At the airport and through security to be greeted by this truly Icelandic display in the shape of the country!
A sad day for us all as we departed the guesthouse. After a couple of group pictures and giving of thank gifts to our hosts, we hit the road for Krysuvik mud pools
The sulphur smell here definitely is an unforgettable smell, and I’ve never seen 19 students walk round an attraction so fast!
Now at a service station, stocking up on Icelandic sweets, with the odd burger being eaten too before we head to the bridge between two continents and the airport !
Puffins!
After a pancake style treat for breakfast this morning the attention of the morning centred around puffins!!! Hundreds of these delightful birds were on the cliffs at Vik for us to admire and photo.
Whilst at this cliff we could see a wide range coastal erosion and deposition features which will help the students as they move into year 11, and also it provided a sense of the raw power this coastline has. This also involved us mounting the huge basalt columns and exploring the caves along this coast too
The afternoon centred around waterfalls. Skogafoss provide the opportunity to climb up alongside a 60m high waterfall, before embracing the spray and walking behind the falls at sejlandafoss.
A visit to a farmer affected by the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption allowed us to witness firsthand the local impacts this famous volcano had before we went to Hvosllur pool for one last swim.
The last evening was rounded off by a team quiz! I have posted below the fantastic posters which the students designed to summarise the trip up. These hold many memories which the students I’m sure will share and have with them for a long long time.
Our day began with an extremely calm 30 minute crossing over to the Westman Isle of Heimaey, to experience life on this small island.
During a brief shower on the overcast morning we headed towards Eldfell, the volcano which has dramatically shaped the live and landscapes of the local people here since the 1973 eruption.
As our journey began across the lava fields towards the base of the volcano the rain stopped, an we started our ascent. With the goal of the summit in sight we took in the views with a brief drinks break before continuing to the top!
Upon reaching the top we had lunch, pictures, more selfies and even the opportunity for a well prepared student (who had brought tin foil) to try and toast his sandwich (which resulted in melted cheese with the addition of a few bits of volcanic ash).
The journey down involved passing through the heart of the volcanoes crater and back across the lava field to the swimming pool.
Diving boards, slides, inflatables and hot tubs were on the menu here all served with a large helping of sunshine too!
Many worn out students then treated themselves to large portions of chips on the ferry back as a reward for their hard work and efforts throughout the day.
As I write this now at 1015 local time the majority of students are out playing football in the daylight having recharged their batteries with dinner and a few games of cards whilst it rained.
We can all now connect with the local phrase out here “Iceland, here if you don’t like the weather wait 5 minutes”
A mini waterfall to start the day at faxifoss, before a few showers which we managed to mostly dodge! The Geysir centre was the next stop to watch the the regular eruptions here.
Gulfoss followed with a wholes host of “selfies” being taken by the students infront of this stunning natural feature.
A trip down the Rift Valley in Thingveller national meant we could stand between the Eurasian and North American plates for the first time.
Our attentions then turned to relaxing….a swim at Selfoss, chicken and chip for dinner, was finished off nicely by a piece of an Icelandic Birthday cake. This was decorated especially to celebrate one of the girls birthdays, donning a candle an the number 15!
Settled down now infront of the guesthouses tv just in time to watch extra time of the World Cup final.
Breakfast eaten, lunch made. Time to hit the road for the Geysir Centre and Gulfoss
A view from the guesthouse at 11pm local time. Shame about the cloud in this picture as there is still blue sky in the distance near a snow topped Eyjafjallajokull from the other angle. Will try and get a snap of it tomorrow.
St Ivo Iceland 2014 