Tag Archives: Vision of the Seas

September 25, 2019 · 5:35 am

Transatlantic — Iceland; Dimmuborgir

Dimmuborgir (Dark Castles) lava field

Continuing southeast from Goðafoss we approached Mývatn, which translate to Midge (mý) Lake (vatn). And, while we didn’t encounter any midges on this excursion, the region surrounding Mývatn is notorious for them.

Mývatn Lake

Mývatn was created some 2,300 years ago during the eruption of a volcanic fissure. And it is this same eruption that resulted in the creation of today’s topic, the Dimmunborgir (Dark Castles) lava fields lying along the eastern edge of Mývatn.

Dimmuborgir formation

There is not a lot to say about the structures left after a lava flow, so I’ll let today’s photographs of this natural wonder do the talking. Click on any image below to enlarge and bring up today’s slide show of this fascinating area:

Dimmuborgir (Dark Castles) lava field

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September 23, 2019 · 5:35 am

Transatlantic — Iceland; Goðafoss

Goðafoss (Godafoss — Waterfall of the Gods)

After spending two days in Reykjavik it was time for Vision of the Seas to move on to our next Iceland destination. So, on the morning of August 30, 2017, Vision of the Seas sailed into Eyjafjörður (Anglicized as Eyjafjordur — “Island Fjord”) and docked at the fifth largest Icelandic municipality, Akureyri. From here we had another tour planned, and on this tour we would take this route:

Tour route out of Akureyri, Iceland

This route would take us to see the following sights, many of which we’ll cover over the next three weeks:

Akureyri Tour Itinerary

And leading that itinerary is today’s destination, Goðafoss (anglicized as Godafoss). Goðafoss translates to ‘Waterfall of the Gods’, and it is indeed a truly magnificent waterfall.

Goðafoss (Godafoss — Waterfall of the Gods)

This waterfall is fed by the Skjálfandafljót River, which is fed by glacial runoff.

Skjálfandafljót River

The terrain surrounding Skjálfandafljót and Goðafoss appears quite desolate, but uniquely photo-worthy:

The terrain near Goðafoss

Now for more information on Goðafoss itself. This beautiful waterfall is nearly 100 feet/30 meters wide, and the water drops almost 40 feet/12 meters.

Goðafoss (Godafoss — Waterfall of the Gods)

Seen from a slight distance, the whole waterfall appears as this:

Goðafoss (Godafoss — Waterfall of the Gods)

Stepping even farther downstream you’ll find yet another cascade with Goðafoss is the background:

Goðafoss (Godafoss — Waterfall of the Gods)

As with any really good waterfall, Goðafoss has mist rising into the air. And if the sun is angled behind you be prepared to snap an image of a rainbow forming in that mist: