During his Icelandic adventure with Helen and Traff they took a ferry ride to the island of Hrísey in Eyjafjörður, although it was a bit misty so they could have been going anywhere!
It had cleared up by the time they set off on a walk. The island is a nesting site for approximately 40 species of bird, including ptarmigan, arctic tern and common eider. There is a good article, with lovely photographs of the birds, here.
The next photo shows drying racks where fish is dried to make harðfiskur. Cod, haddock, or wolffish are the most common examples of this Icelandic staple. Only the heads remain in this shot:
Back on the mainland Helen, Traff & Ike drove to Akureyri – the largest town outside the greater Reykjavík area and visited the botanical gardens:
Here is Akureyrarkirkja, the church of Akureyri, which was designed by Iceland’s first State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson, who also designed the famous Hallgrímskirkja in Reykyavik. In fact the church at Akureyri almost looks like a practice piece for Hallgríms church:
One of the stained glass windows inside the church shows the moment when Iceland converted to Christianity in the year 999 or 1000, and a local waterfall, Goðafoss, which some stories say was the site of this conversion:
Goðafoss is a 12 metre high and 30 metre wide fall of the fourth longest river in Iceland, Skjálfandafljót. The source of the river is in the northwest of the Vatnajökull icecap in the Icelandic highlands, and then it runs through the Bárðardalur valley to its mouth in Skjálfandi bay.
Very interesting article.
Amazing biodiversity that is changing fast due habitat loss and Climate Change. Restoration work and weed control is happening which will necessary for preservation of resident species.