Akureyri, Iceland - Sail Away

The sun drops below the clouds and casts a golden glow on the mountains as the Ruby Princess departs Akureyri and sets course for Isafjordur.

Akureyri, Iceland - Drive to the Ship

It was now time to return to the ship.  I was caught up in the clouds that look like record albums stacked.  Here are more landscape photos as well as the drive through the town of Akureyri.  The Ruby Princess waits for us in the harbor.

 The municipal center.

Akureyri, Iceland - Godafoss Waterfall

Godafoss Waterfall is located on the Skjálfandafljót River which runs through Bárðardalur and Kinn in Northeast Iceland, and is just off main ring road 1 by the farm Fosshóll. It is among Iceland’s larger waterfalls and also very beautiful. (Source: http://www.edgeofthearctic.is/places-to-see/godafoss-waterfall/)

Me: it was beautiful!  It is a split waterfall.  The area around the waterfalls is treacherous for walking and we had to be very careful.  A lot of people, slippery paths, pointy sharp rocks...I'm outta here!  I walked down the walkway along the other to get different photos.  We were to meet further down this path at the visitor center.

Goðafoss is closely connected with one of the most important event in Icelandic history, the conversion to Christianity from heathendom or “the old custom” in the year 1000.

 I walked across the span bridge.

 Another stepped waterfall was below the main pair.

Beautiful area: rushing and falling water, brutal landscape, dramatic skies.  And a woman in a red coat walking in the photo.  Perfect!

Akureyri, Iceland - Mesmerized by the Clouds

Every place has clouds.  Agree?  But I became mesmerized by the clouds today, the lights and the darks, and the drama.  The top photographs are clouds only.  The bottom half adds a little scenery as we drove to our next stop.

[Note: I later found out that these are "lenticular" clouds.  You can read about them in wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_cloud.  Travel is wonderful!]

 Sheep pens made from lava rock.

Akureyri, Iceland - Dimmuborgir Dark Castles

Dimmuborgir is a large area of unusually shaped lava fields.  The area has numerous volcanic caves and rock formations like an ancient collapsed citadel (hence the name).  This area was formed about 2300 years ago when Þrengslaborgir and Lúdentsborgir volcanoes erupted.  The lava flowed over a small lake.  When the water began to boil, steam pushed the lava up and formed the tall pillars.

 The group took the pathway that lead through the field of lava pillars.

 Our tour guide.

 This is looking down on the area from an upper platform.  The entire area sits low.  In Icelandic folklore, Dimmuborgir is said to connect the earth with the infernal regions.  It is also said to be the place where Satan landed when he was cast from the Heavens.

 The snack and gift shop.