a hui hou kakou

I first came to Iceland in July 2002 for a couple days on the way to South Africa. My first impression was that this was one of the most amazing places in the world. This is still the way I feel about Iceland. I first came to live in September 2003, and I have come and gone since. Living there a total of about two years. Iceland is a wonderful place. The landscape is perhaps most striking for the lack of trees. Sometimes it feels almost too big. Iceland has some excellent dairy products skyr and hrístmjólk are my favorites. There is seaweed to eat and remind me of home. I left Iceland most recently in June 2006.

Arms of Iceland

Arms of Iceland

Map of Iceland This was my first view of Iceland in July 2002 it looks quite a lot like flying into Kona on the Big Island. I saw Greenland on the way and it was so amazingly beautiful. I like this lighthouse. I saw it often in Seltjarnarnes. July 2002. The kría or arctic tern is absolutely crazy in July! They are very agressive. This is from 2002. Here is a look at Reykjavík from the church on the hill. July 2002. The lighthouse in Seltjarnarnes. Oct. 2003. The view in Seltjarnarnes. Oct. 2003. Another picture of Seltjarnarnes. Oct. 2003. Another picture of Seltjarnarnes. Oct. 2003. Another picture of Seltjarnarnes. Oct. 2003. This is what Icelandic post boxes look like. Oct. 2006. A nice cabin at Þingvallavatn. Nov. 2003. A nice plant. Nov. 2003. On the way to Þingvallavatn. Nov. 2003. On the way to Þingvallavatn. Nov. 2003. On the way to Þingvallavatn. Nov. 2003. On the way to Þingvallavatn. Nov. 2003. On the way to Þingvallavatn. Nov. 2003. The harbour area in Reykjavík. Nov. 2003. The main building for Iceland's main shipping company Eimskip. Nov. 2003. The headquarters has since moved and this is now a hotel. One of the main types of electrical outlet in Iceland is labled "magic". I found this very funny! Nov. 2003. A trash can in Seltjarnarnes. Nov. 2003. An old boat at Þingvallavatn. Nov. 2003. Seltjarnarnes in winter. Dec. 2003. Seltjarnarnes in winter. Dec. 2003. Seltjarnarnes in winter. Dec. 2003. New years 2004. Icelanders get quite crazy with fireworks around new years, and bonfires. It is quite nice that no one seems to think about safety regulations, it is thrilling to have fireworks going off course and almost hitting people. And so much fireworks too! Dec. 2003. The church in Seltjarnarnes. March 2004. A sign telling people to pick up after their dogs. March 2004. The national library and an ugly hotel. March 2004. The welcome sign to Seltjarnarnes. March 2004. One of the many bike paths in Seltjarnarnes. March 2004. The main building at the University of Iceland. March 2004. One of the bus stops in Seltjarnarnes. March 2004. A statue of someone who has been outlawed, he carries his wife and child. March 2004. One of the main graveyards in the city, with a lot of nice trees. March 2004. A sort of dragon statue. March 2004. The main brand of Icelandic chocolate Sirius, very good stuff and the dark comes in an old fashioned paper wrapper. March 2004. View of the ocean. March 2004. View of the ocean. March 2004. View of the ocean. March 2004. Some of the nice buildings in Seltjarnarnes, I took pictures of these quite often. March 2004. The Catholic church in Reykjavík. March 2004. One of the government buildings. March 2004. The head of the Icelandic Lutheran Church. March 2004. The harbour area in Reykjavík. March 2004. The harbour area in Reykjavík. March 2004. A statue by the harbour. March 2004. A rainbow over the old national library, now a museum. March 2004. Another picture of the rainbow. March 2004. Sunset at Tjörnin. March 2004. Sunset at Tjörnin. March 2004. Some nice dried grass. March 2004. Winter at the university. March 2004. One of the hydrogen buses. March 2004. A cat that likes to hang out at the national library. April 2004. Another picture of this cat. April 2004. The telecomunications museum. April 2004. One day later at the same place. April 2004. Bonus is owned by an evil company but it is the cheapest place to buy food, not very cheap though, this is Iceland after all. April 2004. Skyr is great stuff! April 2004. When this cactus makes flowers they are very nice. April 2004. More Seltjarnarnes. April 2004. More Seltjarnarnes. April 2004. More Seltjarnarnes. April 2004. More Seltjarnarnes. April 2004. More Seltjarnarnes. April 2004. Near the lighthouse in Seltjarnarnes. April 2004. More near the lighthouse. April 2004. More of the lighthouse. April 2004. More of the lighthouse. April 2004. Me after some gardening. May 2004. More Seltjarnarnes. May 2004. More Seltjarnarnes. May 2004. The highlands on the way to Selfoss. May 2004. The worlds first public hydrogen pumping station. May 2004. One of the hydrogen buses that uses the station. May 2004. The pumping station. May 2004. The pump. May 2004. One more of the pump. May 2004. An old bus at the university. May 2004. The