Colours of Iceland 

Kirkjugolf is a strange geological oddity that stimulated the imagination of inhabitants and experts for centuries.

90 square meters of hexagonal paving stones, perfectly fitted, let think about the pavement of an ancient church: this belief gave its name to the place (“the church pavement”).

In fact these paving stones are nothing but the top of basaltic organs : only the top is visible !

The region of Lakagigar is pretty hard to reach by car but hikes allow to discover this region where volcanic activities have had consequences not only on the island but on a part of Europe too!

In 1783, 135 craters dumped enough lava to cause starvation and epidemic period in Iceland, and a huge change in the climate of northern Europe.

This quick change has been the cause of low-level harvests: it’s been freezing in France up to the month of June ! Because of that, some think that this huge blast could have played a role in the French revolution in 1789.

Towards Vatnajökull glacier, the road goes through wide black sand areas where innumerable rivers flow like snakes.

During summer time, all the landscape seems so calm…but during winter and spring, the river swell, overrun the plains and dump millions of tons of alluvium.

Another kind of cataclysm happens when a blast occurs under a glacier. The quantity of water produced is extreme and nothing can resist to the flow. It’s called a Jökullhlaup. The one in 1996 knocked over bridges and some twisted beams are still visible on the side of the road, witnesses of the force created by the flood.

8 100 square meters of ice up to 1 000 meters depth : here’s Vatnajökull covering more than 8% of the surface of the island. He covers many active volcanoes and their blasts cause cataclysmic floods : the Jökulhlaup.

It’s the biggest ice-cap in Europe : it’s surface is bigger than the the surface of all the european glaciers put together.

It looks eternal, but it’s only 2 500 years old and its size changes with the climate: when the first settlers reached Iceland he was smaller than today.

At Svartifoss, the water falls in the middle of beautiful basaltic organs.

You need to walk a little to reach this waterfall, but the view on the plain is wonderful, showing the black sandy area and the glaciers.

On the Jökulsarlon lagoon float hundreds of icebergs coming from the glacier nearby.

They are trapped on this lagoon because the access to the sea is only possible by a narrow and hardly deep channel. They need to melt slowly before escaping.

From light-blue to turquoise, to gray, white, black, all floating on a calm deep green water : these are the colours of this dreamlike and amazing landscape, changing constantly.

Amphibious boats propose an amazing cruise among the ghostly icebergs.

From the middle of the lagoon, a deep silence is only broken by the water dripping from the melting ice, and sometimes by a piece of ice detached from a big iceberg.

Unique moment when you can taste a piece of iceberg : the frozen water comes from a rain fallen 10 000 years ago.

Before resuming your trip don’t forget to call the seals swimming in the lagoon or in the channel.

They are so curious that you just need to shout and they will come to see you.