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Iceland

The black sand beach in Vik and some other beaches in Iceland have their color due to the volcanic explosions. Once the lava is cooled and dry, it forms solid rock. Then when the rock starts to get worn, it transforms into tiny pebbles that are not quite refined into fine grains.

Reynisfjara is a world-famous black-sand beach found on the South Coast of Iceland,

With its enormous basalt stacks, roaring Atlantic waves and stunning panoramas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be the most beautiful example of Iceland’s black sand beaches.

A seal keeping a watchful eye on those of us on the beach

Volcanic lava eruptions have left the ground in these stacking conditions.

More lava conditions left behind

The photos taken high up on the hill previously is directly above where this cave is on the beach.

Upon visiting the beach, travelers will immediately observe rocky sea stacks sitting off the shoreline, known as Reynisdrangar.

Visitors to Reynisfjara must be made well aware of the potential dangers present at the beach. First of all, the rolling, roaring waves of Reynisfjara are particularly violent, often pushing far further up the beach than many would not expect. These are called sneaker-waves, and they can appear when least expected, even on incredibly still days. There are no significant landmasses in between Antarctica and the shores of Reynisfjara, meaning waves have thousands of kilometers to build.

The top of this hill in the sudden fog that just came in is directly abovef the cave seen in an early photo.

Off Road Super Jeep Vehicles

Looking down on the village of Vik,, population 291. it is the largest settlement for some 43 miles around and is an important staging post, and thus it is indicated on road signs from a long distance away.

According to local Icelandic folklore, these large basalt columns were once trolls trying to pull ships from the ocean to shore. However, these trolls were dim and went out too late in the night; dawn broke on the horizon, turning the trolls into solid stone. I guess the secret is if you are a troll in Iceland do not stay out late a night. It is bad for your health. You end up a rock somewhere.

We visited a flower farm that relies on geothermal energy to grow flowers in hot houses.

Here the owner is explaining the process and what makes the flowers grow year round in the harsh winter weather of Iceland.

We learned so much in how to grow flowers in such harsh conditions. The flowers were awesome.

The flowers were absolutely beautiful. What a great way to grow them in such harsh conditions.

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