Monthly Archives: December 2015

Landscape

Glymur in Hvalfjörður

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View from the trail

Glymur in Hvalfjörður is the second highest waterfall in Iceland, 198 metres high. It is about an hour’s drive from Reykjavík, the capital, a trip worth taking. The hike from the parking area takes about 2 hours, more if you go the roundtrip. The trail is marked and there are footpaths. See: Best hiking trails

The cave
The cave

On the way you pass a cave and have to go over a creek below the waterfall. The climb is sometimes a bit strenuous and can be muddy and rocky in places so you need good walking boots.

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If you go the round trip you have to wade this river above the waterfall. This is below the waterfall.

For the round trip, that takes up to 4 hours, you have to go over the River Botnsá above the waterfall. There is no bridge there.
– This is a trip worth taking in the summer time 🙂

Glymur
Glymur
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Landscape, Weather

Cold Christmas day

Christmas Day was cold and windy in Selfoss. Lots of snow and temperatures below zero, – 9°C.  The same can be said for most of the country but in the North temperatures went down to – 20° C.

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Christmas day. Selfoss and Ölfusá River

Reykjavík is the only capital in Europe to have snow this Christmas. That is unusual for this time of year  because in most capitals in East Europe and Scandinavia that would be the norm.

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Birds

Christmas Greetings

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Jól is the Icelandic term for Christmas. The word stems from the Nordic word Yule which refers to the old solstice celebrations when the Vikings celebrated longer days and coming of the new year. Season’s Greetings to all of you. “Peace on earth and goodwill to all men”

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Landscape

Day before Christmas

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One of the busiest days of the year, Saint Thorlakur’s Day, and the Christmas preparations are almost finished. It is beautiful outside, temperatures around zero, it is calm and snow is falling lightly. Tomorrow the children and their other halves, grown up people now, will come and spend Christmas Eve with us. Merry Christmas 🙂

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Birds

Saint Thorlakur’s Day

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Snjótittlingur – Snow Bunting – Plectrophenax nivalis

Today is St. Thorlakur’s Day. Thorlakur was an Icelandic bishop in Skalholt and died on December 23, 1193.  This is the day for last minute gift shopping, decorating the Christmas tree and many eat the traditional fish Skate, which smells horrible.

Glóbrystingur - Robin -
Glóbrystingur – Robin – Erithacus rubecula
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Birds

Three days to Christmas

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Three days to Christmas. It snowed today and the forecast predicts temperatures below zero. In the North it will be the coldest, with temperatures down below minus 20°C. In the South it will be warmer with temperatures down to around minus 10-12° C.

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Atmosphere, Weather

Tonight is winter solstice

We call the shortest day and the longest night of the year winter solstice. It is when the sun’s elevation in the sky is at its lowest which will be tonight at 4:49. So December 22 is the shortest day of the year.

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In Reykjavík the sun crawls over the horizon at 11:23, it is at its highest at 13:26 and sets again at 15:30. After tomorrow the days will start to get longer, something almost everyone looks forward to. Happy Solstice 🙂

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Birds

Berries and birds

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Svartþröstur – Blackbird – Turdus merula

There are still some berries left on the Rowan. Some of the birds prefer these frozen berries over the feed we put out, like this female Blackbird who so graciously allowed photographing.

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