Chapter Five

This is the 11 Jun 2001 edition of this page

	        Hill Walks and Icebergs 

                     ICELAND - 1994

Iceland is a great place for WALKS of a variety of types.

Thus it was, on the 28th day of June, in the year 1994, that I set out in a coach heading eastwards from the EDDA Hotel, at Kirk...jarkluster, and headed for the Skaftafell National Park. Before getting very far, we stopped at a basaltic outcrop and took some photos.

I also changed films at this point, being unhurried. On arrival at the Skaftafell National Park, I commenced my walk with a Norfolk couple, Keith and his wife, for quite a while. Then, higher up and several waterfalls later, I continued my walk with an older lady from Long Island (New York). We continued to walk and chat, up to Svartifoss - arriving at its top.



I then descended with her to the foot of the falls for some photos (her guy was still on the coach - not being fit enough for these, to me, mild hills). After several photos we rejoined a group and continued, together with another friend I'd met earlier - a bloke from Brazil's Rio de Janeiro!!.

Back on our 4-wheel-drive coach we headed further eastwards where we stumbled upon a school where the pupils were on holiday (all SEVEN of them!)- it was here where we stayed for lunch!! [So I fibbed about stumbling across it!! Yes, - we were pre-booked] Whilst there, I chatted with my RIO friend - as well as a German foursome. One of their women was best at her English - so I put my questions to her. The Brazilian's wife was at home, she being a Professor of Mathematics!!

We continued after lunch further eastwards, still, to the fabulous JOKULSALON which is a lagoon into which chunks of the large icecap break off and float around. We went for a small-boat ride


amongst the icebergs thus created. This was deemed by me as one of the highlights of the exploration - just two of the many photos are now included.



On returning to our hotel, we made a little detour to see a glacier in close-up AND, doing what all IMPORTANT visitors to Iceland do, planted a set of birch-trees in our village (nominally one each, but in practice we did about a dozen each!) Bearing in mind the scarcity of trees in their Country, you can imagine how important that gesture is!!.

Return, now, to Icelandic index for reorientation.


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