Ever-changing landscapes of southern Iceland

What more marvelous way can there be to start a day than to marvel at these magnificently colourful icebergs in the glacial lagoon of Jokulsarlon? It is a breathtaking sight but at the same time sad to think they might not be around that much longer. As we stood and wondered at them, huge pieces broke off  some of the icebergs and crashed into the water, soon to be carried by the current towards the sea, only metres away.

It seemed that the colours this morning were even more intense than last night, and of course, we had time today to stop and savour the moment.

What a tranquil scene it was, at times! Unfortunately, as with most tourist destinations, there is a never- ending number of boat tours, canoe trips and other speed boats weaving in and out of the icebergs. We felt sure that this can not be helping them to preserve this unique place.

We had a bit of a scary, yet possibly amusing incident , in hindsight, as we wanted to walk to the beach. There were hundreds of nesting terns with their newly hatched chicks at the side of the road. Even though we were quite a way away from them and not interfering with them in any way, the parents decided to swoop on anyone who went past. It was a really terrifying experience, and after receiving one peck on the head, we decided that the car was the safer option to cross to the other side of the bridge!

From the other side of the bridge, where the water flowed more swiftly, we could see chunks of nature's beautiful sculptures being swept out to sea.

Some are hurled back onto the beach by the incoming tide, of course gorgeous to see, but making us sad with the knowledge that soon they would be gone.


It was so fantastic looking at the pieces of ice and admiring all the shapes, many of which ressembled massive cut diamonds. Imagine wearing this one!

The most beautiful of all caught my eye - a frozen heart! 

It was hard to drag ourselves away from the beach and the lagoon, but we had a reasonably long trip ahead. Luckily, the weather was kind to us today, most of the time, so we could really enjoy the long stretches of road with so many incredible views towards more of Vatnajokull's many  glaciers. 
From one of the dozens of one- lane bridges we had this spectacular view up the valley.

The road was fantastic and much of the time we were completely alone on it - just like good old NZ out of high season. There are also virtually no towns or villages on the south coast, so you don't spend much in restaurants or shops during the day! You make up for it later, though! 
We wound our way around the coast, sometimes with black sandy plains on both sides of the road, or with marshland, or with sea on the one side and mountains down to the road on the other. It was fantastic!

You do have to take care on the roads, not only because of the occasional traffic, but because of the hundreds of ewes with their young lambs. They are often tucked in at the side of the road, and prone to suddenly amble across in front of you.

As we approached the fjords the weather became much more changeable and we would suddenly find ourselves in  fog, fortunately not too thick, but unfortunately preventing us from enjoying the magnificent scenery around us.

We are in a brilliant guesthouse tonight in a tiny hamlet - Saxa Guesthouse, Stosvarfjordur. Fabulous room, friendly owner, great meal and very comfortable lounge to write my blog. 😀 Another great day.