Iceland.

[William]

Odd country, all shots taken with Pentax MZ-M and 35-80mm lens with a polarized filter and a UV filter.

I guess I had best show the picture of what people traditionally expect of Iceland. :p

I will host the whole lot tomorrow with some videos.

http://www.zen64507.zen.co.uk/iceland1.jpg

http://www.zen64507.zen.co.uk/iceland2.jpg

http://www.zen64507.zen.co.uk/iceland3.jpg

http://www.zen64507.zen.co.uk/iceland4.jpg

http://www.zen64507.zen.co.uk/iceland5.jpg

[Gilly]

I'd love to go to Iceland.

What kind of temps did you have?

[William]

About 7c pleasant enough but when it gets windy and it rains its a horrible minging little cesspool of a country, when the sun shines it's wonderful. Apart from a few odd things like boiling water and glaciers its very similar to the very North end of Scotland. And New Zealand is probably a better place to go to. Didn't see the Northern Lights because of the damn cloud.

I can't say which is the best time of year to go really as when we went everything is shut down as it's off season. But in summer it is rammed with tourists and that really would defeat the whole point of going there which is that you can travel 500 miles and see nobody, which i think is more impressive than somthing which squirts hot water on you when you try to take a picture of it.


The temperature is decieving really, that lighthouse picture was oh so very very cold. And this picture below was quite pleasant, I had a t-shirt on.
http://www.zen64507.zen.co.uk/iceland6.jpg

What else... food is excellent if you follow one of those Lonely Planet books and is reasonable enough in price; think eating out in London every night, until you start drinking which is when you are crashing through the £100 mark for two people for one course...

Reykjavik.... supposedly the coolest happenenist place in the world according to many people. It is around the size of Derby and it's centre is a nigh bit bigger than Burton-On-Trent's. It is basically a small town trying to be a capital city. As to the legendary nightlife its no more wild than Derby on a Friday night really, the problem arises is that it doesn't really kick off until 1-2am but the bars all close by around 3:30-4:30am this gives a pretty short time in which to get hammered, dance, pull and go home wench in hand whereas the average Britischer starts at 8-10pm. So people drink at chain rate, don't really have to go get going, stagger about blind drunk, go home and do it again on Saturday then spend the rest of the week paying off their debts on their huge 4WD superjeeps. I found the bar owned by Damon Alburn and frequented by Bjork in around 2 minutes...





That said... it's still an amazing place and whilst there were many places things I could have done with the money; I still think it was worth the cost. Still pleased to say my travel agenda is still packed and I am thinking of doing a Palin of some kind, prehaps a Pole to Pole.

[Gilly]

Oh. I thought it'd be colder than that :(

Would it be colder and wetter later in the year?

[William]

It's wet now, the whole country gets covered in snow December. On top of the icecaps it is bloody cold however and you get sunburn... >:(

http://www.danshort.com/iceland/winterview.htm


You only get four hours of daylight in winter though, but you do get to see the Northern Lights, but I hear you can see them in the Hebrideis in winter as well.

You are talking about -5c in winter in Iceland, it is quite a warm country though due to the Gulf Stream.

[Justsomebloke]

Incredible place and somewhere i would really like to go. Cheers for sharing.

[William]

Swam in this, it's a lake about 2500ft up a mountain track; I have never seen cleaner water, and I have never swam in colder water.

http://www.zen64507.zen.co.uk/iceland7.jpg

Seriously if anyone does go do all the stereotypical icelandy stuff in the reykjavik peninsula in a day then do the full circuit and make sure you have a decent jeep. :D

Because this happens alot:

http://www.zen64507.zen.co.uk/iceland8.jpg

And despite the £15,000 excess on our insurance, we still gave it a go with our Hyundai Santa Fe. Which is a cracking car.

http://www.zen64507.zen.co.uk/iceland9.jpg

One of these is preferable...

http://www.zen64507.zen.co.uk/iceland10.jpg

[Justsomebloke]

I have seen some of that 4 wheel driving on the telly over here.
Apparently they drop the PSi to around 4 :shocked:
There technique for getting tyres back on the rims is brilliant to watch aswell.
Can't remember exactly but it went something like fill with gas, light, BANG and it was back on. :)
I could proper handle some of that.

[Will]

Stunning pictures. And what a wonderful insight of Iceland - it's one of those places I'd really like to go but really am not sure on. Seems really intruiging and different. So did you enjoy the hot springs and the live volcanoes? :D

[petemc]

Stunning pictures. And what a wonderful insight of Iceland - it's one of those places I'd really like to go but really am not sure on.

Its one of those places I know I must visit. Its got a certain feel to it. Whenever I see photos its always mystical looking.

[Stan_Lite]

You only get four hours of daylight in winter though, but you do get to see the Northern Lights, but I hear you can see them in the Hebrideis in winter as well.


You can see the Northern Lights in Shetland in the winter (I've seen them :cool: ) but it isn't as spectacular as it is further north apparently.

I'd love to go to Iceland - even more so now, having seen those pics William. The scenery looks stunning and the geysers must be spectacular.

Stan :)

[Burble]

I spent a couple of days in Iceland when I took an indirect flght home from Boston a few years back. Awesome place, but obscenely expensive from what I remember!

Unfortunately my CF card died so my pics went with it :/

[Blackstar]

*Wants to go to Iceland*