Breathtaking Views of Iceland

Scenic setting for Iceland's ancient parliament, where Christianity was peacefully adopted in the year 1000, Þingvellir is a national park and one of the most visited places of the Northern Athlantic Island. It was inscribed by UNESCO inits World Heritage List in 2004. Thorn or þorn (Þ, þ), is a letter in the Old English and Icelandic alphabets which was replaced in other languages by the digraph th. The letter originated from the rune ᚦ. Þingvellir became a national park in 1928 due to its historical importance, as well as the special tectonic and volcanic environment. The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen in the cracks, the biggest one, Almannagjá, being a veritable canyon. Together with the waterfall Gullfoss and the geysers of Haukadalur, Þingvellir is part of the most famous sights of Iceland, the Golden Circle. According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. Over the next centuries, people of Norse and Celtic origin settled in Iceland. Early on, district assemblies were formed, but as the population grew there was a need for a general assembly. The descendants of Ingólfur Arnarson who dominated the region of southwest Iceland had become the most powerful family in the country, and other chieftains felt a need for a general assembly to limit their power and so it was born the parliament.

The postcard I have from Olof is perfect. I can’t tell any wrong thing about it and I love it. I dream to visit Iceland and for sure I will go there. The scenic views are breathtaking in this postcard and for sure the real thing is thousand ways better.

64.258056,-21.125 Click for Google Maps or use numbers on your GPS to navigate.

Wikipedia For more information, links, pictures and many more Wikipedia is the perfect site to be informed.

Official Site For visiting information (like fees and open days and times) use the official site.
Iceland For travel information, the official site of the National Tourist Board, is the perfect location.

Vulcanic Lake of Mývatn

After four thousand and something postcards that I got, finally I have arranged a swap and card from Iceland arrived in my PO Box. I have asked for something famous and Olof have sent me this beautiful view of a volcanic lake called Mývatn. The lake was formed 2300 years ago after volcanic eruption. The water from lake comes from the river Laxá. The River Laxá, Lake Mývatn and the surrounding wetlands are protected as a nature reserve very rich in flora and fauna, especially birds which comes here for nesting. The beautiful coincidence about that postcard is that I have sent to Olof a card with Danube Delta, even though it did not rich its destination and I have to send a new one (but I’m waiting a little bit because Romania and Eastern Europe is under snow), it seems to me that the two places: Danube Delta in Romania and Mývatn in Iceland are a little bit alike. I love such coincidences. The lake is fed by nutrient-rich springwater and has a high abundance of aquatic insects and that is why the place has its name: mý ("midge") and vatn ("lake"); the lake of midges = flies. The aquatic insects form an attractive food supply for ducks. Thirteen species of ducks nest here. The effluent river Laxá is known for its rich fishing for Brown Trout and Atlantic Salmon. The recent volcanic activity was characterized by periods of slow land rise, interspersed by shorter periods of rapid subsidence, underground magma bursts, rifting, earthquakes and. This is an excellent example of the process of continental drift in Iceland. Because of the volcanic origin, there are silica quarries in the lake. Thank you Olof and you will get my Danube Delta card even though I will carry it in Iceland.

65.6,-17 Click for Google Maps or use numbers on your GPS to navigate.

Wikipedia For more information, links, pictures and many more Wikipedia is the perfect site to be informed.

Official Site For visiting information (like fees and open days and times) use the official site.
Iceland For travel information, the official site of the National Tourist Board, is the perfect location.

Colecţia mea de vederi numără peste 4000 în acest moment dar abia acum am primit una din Islanda, o ţară pe care îmi doresc să o vizitez cât mai repede. Vederea este de la Olof şi reprezintă o imagine cu lacul Mývatn. Acesta s-a format acum 2300 de ani şi este un lac vulcanic alimentat cu apă proaspătă de râul Laxá. În fiecare vară numărul de insecte este imens şi de aceea lacul se numeşte aşa: mý = insecte şi vatn = lac. Aceste insecte sunt preferatele raţelor şi astfel 13 specii de raţe îşi fac cuiburile aici în fiecare vară. Fauna şi chiar flora zonei este impresionantă. Întreaga zonă este mlăştinoasă. Râul Laxá contribuie şi el la biodiversitate fiind o sursă importantă de păstrăvi şi somoni. Activitatea vulcanică din ultima perioadă a făcut ca anumite zone să se ridice, să apară insuliţe. Din descriere vă daţi seama că seamănă, oarecum, cu Delta Dunării. Coincidența face ca eu să-i fi trimit lui Olof o vedere cu Delta Dunării. Din păcate nu a ajuns la el şi acum aştept să ne deszăpezim un pic ca să nu se mai piardă şi alte vederi. Oricum, dacă nu reuşesc o să mă duc personal cu ea.