Voici le journal de bord du séjour en Islande qui se déroule du 7 au 21 juillet 2013.

 Monday 8 july

On Sunday, we arrive and must put our tents under the rain. Monday morning, the rain again, non stop. We went by foot to the city center, and in the city hall we saw a 3 dimensions map and saw our trip for this 2 weeks. Then, we took the bus to visit the museum of natural history. And we walked around the bay, to reach the beach with hot bath (38 degrees) and also we went into the ocean at 11 degrees. After the rain, the pool has brought a smile to everybody. Especially because, during our bath, the sun came at last. Back at the camping site, it is not easy to go and sleep because we do not have the night in Iceland in july.

Plage de Reykjavik

 Tuesday 9 July

Today, we took a bus to do an excursion with the group : Golden circle tour. At the beginning ; we visited a tomatoes farm. Strange in Iceland. But it was in a glass house, using geothermical energy. At the next stop, we went to Gullfoss ; what impressive waterfalls.

After, we saw a lot of geysers. Surprising experience !!!!!!!!!

For the last visit, it was Thingvellir : the rift between America and Europe, and also the old parliament in the same place.

In different places, we took measures of the water : parameters of the water (if loaded of minerals).

For more information, look at the photos. Today the weather was good.

For finishing the date, we had a cinema session (13 in one tent) to see a documentary on the Vikings.

Gulfoss

Pingvellir

Geysir

 Wednesday the 10th of June

First, Celine and Philippe went to rent a new car, with 9 places. Then, we took the car for travel into Iceland roads. We stop in a zone with lots of rocks and stones, who were some peat.

After, we went to a mountain who were raining, and it was very cold. Here we saw some boiling mud and steam.

We ate in a greenhouse. Finally we visited a geothermical factory, they produce some hot water for swimming pool, and houses etc…

At the end, we came back to the camping

Presqu’île de Reykjanes

Presqu’île de Reykjanes et seltun

 Tuesday July 11th

Thursday we left the Reykjavik’s campsite at 9 a.m. and we went to Landmannalaugar. It was the first time we went on a track for 4×4 jeeps only. Indeed we had to cross several fjords and a river. Because of that we were able to use only one of the two cars we got and so we have done three trips from the beginning of the track to Landmannalaugar. We finally arrived at Landmannalaugar campsite and went to the hot spring and we stood a long time in the water between 35°C and 40°C (65°C at the spring).

Source d’eau chaude à Landmannalaugar

 Friday July 12th

Friday we did whole day walk. It was beautiful, but the weather was bad : it was raining and snowing, and it was very windy and so the walk was very exhausting. Then, we spend a very long time in the hot spring (around 4h).

Névé à Landmannalaugar

 Saturday July 13th

Saturday we woke up about 11 a.m. because we were very tired of yesterday’s walk then we had a breakfast. Then we had a very long walk about 6 hour long, we ate in a crater. After we went to the lake between red cliffs, and came back to the campsite. Then, we went to the hot spring (around 2h).

 Sunday July 14th

We leave Landmannalaugare to Skaftafell. We had made two groups. The first group set the tents down and the second group left to the next campsite. The first group went to view a waterfall in Edgja. In new campsite nothing is free : shower, electricity and internet. **** But, here the weather is good : there is sun instead of the last week rain. After diner, we will go to walk.

Cascade faille Edgja

Ferme islandaise

 Monday July 15th

This morning Celine explain us how glacier move with white bread and Philippe tell us how electricity come on the iceland’s farms. After three quarter of hour we arrived to « Jökulsarlôn » who is a lake with iceberg who go untill the sea. We eat under a bridge because it was raining. Here there was a lot of Sterna ,who is a local bird, who attacked us because we wasn’t far enough of their nest. Then we walked arround the lake to look at the iceberg, the birds and the glacier. Afterwards we camed back to the camping and we took our first shower since four days, then we eat and now we write this long text in the lavatory of the camping who is the only hot place.

Iceberg Jokulsarlon

 Tuesday July 16th

We had a trail near glacier to take a photo of it from a particular point in order to compare the size of the glacier now and the size of the glacier on the pictures token by the older expeditions, we went to a point of view and we had an other trail which cross a wonderful forest and a lots of rivers. After a very long walk day we was return to the camping side. After a good shower everybody went to bed.

Cascade dans des orgues basaltiques

Front d’une langue glaciaire

 Wednesday July 17th

Before leaving we installed a temperature recorder which will store data each hour for the next 600 days. Then we went to Vìk just for lunch. In the afternoon, we walked on the beaches of black sand and then went to the swimming pool.

On the beach !

 Thursday July 18th

This morning we saw columnar basalt at the most southern beach of iceland, then we went to the ornithological reserve. Here we saw puffins ( macareux ) and we went to Vik’s light house. Afterwards we came back to the camping because it was raining too much and we worked about the scientifical diary. After Céline and Philippe took us to the hamburger’s restaurant and at the end we visited the Vik’s wool shop and we tried lot of different wool stuff .

Macareux moine

orgues basaltiques à Vik

 Friday July 19th

In the morning, we took the car, and we went to a waterfall. We went behind the waterfall. Then, we went to the famous mountain Eyafjöll for a walk. Finally, we went in a openair swimming-pool, which was made in 1923. We went back to the campsite of Vik, we ate and we slept.

Chute Seljalandsfos

 Saturday July 20th

We stay half a day for working in the camping to make the scientific news paper. After this, we go to Reykjavik on car, and we make a run whith horse on the beach. we stop in the end of the days to see elfs montains and vikings village. we are arrived in the bad camping very late, and we have a short night. we get up hearly to the airport.

Cheval islandais

Céline Giroir, Jerome MATHEY, Philippe Guillaume, Sophie Ammann,
date de publication : 6 juillet 2013,
date de dernière mise à jour : 26 juillet 2013