Icelandic horses are a unique breed, first brought to the island by Norse settlers in the ninth and tenth centuries. They are well adapted to survive the harsh climate, due to combination of selective breeding by humans and natural selection. Their small bodies, thick coats which change seasonally (thicker in the winter), and long manes help them survive the harsh weather. Icelandic horses are very sure footed and provide a smooth ride over rough terrain. Their coat colors are varied (over 100 are noted in the Icelandic language).

This is the first blue-eyed horse I'd ever seen- seemed appropriate as a parallel to the native human inhabitants who often have brilliant blue eyes.

In the back is Rauðafell (mountain).

Tags:   Icelandic horse Iceland Ísland Rauðafell

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Early morning at the falls of the Brúará River in southwestern Iceland. The stunning blue color of the water is not unique to this river, but shows up particularly well here due to to a fissure in the center of the stream which funnels the majority of the water into a deep, bubble filled stream.

I just returned from a two week visit to Iceland with my family. We saw dozens of waterfalls (foss), but our consensus favorite was Brúarfoss. The reasons generally centered on the unique color and form, and its intimacy (although my sons would never use that term), due to its isolation and relatively small size.

The Brúará River is the second largest spring-fed river in Iceland, originating in the mountain valleys in the background. In its lower reaches it is renowned for its fishing quality. "Brúará" means bridge in Icelandic, the name referring to a natural bridge that used to span the river. The bridge was purportedly removed by locals who wanted to keep vagrants from crossing over to the more well-to-do side of the river... (#3)

Tags:   Brúarfoss Brúará River Iceland morning light Golden triangle Ísland Bruarfoss

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Mix an abundance of snow and ice in the highlands with young, erosion-resistant basalt, and you get a gazillion waterfalls. As Peter Boehringer puts it, as many falls as grains of sand in New Mexico. A few are particularly notable (and popular), including Seljalandfoss, shown here. Its height and a shallow cavern behind it provide a multitude of angles from which to appreciate its beauty and compose photos. We were lucky to catch it on a partly sunny day with a wonderful sun angle, producing a memorable rainbow. Numerous gulls use the cliffs on either side of the falls for nest sites in May. (#3)

Tags:   Seljalandfoss Iceland Ísland rainbow waterfall water texture

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The second highest waterfall in Iceland with a drop of 122 m (400 feet), Háifoss falls into the River Fossá, in a deep canyon cut through the basalt layers, including columnar basalt. The deep residual winter snow and ice is partially covered with soil and rocks from the canyon walls. The lone figure photographing from the adjacent cliff is my younger son, giving me additional grey hairs.

five vertical shots blended together

Tags:   Háifoss River Fossá Iceland Ísland

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A pair of Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) in breeding colors socialize on the edge of a sea cliff on the Dyrhólaey peninsula near Vik, Iceland.

HBW!

Tags:   Dyrhólaey peninsula Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica sea cliff Iceland Ísland

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