Iceland: March 10, 2013

We traveled quite a bit by car today. Starting out from Geysir we headed south to the ring road (Rte. 1) and then east past Vik and on to Skaftafell.

Vik, Iceland’s southern most village, lies in an area that would be completely flooded from the glacial melt when Katla erupts.  The church provides the only possible high ground. Photos of the black sand beach and sea stacks from Vik fill the web, so it can be hard to capture something unique here. The challenge was compounded by the wind blown sand and snow pelting the front element of the lens.

We spent a great deal time near Skaftafell during the week. The approach photos show Iceland’s highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur. Notice the end of the glacier in middle of those photos; at sunset that is where we were for our first images of the Svínafellsjökull outlet.

After dinner we headed further east to shoot the Auroa Borealis over Fjallsárlón.

Icelandic Horses love to pose for photographers.

Núpsstaður there are remarkable old buildings that are believed to be typical for farms in Iceland in past centuries. The most noteworthy of these is the chapel, one of few remaining turf churches in the country.

Vík is Iceland’s most southerly village and one of the most popular tourist sites in Iceland.

Black sand beach at Vik

Sea stacks at Vik

Hvannadalshnúkur is a peak in the north-western rim of the Öræfajökull volcano in Iceland and the highest point of the island. 2,109.6 metres (6,921 ft)

Svínafellsjökull is blue glacial outlet from Öræfajökull.

Svínafellsjökull

More images from Iceland can be found in my gallery.