Travel Journal:

October Ice - First Impressions by the Lake


First Impressions by the Lake 2006-10-05
 
Lake Tjörnin

The sky was blue above the clouds, but as soon as we began to descend the plane was overcome by the Icelandic mist.  I knew we were getting closer and closer to land but I couldn't see anything but white outside the window.  And the, as suddently as it fell, the mist cleared.  And there was Iceland.

The first word that entered my mind was "otherworldly."  I had never seen anything like it.  Black, volcanic, desolate land criss-crossed by tiny streams that looked more like thousand rifts in the earth than life-sustaining forces.  Soon Reykjavik and her hilly coastline came into view, and the effect was shattered.  I no longer saw the manifestation of the Hades of Greek mythology, but rather a small yet obviously bustling town clinging to a craggy coastline.

The Keflavik international airport lies a good 30 or 40 kilometers away from Reykjavik proper, so I was treated to a worm's-eye view of the Icelandic landscape to complement that from the air.  Instead of "otherworldly," though, came "a farmer's worst nightmare" to mind.  The land, a shade of dark green, was pierced by jutting chunks of gray-black volcanic rock.  I could see the remnants of a few wooden fences but otherwise the landscape was as deserted as that I saw from the plane.

-----

I'm sitting by the lake right now and my fingers are beginning to get unbearably cold.  I must say, though, that the city's fall colors are beautiful.  The oranges, reds, yellows and greens are starker in the cold.
    ---> to the city's heart.
 
Map and Photos for October Ice
View Map
Iceland Journal : October Ice - First Impressions by the Lake Travel Photos
Tip: Use arrow keys to flip through the slideshow.