south near Selfoss. May 2004. Some horses in the south. May 2004. More of the south. May 2004. More of the south. May 2004. On the road near Þórsmörk. May 2004. Some cute sheep. May 2004. The church near Gunnar's farm from Njál's saga. May 2004. Some old farm equipment. May 2004. Some geese. May 2004. Near Þórsmörk. May 2004. Near Þórsmörk. May 2004. A nice summer house. May 2004. At a summer house. May 2004. At a nice summer house. May 2004. This is near one of the two main city bus stations in Reykjavík. June 2004. There are a lot of flags up on independence day. June 2004. Some cute ducks. June 2004. Some sheds in Reykjavík. June 2004. My friend Ian. June 2004. More of the scary kría. June 2004. Flowers in bloom. June 2004. One of the government buildings. June 2004. The long distance bus station. June 2004. Skógafoss. June 2004. Fimmverðuháls. June 2004. Fimmverðuháls where I was warden for a week in summer 2004. July 2004. The beach at Seltjarnarnes. July 2004. A cow in the south. July 2004. In the south there are many buildings built into caves. July 2004. Puffins are so very cool! I have no idea how they get up to the cliffs, they seem to be very bad a flying. July 2004. Some nice rocks near Vík. July 2004. A church near Vík. July 2004. Þingvallavatn. July 2004. Me on Þingvallavatn. July 2004. Þingvallavatn. July 2004. Another nice church, this one is in the south. July 2004. A church near Þingvallavatn. July 2004. Me horseback riding near Þingvallavatn. July 2004. A nice quiet place in Reykjavík. July 2004. An area near Reykjavík I think is very beautiful. Aug. 2004. I liked this picture of a girl cleaning fish. Aug. 2004. My main job for the summer of 2004 was working at a pipe factory. Aug. 2004. Me near Kleifarvatn. Near Kleifarvatn. Aug. 2004. Near Kleifarvatn. Aug. 2004. A nice fence. Aug. 2004. A nice horse named Mona. Aug. 2004. Me on a horse. Aug 2004. Near Þingvallavatn. Aug. 2004. Near Þingvallavatn. Aug. 2004. Near Þingvallavatn. Aug. 2004. Site of a nuclear summit in the 1980s. Sept. 2004. An apt. on Vífilsgata where I lived. Sept. 2004. The church in Akureyri. Dec. 2004. Scenery on a road trip to the north. Dec. 2004. Interesting vehicle. Dec. 2004. Scenery in the north. Dec. 2004. Lake Mývatn. Dec. 2004. Lake Mývatn. Dec. 2004. Scenery in the north. Dec. 2004. Scenery in the north. Dec. 2004. The window of a church door with ice. Dec. 2004. Scenery in the north. Dec. 2004. Trying out the long exposure of my new camera. Dec. 2004. Nice candle picture. Dec. 2004. Fireworks at new years. Dec. 2004. Fireworks at new years. Dec. 2004. Fireworks at new years. Dec. 2004. Twilight shot in Seltjarnarnes. Jan. 2005. Twilight shot in Seltjarnarnes. Jan. 2005. Twilight shot in Seltjarnarnes. Jan. 2005. Twilight shot of Seltjarnarnes. Jan. 2005. Twilight shot of Seltjarnarnes. Jan. 2005. A city street. Jan. 2005. The Eimskip building. Jan. 2005. Lighthouse in Seltjarnarnes. Jan. 2005. One of two main bus stations in the city. Jan. 2005. The main street. Jan. 2005. Going to the airport. Jan. 2005. Coming into the Eastfjords in May 2005. More Eastfjords. May 2005. The town of Seyðisfjörður, where the ferry from the Faroe Islands arrives. May 2005. Herman, nice Norwegian I talked with on the ferry from Norway. May 2005. Some nice girls from the Shetland Islands I played cards with on the ferry. May 2005. After arriving in Seyðisfjörður I hitchiked to Reykjavik. May 2005. A nice horse I saw on the way. May 2005. The road is a bit rough in parts of the east. May 2005. But work is being done to improve it. May 2005. Sometime in recent centuries deer were imported to Iceland, they only live in the east though. May 2005. Vatnajökull, the largest glacer in Iceland. May 2005. These two Poles gave me a ride most of the way, unfortunately they didn't speak English or Icelandic, and I don't speak Polish. May 2005. Some beautiful ice. May 2005. Infrared in the south. June 2005. Infrared of my favorite lighthouse. June 2005. Infrared of Seltjarnarnes. June 2005. Infrared of some seaweed. June 2005. Iceland in winter. Nov. 2005. Mona. Nov. 2005. A flat where I lived for a month. Jan. 2006. I lived in the attic of this former kindergarden on Holtsgata for a few months. March 2006. My friend Eddie. March 2006. My friend Aslaug. March 2006. My friend Jonna. March 2006. Jonna again. March 2006. My friend Anne. March 2006. My friend Malva. March 2006. My friends Uwe and Natascha. March 2006. Watching the band Gus Gus. March 2006. More of Reykjavik. May 2006. The cafe where I worked for half a year. May 2006. Downtown Reykjavík. Skógafoss, a nice waterfall in the south of Iceland. Fimmverðuháls between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull, I was warden here for a week in June and July 2004. Very nice. A geologically active area near Kleifarvatn. Þingvallavatn. Seltjarnarnes. Seltjarnarnes. Seltjarnarnes. Arms of Seltjarnarnes Passport Stamps |back to travels |