The country discovered by the first Viking settlers in the late 9th century A.D. was a terra incognita, a virgin land. Seafaring Celtic monks may have reached Iceland ahead of the Norsemen but the material evidence for this is equivocal. In any case, these hermits sought solitude rather than a new land to claim and colonise.
Day 1 - Munich to Reykjavík
First impressions
hætta! hot & Stinky - sulfur springs
Day 2 - Reykjavík - Flúðir
Gullfoss, Þingvellir and the Geysir - The Golden Circle
Day 3 - Flúðir, Syðra Langholt
Vanessa & Simon on the Saga Trail of Iceland
Most of the first Icelandic settlers worshipped the pagan pantheon of gods and goddesses: Þór, Óðinn, Freyr, Freyja and others.
Day 4 - Flúðir - Kirkjubæjarklaustur
What's not quite captured in the pictures, it was the rainiest and windiest day yet. Up on the hill we even lost our camera lid. It was literally blown away.
Day 5 - Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður - The largest National Park in Iceland
Day 6 - Kirkjubæjarklaustur - Hoffell
Glacier hike on the Vatnajökul in Skaftafell
Jökulsárlón - The glacier lagoon
Day 7 - Hoffell - Egilsstaðir
Höfn - our favourite town so far
Öxi pass - our shortcut to Egilsstaðir
Day 8 - Egilsstaðir
Egilsstaðir is the largest "town" in the East of Iceland with around 2300 inhabitants.
Hiking in the East of Iceland
What a hike! Believed an easygoing 2-hour-walk, it ended up being an intense 5-hour-climbing experience.
Day 9 - Egilsstaðir - Mývatn
Heritage Museum, Puffins & Midnight Sun
Our longest and most varied day so far.
Heritage Museum, Egilsstaðir
Seyðisfjörður
the only harbour to transfer cars from Denmark to Iceland via ferry
Hafnarhólmi Island, Borgarfjarðarhöfn
Puffin, Fulmar, Kittiwake and Common Eider.
Meet the Puffins...
Midnight Sun
when you can see sun and moon at the same time
DAY 10 - Mývatn
Most beautiful weather in and around Mývatn. In some pictures you may question if we are really in Iceland...
Day 11 - Lake Mývatn & Húsavík
Riding the fat bike, we were further discovering the scenic landscape of the East. Our guide showed us many fascinating spots on our way to the nature baths. We got introduced to a natural steam cave and natural steam holes. Before diving into the perfectly warm bath we tried bread in a bucket (that is baked in the steam holes :)) with butter and smoked trout.
Day 12 - Mývatn - Varmahlíð Bakkaflöt
Akureyri - 4th largest city in Iceland
DAY 13 - Bakkaflöt - Stóra-Ásgeirsá
Rafting on a glacier river
Skagaströnd - break & trampoline
Day 14 - Stóra-Ásgeirsá - Grundarfjörður
The Farm of Stóra-Ásgeirsá
Peninsula Vatnses - Borgarvirki, Hvítserkur
The Heiðarvíga saga tells of Barður Guðmundarsson and his quarrel with the Borg Fridingen. He is credited with the construction of the Borgarvirki.
According to an Icelandic Saga, the rock is a Troll, which was petrified by the sun when he cast stones with the Þingyrar monastery.
Day 15 - Grundarfjörður - Borgarnes
Djúpalónssandur - the Black Lava Pearl Beach
Ytri Tunga Beach
Day 16 - Borgarnes - Reykjavík
Cave Víðgelmir - Iceland ́s largest and most spectacular Cave
Hraunfossar & Barnafossar
Day 17 - Independence day in Reykjavík
Sea Angling
Day 18 - Reykjavík - Munich
Reykjavík Street Art
Now it is official, WE ARE ICELANDIC!
