cameras if the wind changes.

High up in a remote plateau is a hot spot — fumaroles that roar, mud that boils, and cracks in the hills. Spectacular!

The Icelandic horses and sheep are unique breeds to Iceland and they are kept pure by law. No other breeds are allowed on the island.


The northern coast has cliffs, mountains, and islands. Puffins breed here (R) and on an uninhabited island in the spring so I didn't see any. Here too the earth's crust is thin and the European and North American tectonic plates are splitting apart by earthquakes and about 2cms per year. The last earthquake changed the course of the river from Dettifoss.





On the delta, are many sheep farms. At this time of year the flocks are gathered from the mountains and brought down to fields by the farms for the second shearing. They winter in barns.

Tomorrow we do the tour of Akureyri and its surrounding countryside and the fjord. Can't wait.

IMAGES: Photos by Pharos 2014. All rights reserved.