The path of totality will cross western Iceland, and they hope to find the perfect location in the Westfjords Peninsula to experience the total solar eclipse.
They have heard rumours that some roads could be closed to prevent the region from becoming overwhelmed by visitors, so they plan to arrive several days before the eclipse.
Samantha, whom her husband describes as an “obsessive travel planner”, has been closely following the Facebook groups and social media pages where eclipse chasers share travel information, viewing advice and updates.
She expects large crowds, particularly after seeing how many eclipse glasses people have purchased in Iceland. “They’re really trying to prepare everybody,” she says.
“As we start travelling west, I expect we’re going to see more and more people preparing to watch the total solar eclipse.”
Andrew Wills is also travelling to an island to watch the eclipse, although Majorca offers a much warmer setting than Iceland.
He will be travelling with his wife and his 90-year-old father. The pair witnessed Europe’s last total solar eclipse together in 1999 from the top of St Agnes Beacon in Cornwall.
The landmark, thought by some to be a Bronze Age bowl barrow, provides panoramic views across the Cornish countryside and towards the Atlantic Ocean. Andrew recalls that the weather was cloudy that day.
“We didn’t see the shadow racing across the sea towards us, but we did see the dawn appear and move closer remarkably quickly,” he says. “It was an awe-inspiring experience.”
Source: www.bbc.co.uk