"" Writer's Wanderings: September 2016 We Were In Search of the Northern Lights

Friday, October 02, 2020

September 2016 We Were In Search of the Northern Lights


 One of the most exciting aspects of visiting Iceland was the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights. Up until about the midpoint of our trip the conditions had not been good--well, except for the first night when we were so tired we didn't get up to check out the skies. We were at the northern side of Iceland and after checking the conditions at the website we'd found, it looked good. We anxiously awaited nightfall and found a spot away from town. You'll never guess what happened. Take a look: The lights were on! 


No matter what the brochures show you of any place in the world, they never picture the bad weather. On our eighth day of travel we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere and in the middle of a heavy rain, howling wind and roads that turned from paved to gravel. Whew! This is quite a story: Somewhere In The Middle of Nowhere

The sun came out the next day giving us bright new vistas to explore. The day was full of surprises including an orca, several swans and an unexpected historical place. WIFI was free and did not have a password in most places but in our hotel that day they did require one. You'll never guess what it was: Surprises 

While we enjoy the places we see, the most memorable experiences are always the people we meet. On one particular day when we made a stop at a restaurant more to be able to use the restroom than because we needed anything to eat, we met the most delightful lady who was kind enough to introduce us to an Icelandic specialty. Rainy Gravel Roads 


Several questions arose on one day while exploring the western side of Iceland. First of all who has the right away? Automobiles or sheep? Second, where are those elusive puffins? And I braved a trip to a small hot spring for a dip. Exploring the West

While we may have had a couple of rainy days that made it a bit difficult to enjoy the landscape as much, the people we met more than made up for it. A proprietor that went out of his way to feed us and an interesting newly engaged couple that was traveling the world with everything they owned in the trunk of their car. Here's the link to these stories: Another Rainy Day

The Icelandic horses were special and we finally got to see them up close one day. This post tells a lot of the background of how they got to Iceland and what they were used for. And there was the black church. Here's the link: The Horses! 


An afternoon of spelunking in an old lava tube and and the troll canyon. It was all followed by one of the most spectacular sunsets I've ever seen. You have to look at the picture! Spelunking and Trolls

One more glorious night of viewing the Aurora Borealis. It was spectacular. Lots of pictures in this post. Link: The Northern Lights Take 2

All good trips have to end at some time. Our last day had us returning to Reykavik and seeing how Iceland has used their hot springs and geysers for power. Link: Homeward Bound 

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