July 15 will take 4 days to cover. We drove south to Vik. The Hotel Katla was just past Vik. The wind was almost gale force and it was raining hard when we arrived at the hotel.
The first picture isn’t a painting it was the view from our room. The wooden plaque hangs in many restaurants in Iceland. The lamb is so tender and sweet. We ate it often while there (See Waterfalls – Sherry Felix – port4u for information about sheep).
After breakfast we went back to black sands beach. It was a treat to see a Black-tailed Godwit – a life bird from the car on the way.
The pretty lupins are found everywhere they should not be. The Nootka lupine was imported from North America in 1945 to combat topsoil loss, which had been a serious problem since the 19th century. The lupine has a tendency to create monocultures which prevents other plants from growing and suffocates more delicate flora. Beauty or Beast? Iceland Quarrels Over an Invasive Plant – The New York Times (nytimes.com).
After the Ice Cave we set off for the boat trip in a Glacier Lagoon. I took pictures along the way (second set of images) as we drove by Katla Geopark (check the Katla link to see all the things there are to see by in Iceland’s largest glaciated area). Also see this brochure about Katla.
Tomorrow I’ll cover the Katla Ice Cave trip that started from Vik.
Hotel Katla view from our window 7/15/2021 
Free roaming Llamb since 874, Hotel Smyrlabjorg 7/15/2021 
Sheep at Hotel Katla 7/15/2021 
Hotel Katla (pointy rocks are the Reynisdrangar) 7/15/2021 
near Vik 7/15/2021 
near Vik 7/15/2021 
Black Sands Beach, Vik 7/15/2021 
Black Sands Beach, Vik 7/15/2021 
Black Sand Beach (pointy rocks are the Reynisdrangar), Vik 7/15/2021 
Halsanefshellir Cave, Vik 7/15/2021 
Marc by basalt columns at Halsanefshellir Cave, Vik 7/15/2021 
Reynisfjara Beach, Vik 7/15/2021 
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)., Vik 7/15/2021 
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)., Vik 7/15/2021 
Sedum acre (stonecrop), Black Sands Beach, Vik 7/15/2021 
Nootka Lupin (Lupinus nootkatensis), Vik, Southwest Iceland, 7/15/2021 
Sand Silverweed (Potentilla anserina), Vik 7/15/2021 
Angelica at Black Sand Beach, Vik 7/15/2021 
Vik i Myrdal village 7/15/2021 
Vik i Myrdal village 7/15/2021 
Vik 7/15/2021
Marc at Kalfafell, Southeast Iceland 7/15/2021 
Kalfafell, Southeast Iceland 7/15/2021 
Vatnajokull NP, Southeast Iceland 7/15/2021 
Grofarlaekjarfoss, Southeast Iceland 7/15/2021 
Hotel Smyrlabjorg 7/15/2021 
Hotel Smyrlabjorg 7/15/2021
Thanks for introducing me to the first Black-Tailed Godwit!
I was pleased to see it too.
What a stunning landscape, and flora and fauna
Thanks Sue.
What fabulous photographs. Sherry you have captured the unique richness of this startling landscape. Thank you for taking me along in your wonderful journey. I particularly loved the small isolated cottage sitting in the midst if such vast isolation.
Thanks Linda. Nice to see you here. I miss you.
Thanks for sharing, these are refreshing images.
🙂 Thanks
Keep these memorable gems coming
No worries. Many more to come.
Once again thanks for the beautiful pictures of this special nature !
Enjoy your stay 🙂
I did thanks. It was 10 days. Now I have the fun of processing and posting.