Gudrun's photos

Nýidalur (830m) lies on highland road F26 with Tungnafellsjökull glacier nearby. There are huts with bunk/dorm accommodation run by the Icelandic touring club. We only had our lunch break there and thankfully could use the hut, on two former visits we were shivering on the benches outside...The water in the washrooms is the coldest I have ever experienced! This part of Sprengisandur highland desert has permafrost, the 1st note shows the polygonal patterns made by ice wedges. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_wedge Frostspalten: lineare Schrumpfrisse in gefrorenem Boden, die durch Kontraktion bei sehr tiefen Temperaturen gebildet werden, an der Bodenoberfläche bilden sie oft ein Polygonnetz. Durch Gefrieren von eindringendem Schmelzwasser werden Eiskeile gebildet. Yet even in this harsh climate flowers grow: Bartsia alpina (Alpenhelm) Silene acaulis (Moss campion, Stängelloses Leimkraut, Lambagras)

MM: Thermometer/ Barometer de.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9aumur-Skala

After it had emptied of lava one of the craters in the Laki crater row filled with ground water. The note shows the depression where the lava ran off. In the bottom right corner of the main photo you can see what visitor pressure does to the vegetation. Now there's a new viewing platform and leaving the paths is strictly forbidden.

SSC: Minimalismus Scheinwerfer

Römerstrasse is one of Stuttgart's steepest roads, starting at the valley bottom and leading 1,4km and ~ 150m uphill. In several places the road turns into flights of steps as in the photo where 116 steps end at a house with the number 116! The steps are actually quite nicely graded, the road that follows is much worse;-) The steps seen from the top:

"Hier wache ich", "Zutritt verboten" In spite of this very mixed welcome - hFF and a good weekend, folks!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playing_card_suit

The unstable rhyolite screes of Mælifell mountain are traversed by the ring road. In former times this passage was feared for its frequent landslides and slippery surfaces but now the road has been considerably improved. The coastline with its small sandy coves and black lava beaches displays the plumbing of an ancient, long extinct volcano laid open by water erosion.

Öræfajökull, seen here from Höfn across Hornafjörður, is the most SE point of Iceland and has always been a landmark for sailors. The name means "wasteland glacier" and denotes both the glacier and the stratovolcano lying underneath it. Looks are deceptive, Öræfajökull is thought to be Europe's 2nd largest stratovolcano after Etna with a massive 600-700m deep ice filled caldera and an altitude of 2110m, making it Iceland's highest mountain. The white flowers in the foreground are Angelica sylvestris (see note), www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/en/areas/skaftafell/interpretation-and-knowledge/about-oraefajokull de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96r%C3%A6faj%C3%B6kull

Brunahraun is lava from the northern Laki crater row that flew down to the coast following the the valley of Hverfisfljót river. The larger lava field Eldhraun www.ipernity.com/doc/523247/44215764 was created by flows from the southern crater row down Skaftá river valley. In the backgound are the cliffs of the former coastline. The lava itself is very difficult to cross because of the many cracks and sharp edges and anyway you shouldn't because the vegetation is easily damaged and takes decades to grow back. The lava is colonized by Racomitrium moss and wild thyme.

Wilhelma Stuttgart Oil paint filter

Durch die Weinberge des Degerlocher Scharrenberg verläuft der Schimmelhüttenweg, von dem steile Stäffele durch die Weinberge abgehen.

SSC: ein gelbes Motiv

Innenhof im Folkwang-Museum

hFF folks!

Skaftá valley with Fögrufjöll mountains in the background, seen from Lakagígar. During the Laki eruptions (1783/84) Skaftá river dried up completely as the lava shot down the valley into the lowlands. The phreatic explosions as hot lava reacted with water could be heard from far away. en.unesco.org/global-geoparks/katla