Welcome to my experience in Iceland. One of the best trips in my life.The following links lead you to photographs and text documenting my 1992 trip to Iceland.  I traveled there for 3 weeks with my friend Mark Mackesy of Hamilton.

Our plan was to start in Reykjavik and travel the perimeter of the island by car. (There really is only one road so arguments over directions seemed a remote prospect.)

IMPORTANT TRAVEL TIP:

Never underestimate your ability to get lost even on a ring road.

3 weeks looked like plenty of time when we planned our trip but there is a lot more to see in Iceland than you might think. I always felt a bit rushed. Perhaps there is never enough time when you are on vacation.

In case you don’t know, Iceland is located in the North Atlantic just south of the arctic circle between Greenland and Norway. Of it’s 250,000 citizens, more than half live in the capital city Reykjavik. It is a modern city with a strong service economy including some great coffee houses. Ask me how I know! The pictures to the left are Polaroid dye transfers. I think that the rugged landscapes in Iceland lend themselves to this printing technique.

Outside of the city, Iceland is austere and beautiful. Obviously the product of volcanic upheaval and scouring by ice, the character of the land changes every few miles.

 We saw rolling hills of lush green grass and plains of black lava looking like freshly laid asphalt. On many occasions we thought we had been transported to the site of Apollo 11’s landing.

We were prepared for summer or winter conditions and to camp when necessary (yes it snowed in July). However, I just wasn’t prepared to be awestruck at every turn.

Did I mention it was a great adventure.Yes, I want to go back.

TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS

Here are a few tips from our trip

-You need a good guide. Although there were often differences of opinion between us, we relied on the Lonely Planet Guide.

 

 

– My favorite collection of photographs is Iceland by Elliot Porter. You get an interesting perspective from him in a way that suggests the American mid-west.

– Be prepared for camping if you intend to drive the entire ring road. The availability of hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast accommodation is often poor.

I would be interested in your thoughts on these pictures. You may e-mail me by using the link provided below