It feels like cheating. You are in a strange and curios surrounding, immersed in an otherworldly feeling. Everywhere you point your camera, there is something beautiful to be photographed. Beautiful pictures do not come any easier than this. Instead of looking out for the extraordinary in ordinary life, it hits you relentlessly, making you press the shutter button frenetically.

 

Iceland is an amazing place. In the beginning you stop every 5 minutes as you are in awe of every waterfall and every patch of moss that you see. After a while, you start to get used to it, sometimes not appreciating places that would be the centerfold of any other part of the world. 

 

The journey takes you through all 4 seasons in less than 1 hour (we even got snow in the mountains). You do not have time to get bored even though it is sometimes so remote that you only ever meet another person or car every 30 minutes. We were in the trusty hands (or wheels?) of our soon-to-be beloved car, a Duster that we named Dustin Hoffman. It took us over rivers and patches of 'road' reserved for hard off roaders. We especially are fond of the Landmannlalaugar National Park, with its breathtaking landscape that morphed every half kilometer, retracing the geological path that nature has made.

 

Another particularity of the north is the wake up call you get in hotels. In contrast with the annoying usual call that ends your sleep, this is one that you can only hope it arrives. Because it signals the sighting of aurora borealis. When you get it, you jump out of your bed into the pre-arranged clothes and you grab the camera that should already be on its tripod, ready to capture this rare event which shapeshift faster than you would expect. Although full of adrenaline, you are still actually sleeping, so you might just hit the tripod by mistake and the camera would smash on the alley in front of the hotel... This is what happened to us, bot fortunate enough, the lens hood saved the day and we were able to enjoy the rest of the days. And bring back memories as well!

 

We also loved to hike towards part of the Vatnajokull glacier. Again, to be alone in the face of such a huge wonder unfolding in front of your eyes is something we will treasure forever. Not to mention all the filming location of the movie which basically took us there in the first place, 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' ☺. We completely enjoyed each and every one!

In the end, the mix of amazing nature, small villages, restaurants that sheltered us from the wind and people we met on the road planted some seeds of love of nature and exploring that we think will live with us every day from then on...