So here we are arriving in Iceland, the land of Fire and Ice, Myth and Magic.
“Iceland is so stunningly beautiful, everywhere one looks is the chance for a wonderful experience and of course an amazing photo too. It all looked so magical and truly a dream come true, a chance of a life-time.
Many adventures and experiences lay ahead of us, some magical and some a bit of the ‘living on the edge’ kind!”
DAY EIGHT:
TUESDAY 31st OCTOBER: Arrive in Iceland! We disembarked at the town of Seydisfjordur in the eastern region of Iceland, at the innermost region of the fjord with the same name. There is a very high mountain road pass to take one in and out of the area; a mountain pass that in the day to come we would become very familiar with as the snows set in upon the mountain tops. The whole village is surrounded by mountains and is a very scenic area.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sey%C3%B0isfj%C3%B6r%C3%B0ur
SEYOISFJAROARKIRKJA: SEYDISFJORDUR: This very charming blue church can be clearly seen just as one disembarks off the ferry, it’s in a pretty little area with many colourful buildings, and the church it’s-self is very popular with tourists. After a storm in 1894, the church was rebuilt, but in 1989 a fire broke out, after which it was renovated. Sadly it was locked, but we had a nice stroll around (fresh off the ferry) and seeing one or two interesting objects.
https://www.east.is/en/place/seydisfjardarkirkja
Those of you who follow our Grail Quests on a regular basis will realize it’s not the church, cathedral or the building as such that we visit but what may have been there, on or under the site in times long gone. There are strong connections here to other standing stones or monoliths we have visited, especially to the Swedish standing stone, the very special one from our previous quest. A forgotten Stone of Time, a real treat when just off the ferry.
EAST ICELAND HERITAGE MUSEUM: This was a small museum of local history and artifacts of the area. We did not stay long as amongst other things we needed to get on our way as we had a long a treacherous journey ahead. But i did take a few good photos. But we were both too tired to concentrate really.
HOFSOS: ICELAND: A long and often treacherous journey of 252 miles, across the snowy mountain peaks now lie ahead of us. A journey of over five hours, through wild stunning scenery to one of the most northerly points of Iceland, after disembarking from the ferry at 9pm this the morning, just a short couple of hours ago.
The road to Hofsos! (click on all photos to enlarge)
It was a long drive, but wow! What a spectacular journey through a magical sparkling kingdom. It was like being in a movie! We passed by snow topped mountains, through icy winding roads, by crystal clear streams and waterfalls, by ancient forgotten kingdoms and steaming, sulphur, spewing geezers – and this was just day one! The weather was quite bleak at the onset of the journey, but bright sunlight eventually came out to bid us welcome at our destination.
We drove ever northward to reach our destination, into a frozen land, strangely seeming to get warmer and sunnier the further north we drove, with both the sun and the moon as guardians and guides. It was a fairy-tale landscape which seemed as if it could have ‘blown‘ at any moment, with this deep aroma of sulphur hanging heavely in the air. We were close to the elements and the very power of the earth itself. We finally arrived at dusk, at the little ancient harbor at Hofsos, where we are staying for a fifteen night stay in an idylic Icelandic lodge almost totally on the very oceans edge. Fire and Ice it certainly was….
We got here! Lovely Hofsos at the oceans edge and a place where the earth magnetics cross!
See link below for lots of info and video on Hosfos:
Karl’s Vid: Waking up in Iceland
DAY NINE:
WEDNESDAY 1ST NOVEMBER: After good rest we were up early to travel 82 miles to Akureyrarkirkja, a trip through some stunning scenery with some interesting stops along the way.
SVALBAROSEYRI LIGHTHOUSE: SVALBAROSEYRI: What a gorgeous day today, it was a photographers dream day in fact, with the sky an unbelievable shade a blue, the lighthouse painted orange stood out against the deep blue backdrop of the sky. The lighthouse, built in 1920 was electrified in 1960 and was fully automated in 1995. It stands on the shores of a small promintery near Svalbardseyri and guides ships into the small port at Akureyri. There are small fishing sheds and traditional fishing boats nearby, rendering the whole area very photogenic. It is a peaceful area for exploring and simply unwinding and maybe discovering the secrets to ‘The Stones of Time’ of which it hides… This is an important site to us and the quests, the lighthouses is a photogenic extra!
AKUREYRARKIRKJA: AKUREYRI: Onwards then though more beautiful scenery and wild landscapes to the city of Akureyri. We had an unscheduled stop along the way at a roadside ‘thermal’ outlet, which was too good to miss. Of course coming from the UK, we had never seen anything like it before, this was a wildness never experienced before. Down amongst the geezers and thermal springs with sulphur hanging in the air, it was so exciting to come across! What an adventure! The thermal springs here are beside the road tunnel which runs through volcanic rock.
