The Golden Circle

So after a brief drive along the Fellstrond, again vainly looking for white tailed eagles, and over the expected mountain pass, we came back to civilization: Road 50 and for a bit, 1. Like most places, Icelandic Roads decrease in quality as the digits in the increase. It was very noticeable that we were back on the main tourist trail: The Golden Circle. The climbs had wooden boards and shallow steps, for the older tourist, and the waterfalls had fences for the stupider tourists.

Anyway we started with a climb up an old volcanic cone Grabrok. Wonderful views all around, what seemed to be nice farming country....apart from the lava fields.

From there off to a small waterfall near a local golf club, Glanni, on the Nordura River. There seem to be a few golf course about.

Then inland through the pretty little town of Rykholt, and on to two other waterfalls. The first, Hraunfossar,  was awesome, the water was coming out from the rocks. An underground stream fed from three nearby glaciers  was pouring into an already substantial river. The second, Barnafoss, a little upstream was a very small fall, but the rapids were very rapid. It means Children's Fall, legend has it that two kids were killed here following their parents to church. Their mother cursed the arch that crossed the falls and it collapsed in an earthquake.......proving you should not mess with mothers.

Shortly after we began a southerly run on our first F road. There are three digit roads and then there are F roads. You can only legally drive F road in a 4WD. This one ran along besides three glaciers that are the source of much of Reykjavik's drinking water. The road runs along what was once a huge glacial valley, barren, strewn with rocks. We found a place to stop and had a picnic lunch by the glacial river. It was running very opaque, as do all such rivers.

Eventually we entered the first national park in Iceland, Þingvellir. This is like a holy place for Icelanders. It combines natural wonders and historical and legendary significance.  Pronounced ThingVetLeer it means parliamentary fields. Their first Parliament (Allthing) was held here in 930 and it continued till 1798. Only Laws decreed from the Logberg (an area by the geological rift) were laws. It is also the site of Iceland's biggest lake, and it is where the Eurasian and North American Plates are pulling apart creating some interesting fault lines. We walked around for a bit, particularly along the fault. Nice place: it had a lot more vegetation than the rest of what we have seen. But very, very crowded.

Continuing the Golden Circle we drove through some very luscious farmland. Lots of tree planting, and lots of summer homes by stream. A bit of $ here. We checked out Geyser.....yep it erupts semi regularly. I will try to send Dominic an animated GIF. Just a small geothermal area but with a regular (every 5-10 minutes) eruption that can at times be seen miles away.

....and finally Gullfoss. The golden falls. Very impressive.

Tomorrow, after finding a petrol station that works, we are off across the top of Iceland to the north.....more Arctic weather coming.