So today we drove the Golden Circle - a popular route that tourists take to experience Iceland's rich cultural and natural heritage. First stop was the site of the first parliament, coincidentally located on the interface between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. A UNESCO world heritage site.
View of Thingviller
We then headed to Geysir, home of a geyser or two (apparently the root of the word geyser...). The landscape en route was shaped from volcanic activity below a glacier. As the glacier receded it revealed the peaks, troughs, and rivers and lakes that make up the region.
Steam from vents at Geysir
Then onto Gullfoss (golden falls), a 31 metre waterfall of glacial melt water. I love waterfalls, I think it is the noise - coupled with the fact that it is constantly carving away rock. Awesome.
View of the Gullfoss waterfall
Final stop of the day was at a geothermal park. The steam makes the place feel pretty eerie, but it smelt like a used match box - that'd be the sulphur, then! An attraction here is the ability to boil an egg in a hot stream, in a sort of fishing net, then take it to the cafe and eat it with bread baked using the geothermal energy.
Boiling an egg in stream at geothermal park
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