This is a prominent Lutherian church in northern Iceland, in the centre of the city of Akureyri, and built on quite a steep hill. It was completed in 1940 and built on the place where ‘Star Crystals’ were found in 1823 AD. There is quite a bit of work going on today at the church, with the completion of some amazing steps right up from the city streets below. Sadly it was closed today, but we had a good look round and admired the view over the city and afterwards had a stroll around the city, enjoying a nice coffee and some good quality retail therapy! Akureyri is one of the main tourist areas in this part of Iceland, with lots to see and do, and especially busy in the summer months. Something interesting and quite sweet really are the heart-shaped red traffic lights, which lighten up anyone’s day!
Karl’s Vid: Geo Thermal Springs
The ‘thermals’, the city and the church. Click to enlarge.
MOORUVALLAKLAUSTURS: HORGARVEIT: It had been a long yet very worthwhile day, with time to reflect as we drove northward to our last destination of the day. After the lighthouse and church, as dusk was almost calling, at that time of day that photographers call the ‘golden hour’ we made our way to Modruvallaklausturs kirkja to visit Modruvellir Church, complete with it’s guard of very verbal geese! The church here was amazingly open for us, and in a lovely secluded rural area. It was built on an older site of 1771. It was once the place of the ‘gathering’ in Medieval times. A small quite plain looking church from the outside, and simple inside too, but warm and welcoming. The day was drawing nigh and night-time was fast approaching, coming much earlier here in Iceland than in the UK, and folks seem to be home from work no later than 4:30pm. We soon learnt why, as the roads became icy and dangerous, not to be ventured on to, yet still everything was stunningly beautiful. It was very crisp and crunchy underfoot as we departed with the sunset looking amazing over the icy land.
The beautiful area of Horgarveit with the little church surrounded by magestic and serene mountains.
DAY TEN:
THURSDAY 2ND NOVEMBER: SIGLUFJOROUR AREA: THE SERPENTS GATE: This is the day i called ‘Bad Road Day’. The day we almost fell off the edge of the world and survived. The bad weather had truly set in. The roads had become icy and dangerous with no services at all on this ‘Arctic Circle’ road, for yes indeed we were THAT far north! We had been unable to get where we intended, but maybe it was never intended for us to be there. There was a ‘funny’ sense of reality about this area, known as ‘The Serpents Gate’, an area of a little known of portal. The whole area had a strange void feel about it, a sense of timelessness, yet also without time. It was as if it wasn’t really there, it was only our perceptions that kept it there. I did have a sense of reality being played out on some sort of ‘screen’ of our consciousness. It was a weird sense of reality, that for sure i did know… and it was an area often frequented by Princess Groa Thorsteindottir, Karl’s 32xGGM, lady whom i would have loved to have met….
Karl’s informative video of this area
HOFSOS BASALTS: HOFSOS: On our return from the ‘Serpents Gate’ area we made our way through an area of stunning coastal scenery, which one never gets ‘used to’ in Iceland, to the area of the basalt columns, not far from where were were staying. The sun was really bright now we were away from the mountainous region of the ‘Serpents Gate’ on the edge of the Arctic Circle. The day was sparkling and beautiful. The basalt columns were right next to the cliff-top infinity swimming pool, sadly close at this time of year, but very popular in the summer months. It was very windy on those cliff-tops though, and i went as far as i dare towards the edge! The columns are marked in the same way as those across Ireland, yet this is not surprising if we consider how these lands were connected during the ‘Pangaea’ stage.
Basalt columns are a fascinating phenomenon that can be found in Iceland, as well as Ireland. These hexagonal rock formations can take a variety of forms and create stunning landscapes.
It is commonly thought that these rock formations, with their unique hexagonal shapes, are sculpted by natural forces that create stunning formations that rival the work of the world’s finest architects. However there is another thread of thought that originates from way beyond our human time-line, which suggests that they are not what we have been told at all, the truth having been lost in time (from our time) and that they were something much more important and are not natural at all.
