Iceland- the East

Evening on the outwash plains near Hornafjörður hFF folks!

Looking towards Vatnajökull from the outwash plains of Hornafjörður

HFF!

Während der Brutzeit verteidigen Küstenseeschwalben sehr aggressiv ihre Nester. Beim Durchqueren von Brutgebieten empfiehlt es sich, einen Stock/ Schirm o.ä. hochzuhalten, eine stabile Kopfbedeckung schadet auch nicht. Die Vögel können mit ihrem Schnabel üble Wunden am Kopf zufügen. www.bfn.de/artenportraits/sterna-paradisaea en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_tern

Öræfajökull, seen here from Höfn across Hornafjörður, is the most SE point of Iceland and has always been a landmark for sailors. The name means "wasteland glacier" and denotes both the glacier and the stratovolcano lying underneath it. Looks are deceptive, Öræfajökull is thought to be Europe's 2nd largest stratovolcano after Etna with a massive 600-700m deep ice filled caldera and an altitude of 2110m, making it Iceland's highest mountain. The white flowers in the foreground are Angelica sylvestris (see note), www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/en/areas/skaftafell/interpretation-and-knowledge/about-oraefajokull de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96r%C3%A6faj%C3%B6kull

View from Ósland/ Höfn over Hornafjörður towards Vatnajökull Höfn has one of the very few harbours along Iceland's South coast (the others are on Vestmannaeyjar and at Grindavík), sheltered by two narrow spits. Looking S towards the lighthouse and harbour entrance

...too cold and windy to sit on that day, but with great views. HBM!

One of the many outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull seen from Höfn, two more in the notes. www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/en/areas/hornafjordur/interpretation-and-knowledge/about-hoffell All are retreating at a rapid rate though Vatnajökull itself due to its enormous size of 8100 km² is expected to still be in existence by the end of the century. It might be the only Icelandic glacier left by then if mankind doesn't manage to get a grip on itself - which sadly doesn't look likely after Cop27.-( Skálafellsjökull Heinabergsjökull

seen from Höfn Vestrahorn consists of gabbro and granophyr, it was once part of the magma chamber of a long extinct volcano.

On the spit sheltering the lagoon of Lónsfjörður from the open sea. Apart from the many attractive pebbles (among them semi precious stones like jasper) there is also plenty of birdlife- thousands of whooper swans in the lagoon and seabirds like fulmars, puffins and guillemots out at sea. Lónsfjörður not every young swan survives, ravens and skuas also want to live... Fulmarus glacialis

on a stormy day. The day before there was a storm surge that inundated parts of the south coast and caused quite some damage.

Etwas Abkühlung gefällig?

Lónsfjördur is a brackish lagoon, separated from Lónsvík by a narrow spit. In summer there are thousands of whooper swans and wading birds. Lónsvík after a storm: Bay, spit and lagoon on a calm day in summer:

11,5m high Hvalnes Lighthouse was built in 1954 and has been in operation since 1955. It stands on the cape below Eystrahorn, to the west are Lón lagoon and Vestrahorn.

Eystrahorn ( 756m) lies at the eastern end of Lón lagoon and just like Vestrahorn at the western end is part of an ancient volcano, consisting of gabbro and granophyr. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krossanesfjall

The unstable rhyolite screes of Mælifell mountain are traversed by the ring road. In former times this passage was feared for its frequent landslides and slippery surfaces but now the road has been considerably improved. The coastline with its small sandy coves and black lava beaches displays the plumbing of an ancient, long extinct volcano laid open by water erosion.

34 sculptures by Sigurður Guðmundsson in Gleðivík Bay at Djúpivogur show the eggs of 34 bird species nesting in the area. Recently the Guardian ran an article about Djúpivogur and it's cittaslow status- 3 years after the fact, as Icelandic papers promptly pointed out;-)

Something cool on the hottest day of the year so far- HFF!