0501 Blue Lagoon to Skogafoss

26^th April 2016

Auks, Mud Pools, and Waterfalls

Slept like a log in my new house, and after a quick breakfast I headed off to Valahnukur on the coast, where I found not only lava fields, but also dramatic cliffs and layers of lava ending right at the water, with amazing shapes and patterns.  There is also an island just off the coast which has thousands of seabirds nesting on it, and then further offshore, invisible in the misty rain that was falling, is the sialnd of Eldey, home to the largest colony of gannets in the world.  Additionally the island is famous for being the scene of the death of the last Auk in 1844.  There is a statue to this last Auk, among the stunning rock formations on the coast.

0500 Off to Iceland !

25^th April 201

Finally on my way

I am sitting in Gatwick airport waiting for my flight to Reykjavik, and it has been a busy few weeks of preparation as well as saying farewell to the people who have put me up, put up with me, fed me, given me a bed, and generally gone beyond the call of duty to make space in their lives for me, and make me feel at home. This  is primarily my sister Margaret down in Miford, and my long time buddy John Skidmore and his wife Di  (and their top cat Percy !) up in Effingham.  Without Margaret and Di’s wonderful culinary skills I would have starved, and without Skid’s trout fishing expertise my diet would have been much more mundane.  And when this is combined with the frequent  visits to the pub for a pint of Guinness, or the liberal opening of great wines (and other alcoholic beverages), everything combined to make me feel so very welcome – And I now have a paunch to prove it !   Thank you SO much to everyone. As always, words are insufficient.