Itinerary
2008
- Sunday 29th June
School hall at Lysuhóll.
- Monday 30th June
Hostel at Grundarfjörður.
- Tuesday 1st July
Ferry. First night in hostel at Patreksfjörður.
- Wednesday 2nd July
Second night in hostel at Patreksfjörður.
- Thursday 3rd July
Hostel at Kirkjuból.
- Friday 4th July
Old boarding school at Reykjanes.
- Saturday 5th July
Trip out to Djúpavík. Hostel at a different Kirkjuból.
- Sunday 6th July
First night in hostel at Sæberg.
- Monday 7th July
Second night in hostel at Sæberg.
- Tuesday 8th July
First night in village hall at Breiðamýri near Laugar.
- Wednesday 9th July
Second night in village hall at Breiðamýri.
- Thursday 10th July
Third night in village hall at Breiðamýri.
- Friday 11th July
Across the interior. Hostel at Hólaskógur.
- Saturday 12th July
Final night in hostel in Reykjavík.
- Sunday 13th July
Return flight.
2013
- Friday 22nd February
5am start to catch coach to Heathrow. Watched Jedward check-in! Then Brian May was on our plane! Hotel Odinsve in Reykjavík.
- Saturday 23rd February
Drove east in the rain and mist, but weather cleared throughout the day, though always staying windy. Skógafoss (waterfall) then crashed DC-3. Lunch in Vík then afternoon on beach with sea stacks at Vík. Höfðabrekka Country Hotel near Vík.
- Sunday 24th February
Wet day with occasional brief lulls. Drove east across flood outflows and moss colonised Laki lava flows. After lunch quick visit to Breiðamerkursandur: bergs plus surf, then rain stopped play (again). Guesthouse Gerði.
- Monday 25th February
Rain. Drove east; lots of flooding. Beach and dunes at Stokksnes. Lunch in Höfn. Afternoon back at Breiðamerkursandur. Guesthouse Gerði.
- Tuesday 26th February
Rain in the morning. Turf roofed church at Hof. Breiðamerkursandur again, then Svínafellsjökull overlook. Guesthouse Gerði.
- Wednesday 27th February
Dawn at Jökulsárlón. Then after lunch trip into ice cave and onto glacier. Guesthouse Gerði.
- Thursday 28th February
Clear skies and no wind for dawn at Breiðamerkursandur. Move on back west via stops at Skeiðarársandur and the silence of the Laki lava (again) with the moss deadening sound like snow. Late afternoon/early evening at Reynisfjara just west of Vík. Hotel Hvolsvöllur.
- Friday 1st March
Drive to Reykjavík in rain and onto Snæfellsnes peninsula. Arnarstapi basalt cliffs. View from above hot tub hut. Sunset at Búðir church. After dinner aurora spotted and went out, first views over glacier then to Kirkjufell. A late night! Hotel Hellnar.
- Saturday 2nd March
Abandoned farm near Hellnar. Lighthouse at Malariff and Lóndrangar sea stack. Ólafsvík for lunch then return to hotel due to snow. Visualisation talk by David Ward. Late afternoon snow on beach at Hellnar. Hotel Hellnar.
- Sunday 3rd March
Snow covered dawn at Búðir church. Along to Lóndrangar sea stack and bird cliffs, then drive east in blizzard conditions. Detour via geothermal activity by lake and smell of sulpher. Sunset below lighthouse at Reykjanestá. Icelandair Hotel in Keflavík.
- Monday 4th March
Short tour of Reykjavík and viewing of Eliot Porter book. Lunch at Þrir Frakkar. Return flight and late night coach home.
2014
- Friday 21st February
Arrive. Overnight in Reykjavík.
- Saturday 22nd February
To Snæfellsnes peninsula; very windy going over Vatnaleið mountain pass. Kirkjufell (Clapp Mountain), lunch in Grundarfjörður, beach at Djúpalónssandur. First night at Hellnar.
- Sunday 23rd February
Dawn at Lóndrangar sea stack and Malariff lighthouse. Back to hotel for lunch. Brief wander down to the cove at Hellnar. Afternoon/sunset at Búðir (black church). Quick sunset overlooking Lóndrangar. Evening aurora at Arnarstapi then back to Búðir. Second night at Hellnar.
- Monday 24th February
Dawn at Arnarstapi (rock arch) then walked back along coast to Hellnar. Headed east with lunch on outskirts of Reykjavík. Onwards to Vík stopping at Skógafoss with views to E15. Hotel just outside Vík - started snowing.
- Tuesday 25th February
Head further east through dust storms. Stopping at the Kúðafljót bridge and the snow covered Laki lava. Lunch at petrol station. Jökulsárlón (lagoon) and Breiðamerkursandur (beach). Arrive Gerði.
- Wednesday 26th February
All morning and early afternoon in ice cave under Breiðamerkurjökull. Packed lunch in cave. Returned early to hotel to sleep - feeling ill - and missed out on sunset shoot at Breiðamerkursandur. Second night at Gerði.
- Thursday 27th February
Dawn at glacial lagoon below Fjallsjökull: Fjallsárlón. Lunch at Gerði museum. Afternoon and sunset at Stokksnes. Dinner in Höfn then back out to Stokksnes for aurora. Third night at Gerði.
- Friday 28th February
Dawn at Breiðamerkursandur. Lunch at petrol station again. Svínafellsjökull overlook (the glacier we walked on the previous year). Sunset on way back below Kvíárjökull. Final night at Gerði.
- Saturday 1st March
Dawn at Fjallsárlón again. Lunch at Gerði museum again. Drive to Vík under blue sky. Sunset at Reynisfjara beach/lagoon. Hotel just outside Vík again.
- Sunday 2nd March
Dawn at Dyrhólaey then back to Vík for breakfast then head west to Keflavík stopping at DC-3 at Sólheimasandur. Lunch at Rauða Húsið (Red House) in Eyrarbakki. Check-in at hotel then sunset at Reykjanestá with the smell of sulphur and seabirds. Overnight in Keflavík.
- Monday 3rd March
Lie in, lunch at the hotel then off to airport, Left on second attempt due to technical problem with first aircraft. Late home...
2015
- Saturday 12th September
Early start. Coach from Chepstow to Heathrow then flight to Keflavík. Overnight at Hilton Nordica Hotel in Reykjavík.
- Sunday 13th September
- Monday 14th September
Second night at Hrauneyjar Highland Motel.
- Tuesday 15th September
Crossed the Sprengisandur route. Reynihlid Hotel.
- Wednesday 16th September
Second night at Reynihlid Hotel.
- Thursday 17th September
Third night at Reynihlid Hotel.
- Friday 18th September
Forth night at Reynihlid Hotel.
- Saturday 19th September
- Sunday 20th September
- Monday 21st September
Overnight at Icelandair Hotel in Keflavík.
- Tuesday 22nd September
Early start. Flight from Keflavík to Heathrow then coach to Chepstow.