Our final two days of touring included the Golden Circle route and a trip to one of the many hot spring resorts scattered round the country. We woke up early for a hearty breakfast before we hit the road for another day of hiking and seeing the sites. It’s unusually warm here and our room was somewhat uncomfortable until about midnight. We survived with two fans and a small window cracked for a small breeze. We wore shorts for today’s touring and were so glad we did. First stop was Pingvellir national Park. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland. Thingvellir National Park in Iceland holds immense historical significance, serving as the location for the Althing, one of the world's oldest parliaments, established around 930 AD. The Althing convened at Þingvellir until 1798, and it played a crucial role in shaping Icelandic laws and customs. Major events in Iceland's history, including the transition to Christianity and the establishment of the republic, have occurred at Þingvellir, making it a national shrine Click here to read more about it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Eingvellir?wprov=sfti1#From_commonwealth_to_foreign_rule. Funny story, a woman from Norway approached Andrea and asked her in broken English just how she knew to pack shorts. The poor woman was in long sleeves and pants and was sweating profusely. Andrea explained that we were on a long trip and had to plan for many climates and just so happened we had shorts in our suitcases. She was relieved to know that she hadn’t misread the forecast and walked away shaking her head.  |
| This is the drowning pool. after the Great Verdict was passed in 1564, it was decreed that women should be drowned for exposing an infant to die, or incest or fornication. A total of 18 women were drowned here. |
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| Built in 1859, still active and there was a wedding here the day before we visited. |
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| The prime ministers summer residence. |
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| Walking between two tectonic plates. |
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| The boardwalk was built around a lava rock |
From the park we ventured on to the highly active Geyser Hot Spring Area with boiling mud pits and exploding geysers. A favorite is Strokkur geyser, which spouts water 100 ft into the air every few minutes. Geologists believe the geothermal field has a surface area of approximately 1.1 sq mi. The area became active more than 1000 years ago and consists of more than a dozen hot water blow holes. The oldest account of the Geysir area dates back to 1294 AD. Earthquakes in southern Iceland caused changes in the geothermal area and created several new hot springs. After several blows of steam we moved on to one of the most amazing waterfalls in all of Iceland.
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| Strokkur Geyser |
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| Boiling mud pit |
There she blows. Watch this video to see the Geyser eruption.
Gullfoss falls is a waterfall located in the canyon of the Hvítá river. Gullfoss is a two-tiered waterfall with a total height of 105 feet. The first tier is a shorter cascade around 36 feet tall, and the second tier is a much steeper at 69 feet. It was very windy and we got soaked but it was so worth it!
Another funny story, after retuning from viewing the falls there was a man and wife sitting and he said rather loudly
“Florida” to which Andrea replied “nope, South Carolina” they laughed and said with her tan they knew it was somewhere
in the south. He was former navy and had not been here in 35 years. Very nice couple and we chatted with them for
quite a while.
Somewhere between the park and the geysers we noticed the low pressure tire warning light was on. We found a gas station with an air pump but without a tire gage we had a difficult time determining which tire was low. Much to our good fortune, a high school student who was studying to be an auto mechanic pulled up and just happened to have a tire gage . Turns out the tires weren’t low but the cars tire pressure gage was malfunctioning and a quick reset and we were in our way. Bill offered to buy the kid a Coke but he declined. The Golden Circle route is a must see in Iceland.
The next day we made our way back to Keflavik for an early flight on Friday to Switzerland. On our way we stopped at Hvammsvick Hot Springs for a late morning/ early afternoon soaking. This place did not disappoint! Very peaceful, clean and not crowded. Andrea did the cold plunge in the Atlantic in 48.2 degree water, that’s Fahrenheit by the way. Felt great! This was actually our first cold day in Iceland so it was the perfect day to soak in the hot springs. We tried to book the famous Blue Lagoon but it was sold out. Much to our surprise we found this hidden gem. Bonus, we got the comfort package that included a free drink. It was a great time. Wheels up 8:45 am for our next destination.
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| Braving the cold plunge! |
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