Iceland, Day Four: Friday, August 12, 2016

We woke bright and early this morning in order to get a good start on the day’s adventures. Although it may not have been bright at home in Ontario at the same time of morning, the land of the midnight sun has dawn breaking very early even in mid-August, and so light ushered us along our merry way. With a picnic lunch and many snacks in tow, we headed out on the Golden Circle tour, a route that’s easily embarked upon from Reykjavik boasting a number of natural tourist attractions. 

Arriving at Þingvellir National Park before the tour buses descended on the area gave us the opportunity to enjoy the stillness and beauty of this important place in Icelandic history and world geology. The Park is setting to the site of the country’s early form of parliament, where chieftains lead the national assembly in 930 AD and for several centuries thereafter. We also admired Iceland's largest lake, Þingvallavatn, lava fields decorated in wildflowers, the River Öxará and a small waterfall, and the dramatic crack of Almannagja, where the European and American tectonic plates are tearing apart. Walking between craggy rock walls where Iceland is splitting in half is definitely one of those remember-for-a-lifetime experiences.

Þingvellir National Park

The crack of Almannagja

Þingvallakirkja, the church at Þingvellir 

From here we began to feel that we were, indeed, on the tourist circuit. Tour bus after bus travels this path through south-western Iceland, and while seeing fellow admirers of this country from all over the globe, and hearing their myriad of different languages wash over us was exciting, it also impacts the experience by making it feel more commercial. Nevertheless, our stops at Geysir and Gullfoss were enjoyed for their exhibitions of raw natural power and beauty. The geyser Strokkur’s eruptions were startling and impressive, eliciting crowd-wide exclamations and surely great relief to everyone’s camera-wielding weary arms (mine were trembling as we waited to capture the spectacle on film . . .okay, digitally, not on film). The steam rising from the fields, streams and puddles surrounding the area created an other-planetary feel to be sure.

Steam rises from the land creating an otherworldly vision at Geysir.

Throngs of tourists watch the geyser Strokkur erupt.

Nearby Gullfoss was our next stop, and impressed even us Ontarians who’ve grown up with Niagara Falls as the benchmark of waterfalls. The aspect we found most awe-inspiring was the multi-tiered set up of the falls. The water courses down the top section, churning wildly on the plateau below where it is hemmed in by a rock cliff wall on the opposite side. From here the water is forced down a powerful and steeper fall into a chasm-like ravine. The mists billowed upwards creating an enchanting vision, and we were able to view the falls from multiple vantage points and lookouts.

Amazing Gullfoss.

Our final highlight was Kerið Crater, a deep bowl carved out of the black-and-red-tinged earth, the blue-green water at the bottom contrasting with the soil to dramatic effect. We hiked around it and down to its base, happy to find that this natural attraction seemed to be a far less popular spot for the hoards of tourists. 

At the base of the crater.

A scenic drive took us back to Reykjavik in time for a wonderful Italian dinner out, after which we were more than ready to get some sleep!

Small shed built into the hillside that we just had to pull over to check out during our drive back to Reykjavik.

Stay tuned for Day Five's adventures, during which we enjoyed some of Reykjavik's loftier views!

My wonder: Gullfoss, which means 'Golden Waterfall' in Icelandic, is a gorgeous natural wonder we were fortunate enough to travel to on this day of explorations. In your opinion, what is the most beautiful waterfall you've ever seen? I'd love to know, and perhaps add some more falls to my list of must-sees!