Oxarárfoss and Game of Thrones
Last night in chat I mentioned Oxarárfoss in Iceland, and how some scene in the 4th season of 'Game of Thrones' were shot there? It is known they were there when we were because in some making-of interview about the locations in Iceland they mentioned having had the best, nicest weather in Icelandic memory, and that started just shortly before we came. I am pretty sure that especially the approach to the Eyrie is Oxarárfoss.
In actual history, the waterfall was created by the Viking settlers at some stage in the 10th century to bring water to the assembly grounds of Þingvellir, where the entire country met to democratically (sort of) make policy.
It is not permitted to build cairns...
... says the sign in front of this huge-ass cairn. I love Icelandic signs.
There were these fluffy, mostly undressed blokes abseiling in the gorge that leads to the foss. They had come from Reykjvík in Jeeps marked 'Iceland Nature Film' or something like that. Having a camera on ropes over the gorge would be consistent with some shots I saw on GoT, so it would make sense they might be connected.
The entrance to the gorge is tiny, between those rocky outcroppings. The houses in the background are in the historical assembly grounds, the river you see is the one that got diverted through the waterfall.
The gorge has swallowed the abseilers.
Down into the gorge.
The blokes up on their rock.
This feels so familiar, with every other episode I swear it is this place...
Those typical rocks.
Things randomly balancing on ledges are typical.
Dramatic, photogenic rocks.
The waterfall itself, with the river running off.
The river Oxará, running off.
Waterfall.
Iceland is very verdant in that place, but very little of it is grass.
That perching thing looks odd.
Those little purple flowers were everywhere.
My mother and sister emerging from the gorge.
And then, we left without having built a cairn, because it was forbidden...
Crossposted to Dreamwidth and LJ -- comment wherever you like!
In actual history, the waterfall was created by the Viking settlers at some stage in the 10th century to bring water to the assembly grounds of Þingvellir, where the entire country met to democratically (sort of) make policy.
It is not permitted to build cairns...
... says the sign in front of this huge-ass cairn. I love Icelandic signs.
There were these fluffy, mostly undressed blokes abseiling in the gorge that leads to the foss. They had come from Reykjvík in Jeeps marked 'Iceland Nature Film' or something like that. Having a camera on ropes over the gorge would be consistent with some shots I saw on GoT, so it would make sense they might be connected.
The entrance to the gorge is tiny, between those rocky outcroppings. The houses in the background are in the historical assembly grounds, the river you see is the one that got diverted through the waterfall.
The gorge has swallowed the abseilers.
Down into the gorge.
The blokes up on their rock.
This feels so familiar, with every other episode I swear it is this place...
Those typical rocks.
Things randomly balancing on ledges are typical.
Dramatic, photogenic rocks.
The waterfall itself, with the river running off.
The river Oxará, running off.
Waterfall.
Iceland is very verdant in that place, but very little of it is grass.
That perching thing looks odd.
Those little purple flowers were everywhere.
My mother and sister emerging from the gorge.
And then, we left without having built a cairn, because it was forbidden...
Crossposted to Dreamwidth and LJ -- comment wherever you like!