Iceland, Day Four

On our fourth day in Iceland, my true love gave to me… 

Sorry, I'm typing this post up on Boxing Day and the festive nature of the day carried me away! 

We had a right adventure on our fourth day! We drove all the way from the wee village of our Air B&B to Iceland's Golden Circle. This drive takes several hours to circumnavigate, depending on how long you stay at each stop. We  started well before the sunrise (you know, at 10:15 AM) so we'd have sunlight for our few hours on the Golden Circle. 

Driving tthrough Þingvellir national park

Þingvellir national park

The first stop was Þingvellir national park. This park is really beautiful, located where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates come together. You can spot the rift made from the two plates in the photos above and below. 

Þingvellir national park

Þingvellir national park

There were loads of people, even in cold, late November. The walking trail was well laid out, but fairly icy and slippery. 

Walking through Þingvellir national park

It's COLD - Þingvellir national park

Even Brook wore a coat, hat, and gloves - Þingvellir national park

I opted to stay nearer to the car park - I have already broken my leg once on vacation with these friends, and I didn't want a repeat performance! Before Bill took off with the other walkers, we took a selfie. I look a bit cold AND crazy! 

Crazy eyes at Þingvellir national park

Bill, walking through Þingvellir national park

Those who walked a bit further saw some additional geological sites. More volcanic rock and, in the photo of Cindy below,  an old lava flow.

Þingvellir national park

Photographer Cindy at Þingvellir national park

At the bottom of the icy path, the intrepid walkers found waterfalls! 

Þingvellir national park

With frozen riverbanks.

Þingvellir national park

The sun came out for a few minutes! It didn't warm day, though.

The sun! Þingvellir national park

Baby waterfall at Þingvellir national park

The intrepid ice walkers

When the intrepid ice hikers returned we piled back in the car and drove to Geyser. The location that gave the name to geysers worldwide, this place was chock-a-block full of steaming sulfur-y water just itching to erupt.

Geyser National Park

Whole areas were cordoned off with signs warning visitors that the water is hot enough to burn - stay back! 

Geyser National Park

Geyser National Park

As we approached the main geyser (their current version of Old Faithful), I spotted this baby geyser and took a quick video. Doesn't it look like three witches should be standing around it, stirring, saying 'Boil, boil, toil and trouble'?

Geyser National Park

On our approach to the main geyser, we kept missing the event by mere seconds. But once we were ensconced with the other visitors, I got a pretty good video of the eruption. Boy, did that place smell of rotten eggs!

Thar she blew!

Missed it again

Everyone's waiting…

Finally got it on film! 

By this time we headed to a tourist cafe for a late lunch and to plan our attach for the final stop of the day. Reg got these photos of us all sitting around staring at our phones, but I swear we were all looking at google and google maps not checking social media!! 

Taking a break in Geyser

Plotting our next stop

The last and certainly not least stunning stop of the day, Gullfoss, which loosely translates (if I remember correctly) into golden falls. It it a truly magnificent and massive waterfall. 

Gullfoss

Gullfoss 

It's hard in photos to capture the enormity of the waterfall. Even with people in the picture to give you scale, the falls are far enough away that they don't seem nearly as big as they were when we were there. 

Gullfoss Falls

Selfie skills!

More of Gullfoss

The short video below zooms closer and closer and gives a better understanding of the size and majesty. I also loved all the frozen whitewater along the edges. 

Gullfoss in all its glory

I think the photo below of us is the un-cropped version of last year's New Year's card.  

Selfie skills, behind the scenes

After visiting Gullfoss we drove several hours back to our rental house. But the sights were not done for the day. More on that in our next post!