I spent almost the entire winter in my new home in Iceland. Despite initial concerns, the short days didn't bother me too much. There was something mystical about the dimly lit days and the nighttime landscape. I admired the white massif of Helgrindur illuminated by the moon, the solitary Kirkjufell, and the sound of the ocean. And those northern lights! Experiencing nature in all its glory.
It seems someone forgot to turn on the lights ;)
Living on the northern side of a high mountain range meant that for many weeks, I didn't see the sun, which rose too low to climb above the peaks. Its rays reached the hills surrounding us but missed the town. I had a feeling that there were only two times of day - night and twilight, like in a dream.
Whenever the weather allowed, I would go for walks on my days off. These were short walks, usually along the path above the town towards Kirkjufell mountain.
When the weather was nice, I could at least enjoy the sunlight reflected off Kirkjufell.
During uncertain weather or after heavy snowfall in the mountains, I would take walks around the town.
Often, however, the wind was too strong to stay on my feet.
Spring doesn't reside here!
The sun finally emerged from behind the mountains in early February, and the days started to lengthen very quickly. Winter persisted almost until the end of April, but every few weeks a storm would come with a very strong but warm wind, causing half of the snow to disappear within one day, leaving the area submerged in snowy slush. After 2-3 days, the freezing temperatures would return, turning the entire town into an ice rink. One of those days in March, I went for a walk to Kirkjufell and had to wear crampons on my boots almost the entire way, including through the town.
The sun was already with us, but it was still very low in the sky.
Recently, I talked to a friend who lives here. She recalled a time when hardly anyone visited our town, and Kirkjufell was just another mountain among many. Now it is a must-see during your Iceland trip.
After a brief thaws, winter quickly returned with doubled strength.
Did there ever come moments when I had enough of the winter here? Sometimes, yes. Especially after blizzards when I needed a snowplow to get out of the house ;) Or when the parking lot turned into an ice rink and I worried about the safety of our guests. Also, towards the end of April, when I was already tired of wearing all those fleeces and jackets. But overall, I was delighted with the amount of snow and how long it lasted. In Poland, we haven't had such winters for many years now.
In the next post, I will tell you about a few days of thaw in March that fooled everyone by pretending to be spring. It's truly amazing how quickly and drastically the weather changes here. There's no way to get bored!
See you :)
