Travel

This was only 5 minutes before I took my photo. See how quickly the light is lost?!

When I take my swimsuit photos in the freezing winters of Iceland, I am usually so cold that I can’t feel anything anyway, so it doesn’t bother me much, but this moment was different. This was the last photo I took from our South of Iceland trip. It was cold, windy, very super windy, and did I mention cold? I was already damp and wet from slipping into the waters of a semi-frozen river and never quite recovered from that.

Here’s the story. My daughter, her father, and I parked, and walked about 1 minute to the Black Sand Beach, Vík. As we walked, there were all sorts of warning signs about the wind speed, not to get too close to the ocean, and wearing proper shoes. Now, I know Iceland can get windy, but I thought to myself, “Is it really that dangerous?!”

It was sudden. The moment we stepped foot onto the beach, it was as if we stepped into a vortex. The unforgiving wind speed was like nothing I had felt in a really long time, in addition, it was cold and started to rain. People were dressed like they were about to submerse themselves in an ice cave. I had to cover my mouth to breathe. I stood there in slight disbelief-freezing, with my winter clothes on! With my clothes, I was as cold as people probably think I am when I take these swimsuit photos, but I’m not, but this time, I was actually that cold. I stood there thinking to myself, “No, this is silly, I can’t strip down into my swimsuit…No, no, no, we came this far, I can’t quit now…”

During that moment of internal struggle, the light hid behind the earth-it was almost pitch black. It was just 3:30PM (15:30) and we were loosing daylight by the seconds. I got close to the basalt columns, and voilà, that was the secret! The closer you get to the columns, the less wind and other elements you feel. I quickly changed out of my clothes, climbed as high as I could whilst keep safety as my main priority and smiled!

If you visit this area, be safe.

Skógafoss

We couldn’t get to Seljavallalaug (oldest swimming pool in Iceland) becuase parts of the stream we had to cross, weren’t frozen enough

Up close and personal with the Icelandic horses

Looking out from the entrance area of the oldest swimming pool in Iceland, Seljavallalaug

Peeking out from Gljúfrabúi, the hidden waterfall

What a journey! It was cold, wet, and windy. Sound familiar? Today was a day of lots of travel with my daughter and her pabbi. Together, we took a road trip through the South of Iceland. Many of these sights I had seen before, but never frozen. It was also the first time I experienced this with my daughter!

My daughter was working so hard! Here are a few photos from her long day of riding, grooming, and taking care of these Icelandic ponies.

New Years Eve bonfire, organized by the city of Reykjavík

Night photography is tough! It was quite difficult to capture the lights while making sure everything else didn’t appear to be pitch black.

I frequent Iceland quite a bit, but this trip was pretty special! My agenda was heavy with many logistical tasks and to-do’s but everything can’t be planned. I spent my New Years with family and friends while the Northern Lights came out to play! I couldn’t have planned a more magical night as sometimes in Iceland, you never know what you are going to get. Happy New Year!

Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre

The days are short in Iceland during winter, and I happen to be here during the darkest time. Daylight is at about 11AM, and  night falls at about 3:30PM. I have seen Harpa from the outside many times, as it’s right in Downtown, but had never been inside. I had the place all to myself as I arrived just a bit before midnight.