Posted on August 31, 2010 by cinzia
Every year, at the Fær Øer, an archipelago in the North Sea, close to Iceland, there’s a really cruel show related to the crossing of the young and adult whales: it’s the massacre of the “pilot whales”.
This tradition dates back to the 16th century and since 1709 it has been reported in the local chronicles.
For [...]
Posted on August 15, 2010 by cinzia
Hallmundarhraun is a wide field of lava on the North West side of the Langjökull glacier, where there’s Surtshellir -one of the biggest caves of the island. It’s a 1970mt long cavern, and it has signs that demonstrate that it used to be inhabited.
Viðgelmir seems to be the widest cave of the world: it’s 148.000 [...]
Posted on August 5, 2010 by cinzia
Hraunfossar is located in the Borgarfjörður district (in the West). It’s a fall created by a very peculiar natural phenomenon, similar to the carsic phenomenon in Italy.
The water falls from the Langjökull Glacier at a very low temperature, but instead of flowing outside, it filters beneath a porous lavic layer and it absorbs the heat [...]
Posted on January 17, 2010 by cinzia
Skarðsheiði is a mountain famous for its highest peak, the Skessuhorn. Its top reaches 967mt, and it has a pyramid shape, that reminds that of the Mount Cervino in the Italian Alps.
From the top you can enjoy an astonishing view that allows to see the whole district of Borgarfjörður.
Posted on December 8, 2009 by cinzia
In the last few years, the Arctic cap has decreased a lot, mainly because of the warming up of the Earth.
In the summer 2008, for the first time ever, the passages on the North East (above the North of Russia) and on the North West (above Alaska) opened simultaneously. The scientists believe that in the [...]
Posted on November 29, 2009 by cinzia
In summer 2009 in Iceland, not only the tourism season opened but also the whale hunting, although the disappointment of many people around the world.
After rejecting the International moratorium, in 2006 Iceland opened again the hunting of whales, and it fixed
Posted on October 14, 2009 by cinzia
Horses is a very important resource for the Icelanders.
In summertime, horses freely go around the fields, it’s indeed quite easy to see entire herds running on the grass. However, as these animals require a lot of care, the owners of the horses check the moving and do not allow the animals to go away too [...]
Posted on September 21, 2009 by cinzia
Skorradalsvatnè is the widest lake of Borgarfjörður region. It is 14sqkm wide and it is surrounded by high mountains covered by birches.
A legend tells that in the lake lives a huge worm and when it rises its coil so high in the air to allow the view of the Dragafell beneath it, then everybody will [...]
Posted on September 11, 2009 by cinzia
The Grunnafjörður park is located in the Borgarfjörður district. It was created in 1994 and in 1996 it became a “Ramsar” area (a humid protected area).
The Grunnafjörður has an International environmental importance because of its marsh, where many species of bird live.
In Iceland this is the only Ramsar near the sea.
Posted on August 26, 2009 by cinzia
Although the international prohibition of fishing and dealing of whale meat, some Countries keep ignoring any call in favour of the safeguard of these cetaceans that run the actual risk of extinction.
Japan, that has always used a lot of whale meat, goes around the prohibition using as excuses aims of research; Norway does not hide [...]