Waterfall of the Gods~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS


Godafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods, originates deep in the Icelandic Highlands.

The first cascade falls 12 meters, over a span of 30 meters, and the cascades continue for quite a distance. There is an incredible volume of water moving here, and the sound, spray and color, are quite remarkable.

It is one of Iceland’s many spectacular waterfalls.

Godafoss can be accessed from the nearby town of Akureyri, which in turn is reachable by Iceland’s famed Ring Road.

Akureyri, like all Icelandic towns is charming, and boasts the northern-most botanical garden in the world,

where you can see many unusual and beautiful plants.

We are home at The Holler now, but it is still, cheers to you from stunning Iceland~

298 thoughts on “Waterfall of the Gods~”

  10. Amazing pictures Cindy and breathtaking view! I think one can point anywhere and shoot! 😀 Such an amazing place! Btw love the clarity of those closeup pictures!

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    1. Iceland in the fall is actually challenging to photograph. There is a lot of subtle monochromatic space with brooding skies. So beautiful, but hard to capture. I wasn’t using my zoom camera with the flowers, so I notice the difference. I couldn’t zoom as much as I wished. Thank you noticing and commenting.

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  24. I’ve always wanted to visit Iceland. Such a dramatic landscape, vibrancy of colours, and it looks so clean. I must show these pics to Mister, who thinks that Iceland is always covered in snow and besieged by howling blizzards! We saw an Icelandic crime series on TV, where unfortunately it was just like that, which compounded his prejudice still further D:

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    1. July is quite mild in Iceland and would be a lovely time to visit. Late August and September are much cooler. I think Mr. Potter would love Iceland in July, as long as the volcanoes behave!

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      1. You should put together a book of your photography and your worldly travels!! Your photos are beautiful and your adventures are placed I’ll probably never get to experience.

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  29. Such beautiful images, Cindy.
    Don’t you just love that vivid aqua colour of the water. You can almost feel the chill and icy temps. of the water.
    The flowers are lovely and most unusual – great shots 🙂

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  34. I’m behind. Your other post before this one is still open and I’m going back to it now. I’ve heard how beautiful it is and now I see. Stunning flowers and clear, clean water. If only we could bring that back here.

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    1. It was so strange to return to The Holler with scorching temperatures, suffering plants, and dry, dusty earth. It is a case of too much, and too little, which sadly seems to often be the nature of things.

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        1. I know. The fires are branching out from California now. They are settling in, getting comfortable, in other places, even Europe. Ice and snow seem better don’t they, but Frost said he would rather die in fire than ice. Maybe this was just because he never experienced a SoCal wildfire. Still, if you’re not an Icelander, it would be tough there in winter, especially since it is tough for them, and they are experts at it. Norway might be a better option. Norway is so progressive and it thinks all it citizens should be well taken care of. Imagine that?

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  35. I love waterfalls (sad that the Midwest offers so few opportunities to see them!). And those purple flowers are stunning. Glad you’re safely back home, but I trust you have lots more beautiful photos to show us from your travels??!

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  50. As always great pictures and since I do not have money to buy a camera I know, I said…. I know !you will buy me one so I can become a painter of the world through my lense.

    I got to say that the flower? I don´t know it was weird, and the waterfall? That was actually the Niagara Falls and I know it because I saw a human being wich is me when I fell.
    love ya

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    1. Laughing…..Love to hear from you Charly. I usually keep humans out of my photos. After all we have seen humans. But sometimes they are useful for scale. Letting us see the size of something in comparison to us, giving us an idea of our relative importance in the greater scheme of things. Keeps me humble. I like humble. It gives me little distance to fall. You would not fall into the falls Charly. You have already survived much worse.

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      1. Survive must worst?….I was in the circus, forgot almost, you said something about humans, I Will tell you humans annoy me, so I´ll go with the chimpazy and…. I knew you would laugh
        loooooooooooooooooove ya
        Stay Frosty gentess.

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    1. So much water, pristine, moving at such great speed and volume, from these high uninhabited highlands. You can see the water level was low by looking at the sides of the gorge where the water lines are. You can see how the water carves out these huge caverns. I can only imagine it during the early summer melt.

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      1. Oh I think it was wise. Have to say, Brian’s photos included LOTS of people, and that isn’t my thing either, so although I’d love to see it in person, I think I’ll stick to admiring the photos.

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  67. Cindy!! This must be a piece of heaven, if not one of the most beautiful places on earth. My goodness, Iceland is a treasure. Your photos are magnificent.

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  71. Stunning photos of waterfalls and flowers. I love Iceland but have not explored much beyond being at the airport in between flight connections. A university classmate of mine in Heidelberg, Germany was from Iceland. Great post!

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  73. completely magical ! Hi Cindy or as they say in Iceland “Halló” . I think it seems so unspoiled here. Did you also hear that people who consider dating, first ‘bump’ phones and an APP will alarm if you’re related. LOL xK

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      1. Well, I’m coming to California on Monday. Coffee? LOL! No really, I’ll be in Carmel Wed, Thurs and San Jose Fri to the following Wed. Is that anywhere near The Holler?

