A splendid day today.  

Sometimes on a trip you think  'This is the best'. It is all relative of course, and the latest thing is the most clear in your mind, so not sure if this day was the best, but it was mighty good.

We spent the day among glaciers, icebergs, and a stunning black sand beach. While there many beautiful views, it was the ice on the black sand beach which really took our breath away. The photos do not really do justice to the glittering black sand, the clear or blue ice shimmering in the sun, and the birds dipping and weaving around it all. 

We were near the Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier which ends in Jökulsárlón Lagoon. Over time, parts of the glacier have broken off and icebergs have floated into the lagoon. These then have gradually broken down to smaller pieces that have drifted via a short river to the sea. And it is here that some are being washed onto the black sand. There are such differences, not only in the shape of the resultant ice blocks, but also in their makeup. Some appear like a millions of bubbles, others are smooth, and some have almost sculptured looking designs on the exterior. 
 
 
 
The water in Jokulsarlon Lagoon was bright turquoise in colour, a result of particles of rock that are suspended in the water. This was in contrast to the water around the Fjallsarlon Glacier which we had visited earlier in the day. Not sure why the water there was a milky brown colour, but it looked quite different. This whole area has glacier after glacier, which all originate from the Vatnajokull Glacier, which has the largest ice cap area in Iceland. 

As we drove on we could see that the bright blue water of the lagoon coloured the sea for quite some distance. Quite a contrast to the bright green of the farming land here. And also a contrast to the kilometres of grey sand and gravel we had travelled first thing that morning. I did not realise that volcanic eruptions under glaciers cause such massive flooding.. The huge flood plains we travelled across today and yesterday have been formed by volcanic eruptions that have caused major flooding and damage and have transformed huge area of land to gravel plains.

It is interesting to see the interplay of all these natural features of the landscape and the way that they have been affected by volcanoes and the weather. In Iceland this is particularly relevant.