Today left me in awe of this incredible landscape, and our ability to embrace the environments that we’re placed in.
We woke this morning to another blanket of snow, below freezing temperatures, and biting wind. I take my hat off to our guide for his ability to drive in some of the most atrocious conditions I’ve ever seen… the middle of nowhere with no visibility, and wind determined to push us off icy roads. I can’t fathom the concentration it must take.
The Golden Circle is a well known tourist route that encompasses the area South of Reykjavik. We visited Reynisfjara beach, and then completed the circle of Gullfoss waterfall, Haukadalur geysirs, and Thingvellir National Park.
Reynisfjara beach, just outside of Vik is also known as ‘Black-sand beach’. In the early 90s it was listed as one of the 10 most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world. It’s been used as the backdrop for Viking movies in Iceland for many years, and recently has caught the attention of international movie makers.
There are enormous basalt columns in the ocean, and incredible hexagonal rock formations as a result of lava cooling slowly over time. The contrast of snow, black beach, and the white foam of waves is stunning.
It had been snowing heavily on the road to the beach, and local knowledge meant Soli was confident that the beach would have clear skies, and be clear of tourists! Within 10 minutes of our arrival the weather turned, and once again we were stung by strong winds and snow. It seems that glasses are great for protecting your eyes from the sting, but have a tendency to ice up!
Gullfoss means ‘Golden Waterfall’, referring to the golden evening light, and the rainbows that often from in it’s spray. It winds through the canyon of the Hvita River, and down a 3 step staircase. It was declared a nature reserve in 1979 to protect the environment, and it’s awesome to see the power of so much untouched water heading downstream.
Today we grabbed lunch from a local service station and supermarket. I was astounded to see beer sold in the servo and an icecream shop in the middle of snowy nowhere!
The Haukadalur geysirs symbolised in the 20th Century. The Strokkur Geysir currently shoots water 20 into the air every 5-10 minutes, although was much higher in the past. Active geysers are rare as they need to have a unique combination of an intense heat source, flowing underground water, and a reservoir and vent to the surface.
The Strokkur Geysir is impressive… Andrew’s ability to wait for it, and capture it was even more impressive!
Our final stop was to Thingvellir National Park, the final of the 3 National Parks in Iceland. Thingvellir means ‘Parliament Fields’, as the location of the original Icelandic Parliament ‘Althing’ in 930AD. There had been conflict on the Island, and the current chief, Grímur Goatfoot, had called everyone to the area to settle things. It continued to be the heart of the judicial system until 1800. For hundreds of years people would gather in the area for 2 weeks at the end of every June to have fun, and hopefully find a mate.
Thingvellir is World Heritage listed because of the parliamentary history, and as one of the best places in the world to see tectonic plates drifting apart. The North American plate is a wall that runs for km through the park, alongside the European plate. Amazing…
Thingvellir National Park is also ecologically significant for Iceland. Over half the plants that grow in Iceland can be found in the park. The only Icelandic native animal, the Arctic Fox, also lives in the park. It’s home to an enormous lake that is known for great fishing… it’s no wonder the Prime Minister has her summer house here!
I’m certain that the weather became icier and more brutal with every stop today. By the time we got back to the bus we had been reminded how quickly icicles can form in hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, a beard, beanies, the tassels of a scarf, and Velcro! It reminded us to embrace the conditions, and avoid experiencing things from inside a climate controlled bubble.
Back in Reykjavik, we bid farewell to Soli and took his recommendation for our final Icelandic dinner. The Arctic char and Wolffish was some of the best seafood we’ve eaten on the trip. It was lovely to sit and reflect on our time in this amazing country. We also had a quick walk through the streets to soak up a little more of the city.
Most importantly, we enjoyed our last day in the snow. We jumped in and out of drifts, threw snowballs, and our crazy girls made snow angels… in conditions that felt like -13. It will be a day to remember!
Love M & theBunch x
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