Icelandic Landscape
Saturday 9.3.24
Given our late night yesterday dragging ourselves to catch the coach is a challenge. Breakfast in the hotel is self service and self delivery of used crockery to a trolley – no frills here. The breakfast is largely cold – although there was porridge.
Today we are doing the “Golden Circle” – another of the inventions of the Iceland Tourist Board (or equivalent thereof). This is a trip into the hinterland to the east of the capital mainly through the mountains. Our first destination is the Thingvellir National Park which was the home of the Icelandic Parliament from 930 to 1798 (all AD as there were no settlements until around 870 AD). Essentially an annual gathering where first the laws were recited as they were not codified in writing for a long time and the attendees were then able to resolve legal disputes or conclude matters by fighting duels on adjacent islands.
The location is spectacular as it is at the point where the American and European tectonic plates are slowly separating – with a huge fissure running through the site. It is a very slow movement so unlikely to see changes in a lifetime.
At the end of the walk to the coach we pass the “Drowning Pool”. Should an unmarried lady become pregnant then she was dropped into the pool and drowned. Male adulterers and murders were beheaded. Lesser punishments applied for lesser crimes.
Gulfoss Waterfall
We move onto the Gullfoss waterfall decent but not as large as some which we have seen! I take the opportunity to walk down the steps maximising my activity today. Jackie meanwhile acquires an Icelandic woolly!
Two more stops as we retrace our steps towards Reykjavik. First the geysers spouting from the ground. We passed the location earlier in the day and I think the best outburst I saw was as we drove past. Whilst we were there they were not so striking.
Then in the town of Hverageroi we pause at the Sunnumork Shopping Center which has a plate glass floor enabling visitors to stand with one foot on either side of the European / American tectonic plates. This area has huge numbers of thermal greenhouses permitting many vegetables and fruit to be grown in warm conditions – supplied by use of the geothermal energy which the islanders tap and for which the main plant we pass on our return to the capital a little further along. This is very scenic as we climb through some of the mountains.
Originally we had anticipated that the hunt for the Northern Lights would be tonight – so we had not booked anywhere for dinner. On walking through the town we had spotted various possibilities and choose a Thai restaurant. Whilst a relatively inexpensive place there is nothing to tempt us back.