HOFSOS KIRJA AND GRAFARKIRKJA: Just a short drive away, the most unusual site awaited us in the form of the oldest church in Iceland. Not only the oldest church but an unusual turf church. Unusual to us, but not so in Iceland. A pleasant little turf church that lines up not only with the ‘Rock of the Oceans’ but also also with the ancient pyramid there. As far as Craft goes, this site and this ancient pyramid is very significant to us. Back in times past Icelanders used to live in turf houses and we saw several while we were there, and even some more modern ones too, but only a handful of turf churches remain. Parts of the current church here date back to the seventeenth century, there is an old weather vane on top of the church with the letter 167 on it, but with the last symbol missing. Sadly the church is no longer open to the public for preservation purposes, but one can have a good explore around this lovely area. The oldest account of the church is from 1240 and can be found in the Icelandic Sagas. The church was de-consecrated in 1765 by a royal order of the king and used as a storeroom, then in 1953 it was re-consecrated by the Bishop of Iceland, after being totally rebuilt in it’s original form. The important aspect here is not so much the church itself but the alignment, it’s placement upon the earth and the fact that it is in alignment with the pyramid behind and the ‘Rock of the Ocean’ in front.
DAY ELEVEN:
FRIDAY 3RD NOVEMBER: BATTLE OF ICELAND MUSEUM: SAUDARKROKUR: We drove to what was the ‘other’ side of the ocean inlet of where we were staying. It was an interesting drive across causeways over the ocean, and it reminded me of the causeways in the Orkney’s. The water was high but not flooded, although i suspected that it could easily get so. It was a nice little town, and we had a lovely stroll around, even though it was very cold. The shops are mostly very simple, beautifully understated with not much in the way of frontage or signage and had a lovely traditional autumn feel about them. What i like about Iceland is that it is very unpretentious and what you see is what you get. The shops are nothing like in the UK, and it often feels like walking into someone’s sitting room or kitchen! The museum was interesting with a wonderful gift shop and cafe, so we stayed awhile browsing and having tasty lunch. There is a 3D interactive experience in the museum where one could take part in the Battle of Iceland of 1238, if that is one’s thing. The Battle of Iceland, revolves around the most famous part of the Icelandic sagas, the Sturlung Era (1220 – 1264)
SAUDARKROKSKIRKJA: SKAGFIROINGABR: The church (above), was originally built in 1892 on the site of a Viking burial ground. It is said that in time this church shall hold the beauty of the Earth. Sadly it was closed today, but we did enjoy our stroll…
BLACK BEACH: SAUDARKROKUR: The Black Beach is indeed very black, due to being formed from volcanic rock, bought up from the ocean bed by the very strong tides here, and ground down in the process. It would have taken thousands of years for this process to happen, and today is a magnificent sight. It was so very cold when we were there with a biting wind, so only a few photos, but some great videos!
“The place shall be the saddled shore of time, and a beacon for others in time to come”
Karl’s video of the amazing Black Beach
DAY TWELVE/THIRTEEN/FOURTEEN:
SATURDAY 4TH/5TH/6TH NOVEMBER (INCL. REST/SNOW DAY): HOFSOS HARBOUR & SURROUNDINGS: This is oldest harbour in Iceland and used since 1538 CE and on the ‘cusp’ of the safe zone, which was reassuring news to know, seeings there was a national emergency while we were there, due to the seismic activity down near the Blue Pool area. But a lovely place to stay here in Hofsos, right on the oceans edge. Nothing here but pure unpoilt nature where one can truly be at one with the earthly elements. Outside our little balcony is a old bridge across a fast flowing stream, very high at the moment, as ice is melting in the mountains and gushing down to the sea.
We went for a windy and fresh walk across the bridge, and around this little area, to see the ‘basalt columns’ along the shore line here. Karl had to help me as it was very dodgy underfoot and a real fear of twisting one’s ankles, but i held on for dear life and it was certainly worth it! These are amazing to see and similar to other columns elsewhere, yet not quite what they seem, due to the manipulation of history. The wind got up during the night, and i spent hours just watching, for i could see the oceans edge from my bedroom window. I love watching the waves, even at night, such as on this occasion. Very soothing, even at night in the wind. I will miss this place….
All of Karl’s Icelandic videos are here.
I shall be adding mine shortly…
Riddle Three
I’ll tell thee a tale of a magical land
Of beauty and pleasure, a life so grand
Of things and of ways we don’t understand
Technology evolved got way out of hand
In a time and a tale, all totally lost
Twas greed and ego that turned all to dust
Fear thee though not, can it happen to us?
With our wars and our weapons, are we just as lost?
Oh riddle, oh riddle, oh riddle me ree
Don’t riddle, don’t fiddle, don’t mess up time
For time do’est repeat upon man’s decline
For whom is the ‘He’ whom knoweth the day
The ‘He’ whom knoweth man’s final say?
‘The Keeper of Scrolls/Guardian of the Grail’
‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’
13th March 2024
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