Falling

Godafoss in NE Iceland. We were mesmerised by the tonnes of icy water plummeting over the precipice and stunned by the price of goods in the nearby cafe. But that's tourism for you, and I can't blame them as there's little else obvious to make money from at this time of year.

Our 35 min flight to Akureyri left Reykjavik rather early but it meant we've had a good long day to scout around Lake Myvatn for interesting birdlife. We've been rewarded by Barrow's Goldeneye, a few Harlequin Duck, large gatherings of Snow Bunting, Raven, Whooper Swan, Goosander and homely Mallard. Still seeking Gyr Falcon ...

Wonderful though the birds are, it's the landscape that has captured me. Vast whiteness; black lumps of lava in columns, great lumps or just scattered erratically shaped boulders; old craters and pseudocraters; frozen lakes with big expanses of water where geothermal activity has the upper hand; the fact that we traversed the divide between the American and Asian teutonic plates (the concept is more boggling than the physical spectacle!). This place is bleak, hard and extraordinary. As are the Icelandic ponies.

Less snow than we expected but when it comes it's horizontal in a biting North wind. We've put our names down to be woken tonight if the Merry Dancers reappear but I'm expecting a full night's sleep!

PS We saw them - the Northern Lights, I mean. Very cold standing outside but the lights developed and danced and then they were gone. What a wonderful experience!