Iceland - the North

Farm on Vatnsnes Peninsula near Hvammstangi, looking towards Miðfjörður, a side fjord of Húnaflói. Húnaflói means "Bay of the young icebears" because sometimes in winter icebears from Greenland drift ashore on their iceflows. With global warming this is getting rare though. The building on the right is a traditional fish drying shed.

This lighthouse from 1950 is 14m high and looks over Miðfjörður (Húnaflói) towards Vestfirðir. Vatnsnes peninsula lies on an old rift zone which has become inactive 5 mio years ago.

On the gravel road round Vatnsnes Peninsula. The sheep ran away (see inset) and the horses were in hiding;-) HFF everybody!

A circular sheep pen on Vatnsnes peninsula looking west over Miðfjörður (Húnaflói).When the sheep are gathered in autumn they are sorted by owner into the "spokes" of the pen.

Hvítserkur (white shirt) is an eroded basalt plug on the east coast of Vatnsnes peninsula, in an old and long extinct rift zone. The white patches are guano from nesting fulmars and kittiwakes. Legend has it that a troll was caught out by the sun while throwing stones at Þingeyrar church.

MM2.0: Birkenpilz und Zwergbirke. Birkenpilze wachsen in Island sehr zahlreich und zuerst fragt man sich, wo denn die Birken sind;-) Zwergbirken haben einen kriechenden Wuchs, die Blätter sind 0.5 bis maximal 1,5cm groß (an diesem Standort im Norden waren sie winzig!). Birch bolete and dwarf birch. Birch boletes can be found in large numbers all over Iceland and at first sight people always wonder where the birches are;-) Dwarf birches are creeping shrubs with leaves that are 0,5- max. 1,5cm (in this case at an exposed site in the North they were tiny!). nicht mehr frisch

Looking down into Kolugljúfur canyon. A small deep pool reflects the blue sky.

River Víðidalsá flows through 40-50m deep Kolugljúfur canyon. Folklore has it that a female troll called Kola dug the gorge.

At Sauðárkrókur harbour, looking NW to Skagi peninsula and Tindastóll mountains

Not so very long ago Icelanders ate the fish heads themselves and exported the fillets. Now the heads are exported to Africa.

At Sauðárkrókur harbour looking NE over Skagafjörður to Tröllaskagi peninsula

Sea mist starting to creep in over farmland at Miklavatn, Skagafjörður.

Near Varmahlíð, Skagafjörður, one of the main centres of horse breeding in Iceland. Tölt is a gait unique to Icelandic horses which enables them to move over rough terrain for a long time without tiring.

Akureyrarkirkja was designed by state architect Guðjón Samúelsson and consecrated in 1940.

Evening (7.55 p.m.) at Eyjarfjörður near Akureyri with Tröllaskagi peninsula to the west, Kaldbakur (1167m) on Flateyjarskagi peninsula to the east.

10.30 p.m. at Eyjarfjörður- clouds starting to get the upper hand

Sea mist creeping in over Eyjarfjörður and Tröllaskagi peninsula, 10.10 p.m.

The horses had come all the way from the south over the feared Sprengisandur highland crossing. They get a well deserved one week's rest before making the return journey. hFF folks!