Getting the blog up and running

Welcome to the blog for our latest trip to Iceland. Following the success of our trip two years ago, we are very excited about visiting this incredible country once more.  You will be delighted to read that I am aiming for pupils to write the blog and I will try and resist the temptation to write my own diatribe about each day.  Please bear with us as we modify the blog and add images and perhaps even video clips.

I hope that everybody is prepared and I am really looking forward to 0830 on Wednesday morning to collect in passports and EHIC cards before starting the journey down to Manchester.

Below is the amended trip itinerary so you can all see what we will be doing on a daily basis.

Iceland Itinerary for Barnard Castle School

Wed 23 to Mon 28 Oct 2013

Day 1. Wed 23 Oct: ​ “Arrival Day”

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Depart 13.25 Iceland Air flight Fl441 from Manchester arrive Keflavik 15.00

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Brief Tour of the city including views over the city centre from the Perlan and the Hallgrímskirkja

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Then to your accommodation at the Hotel Baron

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Evening meal at Chicken Restaurant

Day 2.​ Thurs 24 Oct:​ “Golden Circle and Going Underground Day”    

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Þingvellir National Park - rifting between American & Eurasian plates

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Caving in a lava tube

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Geysir

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Gullfoss – awesome fault-guided waterfall and walk beside its gorge

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Overnight at Hotel Gullfoss

Day 3. Fri 25 Oct:​​ “Water, Sea and Ice Day”  

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Seljandafoss (a 44m waterfall you can walk behind)

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Skógarfoss (awesome 60 m+ waterfall)​

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Sólheimajökull glacier – walking on the glacier with activity company www.adrenalin.is

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Coastal Features at  Dyrhólaey and Reynishverfi - including cave and arch development and spectacular basalt columns like a small-scale giant’s causeway (if conditions allow)

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Laki lavas

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On to Hotel Laki with meal at the hotel

Day 4 Sat 26 Oct:​​ “Ice Day 2“

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To the Ice Lagoon in the SE

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Brief stop at Skaftafell National Park Centre for toilets if needed)

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Search for the tundra vegetation and periglacialfeatures (polygons and stripes) on exposed surfaces

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Visit very impressive Svínafellsjökull glacier to viewmoraine, crevasses and pro glacial lake

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Jökulsárlón Ice lagoon – awe-inspiring colours of icebergs: walk round the lagoon towards the ice sheet.(Where the James Bond Film ‘Die Another Day’ was made)

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Boat trip amongst the icebergs on the melt-water lagoon

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Climb Europe’s largest lateral moraine to view pro-glacial lake and other features

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The sun then sets as come off glacier and its back toHotel Laki

Day 5​Sun 27 Oct:​​ “Activity Day”

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Stop at Vik Woollen Mill for shopping

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Visit the Iceland Eruption Centre for effects of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption

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Then Blue Lagoon swim, steam rooms and sauna.(2pm)

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Into the new GeoPark in the Reykjanes

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See Explosion craters along the rifts – walk up to craters

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Hot mud pots and steam vents at Gunnuhver

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Walk along a major Rift if time

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Back to Reykjavik to the Hotel Baron

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Eat-all-you want at a pizza restaurant

Day 6. Mon 28 Oct:​​  “Departure Day”

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Flight FI440 departs at 0800 hrs arrives Manchester at 10.35.