A VISIT TO ICELAND PART V: THE ICE OF ICELAND

 

We travel to Iceland because there is no place like it in the world. So close to two continents and yet so remote, so relatively easy to get to but so raw in its earthly beauty, its natural wonders are icons of the jewels or the earth and yet seen in such an undistilled state as can only be possible by a happy set of evolutionary circumstances.

Something s superficially trivial as the beaches of Iceland being coated with black sand may not inspire awe (at least until witnessed in person) until the unique volcanic power in the island is considered. Of such famous beaches the aptly named Black Sand Beach is the one offering what its name suggests, a beach of black sand. But Diamond Beach yields surprises. Oh the black sand is there aplenty but so are chunks of ice from broken up glaciers that have washed ashore and become marvels of the beach. For once a beach thrives on cold weather with its icy blocks resembling the extra terrestrial pods of any sci-fi matinee.

Me at Black Sand Beach


When we arrived the scene was already bustling with tourists, many taking pictures of the most oddly shaped ice chunks. The tide was getting high however so the time for posing was fleeting. Still, Diamond Beach hits the senses at once, even the cold air adding to its marvel.

Diamond Beach

Diamond Beach


A few miles down the crumbling road from Diamond Beach the icebergs  drift in the waters in all their gigantic majesty. It was a sight I had to witness once, in the evening following my visit to Diamond Beach and then the following morning before the rush of tourists. Only one other visitor beat me to the icebergs that morning, a harbor seal poked its smooth head out of the waters in between two ice towers, frolicked up and under before swimming away, leaving the gigantic icebergs a scene of solitude and tranquility.

Icebergs


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