D&D Travel presents a collection of 32 images of the Land of Fire and Ice - Iceland. We hope you enjoy these photographs, taken in January, 2014 and that they might inspire you to visit this exotic country...Let us help you plan your journey!           

 - Dennis and Donna                         [home]

images © copyright 2014, Dennis A. Hubbs, D&D Travel Services, LLC

Downtown Reykjavik, seen from atop the Perlan (Pearl) - a Reykjavik landmark and a combination hot-water storage facility, revolving restaurant and museum a short distance from the local airport...

At Reykjavik Harbor, the Höfði House was the site of the famous 1986 summit meeting between Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, which is considered to have marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War...

Solfar (Sun Voyager) Sculpture at Reykjavik Harbor in early afternoon

On the far north coast of Iceland lies the largest city in the area - Akureyri. Above is Akureyrarkirkja - The Church of Akureyri (1940 - Lutheran) - with its 3,200-pipe organ!

Above and next two images below: The streets of downtown Akureyri - dubbed the "Capital of North Iceland" - with a population of about 18,000...

Seen from our hotel window as a car passes by, is the public swimming complex in Akureyri, with its outdoor and indoor geothermal pools and hotubs. Even the smallest of villages usually has its own pool, used all year and in all weather as a gathering spot for locals and visitors, much like the local pubs in Ireland...

Eyjafjörður - the longest fjord in Iceland, at about 36 miles. Seen above is the town of Dalvíkurbyggð, to the north of Akureyri. The fjord opens to the Norwegian Sea a bit farther north.

Colorful buildings along a local street in Reykjavik reminds one of an Irish village!

A lovely mural covers the side of a small building in downtown Reykjavik...

Svarta Kaffi - A great place for a soup-and-bread lunch, along Laugavegur - one of the main shopping streets in downtown Reykjavik...

From our hotel window at the Icelandair Hotel Natura, situated at Reykjavik's downtown airport, a snowstorm blankets the runways on a cold January evening...

Part of the Golden Circle Tour, Lake Thingvallavatn lies in Thingvellir National Park in Southwest Iceland. The area is known for its historical and geological significance. The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen in the cracks and faults (see next three images below) which traverse the area...

Iceland's Parliament (or Alþingi) was established at Thingvellir in 930AD and remained there until 1798...

Above and next three images below: Gullfoss - "Golden Waterfall" - another of Iceland's most popular attractions. It is also part of the "Golden Circle" tour...Gullfoss lies along the river Hvítá, with its source - the Lángjökull glacier, about 24 miles to the north. The aqua-blue color of the river and falls is due to glacial deposits suspended in the water, just as in Alaska and in Montana's Glacier National Park for example, where glaciers feed the rivers and streams...

In Southwest Iceland, at Selfoss, lies Geysir Hot Springs and Geothermal Field. Here one can witness the power of hot water bursting forth from beneath the earth - in the form of geysers, boiling mud pots, steaming streams and steam vents! There are about 30 geysers and hot pools in the area...

Strokkur - one of the more active geysers - erupts about every 5 to 12 minutes or so, spewing water and steam to about 90 feet. Great Geysir, nearby, erupts far less frequently and is sometimes confused with Strokkur...

Bacteria and algae color the hot springs runoff...

A boiling hot spring at Geysir...

Above and below: Moss-covered lava fields and fissures along the Reykjanes Peninsula in Southwest Iceland...

Above and final two images below: Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon - a geothermal spa filled with ice-blue mineral-laden warm-to-hot water. It was actually formed accidentally (!) in 1976 during the operation of the geothermal power plant (see below) and has been expanded significantly over the years. Visitors the world-over come to bathe in the healing waters and to apply silica mud. We suggest you make the spa a day visit in the middle of your trip, rather than trying to experience it on arrival or on your way to the airport at vacation's end! That way, you'll not be rushed, as most transfers to/from Reykjavik that include the Blue Lagoon do not allow nearly enough time to enjoy the place! The lagoon is about a twenty-minute drive from Keflavik - Iceland's International airport, where you'll arrive and depart on your tour...

Thanks for visiting...We'd love your feedback! Email us at any time!

- Dennis and Donna Hubbs

     

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