A warm Welcome (Iceland Part 1)
...another magic sunrise at Dyrhólaey
After our flight to Iceland arrived two hours behind schedule I had no other choice left to use the night in order to drive Southeastwards because the weather forecast looked most promising for next morning's sunrise. During the course of the night we already got a first glimpse of the Northern Lights but due to a tremendous lack of sleep, the obvious prediction of sleeping extremely uncomfortably in a Kia Rio for the next days and after about 250 kilometers we decided to stay close to the beautiful Dyrhólaey cliffs and trust me - It surely is an epic view to open your eyes to. We already slept right through the actual sunrise (Not even several alarms changed that).
One of the amazing yet dangerous things about Iceland's Southern Coastline is the strong tide that is almost eternally existent and creates spectacular scenes while further carving the cliffs and constantly changing all the features that leave this area in such a spectacular state. Millenia of constant tide- and weather related bashing have ultimately been the reason of these witnesses of global climate-history.
As if such a picturesque panorama in already photogenic light wasn't enough, the weather decided to place the cherry on the icing while taking my obsession with storms into account. Showers started forming alongside the coast and placed perfectly opposite to the sunrise, creating a beautiful rainbow in the warm light of the low sun.
We held on for a while and enjoyed the warm sunlight after the cold night quite a bit, before venturing off towards Jökullsarlon - Our destination for the day. I can't say I quite got the sleep I needed, but I've gotten used to it. I can honestly say, that after a vacation I usually need a vacation more than before (lol), but I also enjoy the feeling of achieving beautiful results that required work and sacrifices especially on the comfort-side. After all it's the experience that counts and if you want to experience nature, be in nature. Enjoy moments like this one, even enjoy it, when she gives you a hard time. In a place like Iceland, the weather is a crucial influence on the whole perception of its stunning nature and literally every kind of weather reveals different parts of the island's beauty.