Returning to Iceland on our 10 year anniversary

Jenn and I returned to the land of fire and ice, this time for a road trip around the ring road to celebrate 10 years of commitment to partnership

Before Iceland felt like it has been visited by every aspiring photographer and instagram hipster, we honeymooned in Reykjavik in September 2013. We’ve grown a lot since then but have always wanted to return at some point. In 2023 we had the privilege to be able to save up and afford another trip since we’re currently living in London. This time we planned a trip around the ring road to explore more of the country we’re both so enamoured with.

It was incredible.

Iceland reunion 2033?

Seljalandsfoss (waterfall) showers down from slightly behind the water in a cave like clearing where you can walk behind the waterfall
Simon kneels looking towards the camera, completely soaked with a wall of water from Seljalandsfoss pouring behind him
Skogafoss (waterfall) in the rain is brown with a white overcast sky
Skogafoss (waterfall) up close showing how powerful a waterfall can be with a huge amount of water being thrown up into the air
The black beach in Vik, Iceland, with brown rocks and tufts of yellow grass
A green, yellow, and red light on a warning sign at the entrance to the black beach in Vik, Iceland
Black sand in Jenna's hands from the black beach in Vik, Iceland
People smiling at each other scattered across the black beach as they fade out into the distance the further out they are, in the foreground, Jenna's taking a timelapse of the sea
A dirty white basalt rock column formation is the start of the rocky mountain contrasting the black sand of the beach
Slightly brown sea wave crashes on the black beach, the sky white and overcast, the water cuts the black half of the image in two sections of colour creating a visually pleasing pattern
Basalt rock columns form a cave on the side of the mountain facing the beach
Black mountain rock against the black sand beach with intricate jagged edges which are wet and reflecting the white sky creating a drastic contrast to their black colur
Mountain face with patches of green and yellow grass, mixes of brown and black rock, against the black beach, with Jenna standing in the bottom left looking to the top right of the image from which the white sky shines down on her
Close up of moss growing on each horizontal surface of a black boulder
Phyallic looking black rock is surrounded by energetic white foamy sea waves and a white overcast sky, which is framed by black rocks, birds flying in the wind against the white sky
Photo down the black beach showing the stark contrast of the white sky against the black sand and black mountain side
A white church with red trim and a graveyard, against a grassy mountain side
A white church with red trim close-up showing how the roof is severly weathered by the extreme climate in Iceland
Vik from the mountain side showing off it's beautiful white church with a red roof, the black beach in the distance
Vik from the mountain side showing off it's beautiful white church with a red roof, the black beach in the distance and yellow grass blowing in the wind in the foreground
Medium close of a white church with a red roof, illustrating the ornate compass on the very top of the roof
Macro of flower with tiny buds that look a bit like brains with wittling petals
Soft volcanic rock completely covered by yellowy-green moss
Soft volcanic rock completely covered by yellowy-green moss, a demarkated walking path through the rock illustrates how if the rock is disturbed no moss grows on it and it remains black
Glacier moving down a mountain into a glaciel lake with large chunks of floating ice
A silhouette of people enjoying the view and photographing a glacier moving down a mountain into a glaciel lake with large chunks of floating ice
Milky mineral water and multi-coloured rocks of a glaciel lake
Black beach with tourists inspecting the ice chunks from the glaciel lake that have been pulled out the sea and washed up on the beach, as they melt they reflect the sun and look like diamonds on the black sand
Sun sets behind a glaciel lake reflecting on the water, with large blue ice chunks float
A boat in the distance makes it's way through the glaciel lake avoiding icebergs
A group of kayaking tourists moving in the distance after the sun has set, illuminated by the evening sky
A women leans endearingly against her partner as they look out over the glaciel lake after sunset
A man standing alone, takes a selfie against the glaciel lake, smiling and capturing the moment for later
Dark mountain covered in black stones and yellowy-green grass, half covered by thick mist
Simon standing in the distance on Stokknes beach in the Vestrahorn area
Stokknes beach covered in mist with little mounds of black sand capped with yellowy-green long grass
Black rocks with a white lighthouse in the distance against the sea
Brown sand and black rock mountain is imposing against white rock with grass growing between the rocks
A mountain pass road, raining and covered with mist
Hands touching with new wedding rings illustrated a renewed commitment to each other
A man's back against an extremely windy mountain pass as he urinates publically into the distance without a care
Barren mountain pass battered by wind and rain fades to a white sky, water droplets cover the sideview mirror of the car from which the photo is taken
A geothermal powerplant of red buildings is gushing with white steam against a brown and yellow landscape
A geothermal powerplant red building is gushing white steam from a vent, the steam travels across the landscape as it dissapates into the air
Geothermal mountain with a steamy hot white milky lake
People standing in the steam of a geothermal steam geiser taking photos
Geothermal steam geiser of red and brown rock billows with white steam and travels across a yellow-brown barren landscape
Multi-coloured mineral deposits on rocks with a boiling puddle of water in a geothermal area in Iceland
Orangy mineral deposits contrast black deposits with mist floating over the geothermal area
Whale watching from a old fishing boat, the water of a fjord reflecting the sun trying hard to break through thick white rain clouds
Captain pointing to a whale sighting from the cockpit, a half eaten cheap-looking biscuit in the hand he's using to point
Dark, cold waters of the fjord against a dark brown mountain side, fading into snow caps and white clouds
Simon with a red waterproof suit holding hot chocolate and a cheap biscuit smiles with the water of the fjord and mountains in the backgroun
Dettifoss flows with the red and orange plants in the foreground
