Isafjordur, Iceland. First Views

ISAFJORDUR is in a protected inlet surrounded by steep mountains.

 

First views of town by ship.

 

Opposite the town--upper road, with airport landing strip by the seaway.

 

Departing Isafjordur to travel to Bolungarvik.

 

Cemetery, on the Isafjardardjup ("Deep Ice Fjord")

Grundarfjordur to Isafjordur

Traveling from Grundarfjordur to Isafjordur (Westfjords) can be time-consuming if you drive. I have marked the towns with arrows, so that you can get a better perspective of the area.

Note the close proximity to the Arctic Circle.


Isafjordur. Arrival option--Fly in from Reykjavik. (See Airstip on the right) Credits: www.airports-worldwide.com. I was fascinated with the brevity of the landing strip, but was unable to accurately show this from a land view.

 

Or take a leisurely cruise, arriving by sea. Ocean Princess.

Riding Back to Grundarfjordur

In the Southwest of Iceland, there is so much more vegetation than in the Southeast.

 

With the sheep population far exceeding people population, you would think that you'd see a lot more sheep. They tend to graze over a wide area.

 

The fantastic cloud formations, plus mountains, and a quiet country home--click on any photo for a larger view.

 

I never tire of Icelandic skies.

 

Grundarfjordur, at the base of the mountains, near the sea. The seagulls are ready to escort us from the fjord.

Stykkishólmur, Iceland

 

View of town from sea.

 

Sailing vessel, built in style of viking ship.

 

Busy little harbor.

 

Dominating the skyline, the Stykkishólmur church. Since a funeral was taking place, we were unable to visit this architectural landmark. View a video of the inside of the church here.

Winter in Connecticut (A Short Break From Trip to Iceland)

 

Snow clinging to pine needles (24 hours after storm)

 

Connecticut stone walls in the background.

Iceland Bird Colonies

The first and third photos are ATLANTIC PUFFINS. As we approached the Puffins, everyone crowded the viewing area. I took these photos by extending my arms as high as they would go and holding the camera toward the viewing area, hoping there would be a Puffin in the photo. With 4 million in the area, I thought the chances were good that I would find one. The link above will take you to more Puffin photos.

To view a video about ICELANDIC PUFFINS, click here.

 

When baby Puffins leave their nests for the first time, they will often head towards the lights of the nearest town. The local children rescue the puffins and help them find their way back to sea. I enjoy this video of the Wrong Way Puffins.

 

 

Click on the photo for a closer view.

 

To see a more comprehensive view of Icelandic birds, please click this link.

In Search of Puffins

Somehow, the word got out amongst my friends on board ship, that I was very fond of puffins. It was only logical that a few of us would go by boat to the islands west of Stykkishólmur in search of the interesting creatures.

 

A visit to these islands is reward enough. The fantastic Icelandic skies make up for lack of vegetation.

 

Unusual rock formations.

 

Many islands provide nesting places for a variety of bird life.

 

Quiet home in the islands.