        So I found this old CBC news story. Might even be when I first heard about this. The island has such a small population, that if your heritage is long in Iceland, it’s very possible that other singles you meet might be a relations. Here’s the story:

        https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/kissing-cousins-icelandic-app-warns-if-your-date-is-a-relative-1.1390256

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        1. Hilarious! I bet it was more of a problem in the past when Iceland was even more isolated. I am in Southern Cal and you are going to Northern Cal where my daughter lives. However, depending on what is going on with her, I may actually be up there with her. I will save your email address. If I am there, I will email you. I would love to get together! <3

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          1. That would be fannntastic Cindy! My tn is 7809742742, feel free to text me if you are are able to hook up before Oct 10. We’re in Carmel this Wed, Thur and back to San Jose Friday. Pls delete this message after you get that tn down x K

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            1. Well, I have been here for three nights. The twin boys have arrived. One was in NICU for a bit, but all come home today. I basically forget to eat. I remember that I forgot at night, thinking, “Oh, I forgot to eat!” I highly recommend having your daughter have tiny, gorgeous, sweet, premature twins, as an aid in weightloss! I would so love to see you, but there is no possible way I can leave now. Hugs to you. Enjoy Carmel! She is not planning on having any more twins, so time next time your here, let’s keep our fingers crossed. <3

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              1. OMgosh! That is wonderful news Cindy! Congratulations 😀 <3 I hope all are doing well now and looking forward to arriving home. Grams need energy, so do remember to eat.
                We enjoyed Carmel and my hubster went home today. I'm with Alys till Wednesday. My invite is always open ! xK

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    1. September is not the best time to go. You are going to encounter weather in September. I just like going places off season. But in Iceland this is not the best strategy. I would recommend July. The benefit of September is that a traffic jam is defined by encountering another car on the ring road maybe once or twice a day.

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  77. I don’t really have a bucket list, but after seeing your Iceland photos, maybe I’ll start one! The botanical garden was a lovely surprise; I wonder if they grow the fabled (and very difficult) Himalayan blue poppies there.

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    1. Interesting you should say this.
      I notice poppies. Thinking things like, “Wow, here are the Icelandic Poppies I grow at The Holler, and love so much, that originate from here.”
      So fragile, and so tough, to endlessly live in such a harsh environment.
      Maybe both traits are related.
      I didn’t see the Himalayan Blue, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t there, because there were so many flowers and plants in Iceland I had never seen before and couldn’t identify. I was just blown away by all of them.
      I think you should go and investigate. I know you will find tons of amazing poppies, and maybe this one too.
      Poppies are remarkable aren’t they.
      My grandfather’s father was a poppy plantation owner in Bulgaria. My grandfather, who was an immigrant to America, became a federal judge, and his gardens were featured in Architectural Digest.
      He grew everything except poppies.
      I must have inherited the plant sense from his family tree.
      But I do grow Icelandic Poppies.
      I don’t know, actually, if my great grandfather, was an opium producer, or damn good gardener, or both.

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      1. The blue poppies bloom in late spring. But they do well in cool, damp climates. Scotland, for example, which is why I thought they might be grown in Iceland.
        Iceland poppies! I should have thought of them; in fact, I did grow them a few times in my former garden. They are a remarkable genus that includes the whole range of colours and species that can be found almost anywhere.
        Your family connections to plants are interesting; thanks for sharing!

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  82. Awe Iceland! The number one country I’d like to explore. I’ve been there once, but there was a terrible snowstorm, and no one was allowed to leave the airport for three days, then we were sent to Denmark.. I’m going back one day. Your photos are lovely! Thank you for sharing them.

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  83. Breathtaking! You are a true travel blogger in every sense of the word. Thank you for all those beautiful pictures. You inspire me to want to to travel.

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  84. My goodness…those photos are simply incredible, especially the colour of those purple flowers. I don’t think I’ve seen a purple quite that rich before.

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    1. These are glacial waters, full of suspended silt. The silt is created when rocks underneath the surface of the glacier are grinding from the movement of the glacier. The rock flour that is created is very fine and light and stays suspended in the melting glacial water for a long time. The sunlight that reflects off this rock flour is what gives the water the spectacular turquoise blue color.

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  102. Bonjour ou Bonsoir
    Un chant d’amitié me disait
    D’aller te fredonner son air
    Chemin faisant, je l’ai écouté
    Et je suis venu te le chanter
    Ce qui n’était au départ qu’un chant
    Il s’est transformé en mélodie
    Grâce a toi et ton Amitié merci
    Je te souhaite une bonne soirée et douce nuit
    Ou une belle journée
    Dans le bonheur et tendresse
    gros bisous, BERNARD
    https://i.postimg.cc/rp3ft6ZY/bouquet.jpg

    Reply

    1. You made me laugh! What a wonderful comment! I sometimes feel the ages too, especially when I sit cross-legged on the floor, like I did all the time when I was a younger, but now have to sort of grab something, so as not to embarrass myself. All the best to you.

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  108. Bonjour mon Ami Amie CINDY
    C’est l’heure pour moi de passer
    Dans ton bel univers déposer un petit
    Commentaire d’amitié te dire que
    Si chacune de mes pensées
    Se transformeraient en fleurs
    Chaque jour un bouquet
    Viendrait embellir ta demeure
    C’ est toute la douceur de leurs parfums
    Que je t’envoie!!!!
    Une agréable journée ou soirée

    Gros bisous. Bernard

    https://i.postimg.cc/3xMbSPRV/danseuse.gif

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  109. “La vie est un beau voyage” when we want to open our eyes and ears to the beauty the Divine Creator has given to mankind.

    Thank you very much for sharing the beauty of the places we are not able to visit. They allow us also to see the wonders of nature and to appreciate more what we have around us.

    Like your holiday came to an end, ours also. Thanks to photo’s, we later can call back the memories easier. Let us remember all those adventurous days and relive them in our dreams and memories.

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your kindness and, yes, wonderful memories are treasures that help us through life. I am happy you are making many of them. Be well my friend & God Bless.

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  112. Ms. Cindy, these are beautiful pictures with good information, thank you for taking of your time to post them for the rest of us to get to see them. I am going to reblog them for you.

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