We hired a car in Akureyri in the north of Iceland and headed east, following the coast road back to Reykjavik. Along the way we saw pseudocraters, lava landscapes, boiling mud pots, solfataras, craters filled with turquoise water, canyons, glacier tongues and turf-roofed huts. The variety of waterfalls was breathtaking, from the awesomely powerful Dettifoss to Svartifoss with its distinctive basalt columns. We clambered over the active volcano Krafla, enjoyed the majesty and serenity of the glacier lagoon at Jökulsárlón and walked around the beautiful þingvellier, site of Iceland’s ancient parliament.

Driving through the eastern fjords the sky was different around every corner: rainbows, sunbursts through the clouds, mist curling around mountains. The shifting light and colour of the sky and scenery turned ordinary holiday snaps into something special.

We stayed in cosy guesthouses, eating delicious fish meals and drinking endless coffee. We got used to the potholes in the road, the sound of gravel hitting the car and scrunching under the wheels, and the occasional concern that we had turned down a gravel track that was too much for our little Polo to cope with. By the time we reached the ‘golden circle’ of attractions near Reykjavik, we stood with the hordes of tourists waiting for the impressive Stokkur geysir to erupt, and felt that the most amazing sights were behind us.

We travelled with Discover the World, www.discover-the-world.co.uk

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