Dettifoss flows with the red and orange plants in the foreground
A white corrugated building with faded blue trim in Husavik in Iceland with a turqoise wooden picket fence
Deep green boat named Husavik against dark blue water in the harbour with bright orange rope holding another boat moored to the dock
Harbour in Husavik with old wooden boats, the ropes of boat blurred in the foreground
Mast and rope of wooden sailing boats reflect in the water in a harbour
Weathered rope tied to the wooden mast of a ship
Boat designated
Boat and it's reflection in colourful water of the harbour from the reflection of the sunset's colours effect on the clouds in the sky
White and green church in Husavik taken from the harbour with green mountain side and moody sky in the background
A naturally occuring geothermal stream flows under the road where man made bath areas have been formed by creating small damns, there is steam rising off the water and in the distance
A naturally occuring geothermal stream flows where man made bath areas have been formed by creating small damns for anyone to bath in
A traffic light shining red is in the shape of a heart with buildings and snow capped mountain peaks in the background
A house in Akureyri, Iceland with a white fence and green nasturtium vines growing over it's windows
Nasturtium vine grows around a window frame on a house in Akureyri
Nasturtium vine grows around a window frame on a house in Akureyri
Trees cover a path with stringed lights and leaves fallen on the ground in a botanical garden
Colourful flowers in botanical gardens
Colourful purple and white flowers in botanical gardens
Colourful purple flowers in botanical gardens
Colourful yellow flowers in botanical gardens
Purple flowers blurred out in the foreground lead to a garden and a black house with white window frames and door with a diamond shape peep-hole
Orange grassy-reeds blurred out in the foreground with autumal vegetation and a black house with white window frames and door with a diamond shape peep-hole
An intricate and delicate pink and white flower held gently in 2 fingers of an open hand
Star shaped ornate flowers in front of the palm of a hand
A bench in a secluded courtyard of a botanical garden, red and orange leaves with purple and pink flowers and triangluar cabbages
A greenhouse with white trim surrounded by a bed of colourful flowers and green benches
From the window of a car with the dashboard in the foreground you see a yellow landscape transition to a snowy mountain fade into a white sky
A gradient of colour from pale yellow grasses, to brown mountain side into snow capped peaks and the clouds overhead
A gradient of colour from a deep brown mountain side into snow capped peaks and the clouds overhead
Two horses one orange brown, the other white with a pale brown head graze in a field with mountains in the background
Orange brown horse's maine covers it's face as it looks directly towards you
White horse with a brown face and pink nose stands gently in front of a barbed wire fence looking towards you
A brown and a mottled grey horse stand in a field with mountains in the background
Two horse's heads one slightly overlapping the over looking over at you with mountains in the background
An old church with a grass roof and circular enclosure in the distance from a grass field with a mountain in the background with misty clouds rolling in
An old church with a grass roof and circular enclosure and a tree, in the distance from a grass field with a mountain in the background with misty clouds rolling in
A wooden gate leads to an old brown wooden church covered in grass inside a circular enclosure
In the window of a church there are wooden pews, the background is dark as the light barely penetrates the interior from the few windows in the church
A thick, wooden, ornate door to the church
A long road perfectly straight continues into the distance
A long grass covered landscape of rolling hills leads to a black church with striking a constrast of white window frames
A black church of wooden panelled walls and roof with starkly contrasting white window frames and door
A copper door handle in the shape of a ring turning turquoise through oxidation with an Icelandic inscription etched into it
In the window of a church are wooden pews with a white endings, the interior has a cool blue tinge, and an open roof with exposed beams
A dark house with a white roof and white trim stands small on a mountainside as the mountain rises into the sky ending with snow capped peaks fading into the clouds
A triangular hill over some water with grass blurred in the foreground blowing in the wind
Volcanic rock with green and white moss growing over it form a hole illustrating the danger of walking over moss covered volcanic rock as you may fall in
A small deep army green 4x4 with warm lights face you on a gravel road next to moss covered volcanic rock and a mountain in the background
At dusk, a blue sign with yellow writing indicates to turn right towards the farm
A darkening evening of a farm with sheep and a lake, a car drives down the road with it's headlamps on
Two small cottages on a farm with a lake in the distance followed by a mountainside
Sheep in a grassy hill on a farm in the late evening
Sheep in a grassy hill on a farm in the late evening, one has ventured into the road and is looking directly at you
Sheep in a grassy hill on a farm in the late evening
A spray painted sign against a wall in a residential area of the city of Reykjavik reads
A spray painted sign against a wall in a residential area of the city of Reykjavik reads
Hallgrimskirkja church up a road with an incline, the houses painted different colours
A black corrugated house with white window frames and a wooden door has a cute square pot with flowers in it
A rusted white corrugated house windowsill has four mochapots of various sizes and two pot plants
An imposing front on image of a church's steeple with nordic architecture and stained-glass windows
Hallgrimskirkja church up a road with an incline, imposing in the distance
Hallgrimskirkja church in the distance the frame covered by leaves with a digital sign with a rainbow indicating Iceland's forward liberal thinking
Black sand beach fades into calm water's reflection of the white sky
A beach of black sand and white shells with grass and a lighthouse in the distance
A fade of colur from deep brown to yellow and green with a white and red lighthouse against a white sky in the distance
A weathered white lighthouse with red housing for the massive bulb with long grass forming a visual base
A weathered white lighthouse with red housing for the massive bulb with cables extending from two parts of the structure