Iceland Day 1 - Golden Circle.
So, I’ve not mentioned this trip a lot because I just felt so uncertain it would go off, and because I felt kind of bad about other trips that had been cancelled, but it did happen, and the safety profile is a big chunk of why. So I’m in Icelandfor a week with a friend. We landed this (Saturday) morning, picked up the rental car, and immediately headed out on the Golden Circle loop. This was a little off plan, there’s an ongoing volcanic eruption we’re hoping to see, but it’s being quiet at the moment, so we pushed it back to Monday.
The Golden circle is a loop of about 2 hours out and the same back from Reykjavik. We were doing it backwards, so we started with the lesser sites. A geo thermal power plant, a crater, a grocery store. Ok, that last is less of a sight, more a desperate need for food and caffeine after little (friend) to no (me) sleep on the plane). The idea is to stay up the whole first day, so your sleep schedule syncs quickly.
Interesting sights, nothing spectacular. But some very nice scenery on the way.
After that, we cut the corner of the loop (yes, loops have corners) to jump to a place that bakes dark rye bread in the ground around their hot springs. They were supposed to be serving it as part of a lunch buffet with a short window, but weren’t. We got a small sample (fresh from being dug up) instead and then went to a restaurant next door. The bread was extremely good (think sort of B&M canned bread except better in every way. The restaurant was good, but pricey.
After lunch, we drove the loop forwards a bit to get to the first of the major sights. The Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall) that named the loop. A large waterfall where the bottom fall drops into a narrow transverse chasm, resulting in extreme turbulence.
The next stop was the Geysir thermal field. The source of the name for geysers, the first known in Europe. The original geysir is a large pool but now only erupts very rarely and irregularly. However, the nearby but smaller Strokkur geyser erupts irregularly, but frequently, every 10 minutes or so.
We toured the place, ignored the rotten egg smell, and watched Strokkur erupt several times, then on to the last stop of the day.
Thingvellir, the sight of the original Althing, and coincidentally, along the line where the North American and European plates are pulling apart. The American plate is largely intact cliffs, while the European plate collapses producing rough broken ground. And a huge rift lake, which bottoms out below sea level. (Certified scuba divers can tour it). This results in a natural backstop with hard to approach terrain. Also a smaller waterfall outing between plates.
After that finally back to Reykjavik, and our hotel (borderline hostel) for the first three nights. Dinner was fish and chips because it was quick and in walking distance.
Then this write up and now sleep.
The Golden circle is a loop of about 2 hours out and the same back from Reykjavik. We were doing it backwards, so we started with the lesser sites. A geo thermal power plant, a crater, a grocery store. Ok, that last is less of a sight, more a desperate need for food and caffeine after little (friend) to no (me) sleep on the plane). The idea is to stay up the whole first day, so your sleep schedule syncs quickly.
Interesting sights, nothing spectacular. But some very nice scenery on the way.
After that, we cut the corner of the loop (yes, loops have corners) to jump to a place that bakes dark rye bread in the ground around their hot springs. They were supposed to be serving it as part of a lunch buffet with a short window, but weren’t. We got a small sample (fresh from being dug up) instead and then went to a restaurant next door. The bread was extremely good (think sort of B&M canned bread except better in every way. The restaurant was good, but pricey.
After lunch, we drove the loop forwards a bit to get to the first of the major sights. The Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall) that named the loop. A large waterfall where the bottom fall drops into a narrow transverse chasm, resulting in extreme turbulence.
The next stop was the Geysir thermal field. The source of the name for geysers, the first known in Europe. The original geysir is a large pool but now only erupts very rarely and irregularly. However, the nearby but smaller Strokkur geyser erupts irregularly, but frequently, every 10 minutes or so.
We toured the place, ignored the rotten egg smell, and watched Strokkur erupt several times, then on to the last stop of the day.
Thingvellir, the sight of the original Althing, and coincidentally, along the line where the North American and European plates are pulling apart. The American plate is largely intact cliffs, while the European plate collapses producing rough broken ground. And a huge rift lake, which bottoms out below sea level. (Certified scuba divers can tour it). This results in a natural backstop with hard to approach terrain. Also a smaller waterfall outing between plates.
After that finally back to Reykjavik, and our hotel (borderline hostel) for the first three nights. Dinner was fish and chips because it was quick and in walking distance.
Then this write up and now sleep.