Tina & Justin: The Golden Circle
[Photos from 16 AUGUST 2015, posted on 3 November 2015. That’s bewildering!]
The initial plan for day two of Tina and Justin’s stay in Iceland, was for all of us to go visit the Golden Circle (Þingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir), in two cars. Then we realized our lovely electric car would never make it there and back again on one charge, so the plan changed to me and Anna taking Tina and Justin on a road trip, while Finnur oversaw the little ones.
Off we went! (48 images total)
Stop #1: Thingvellir. This outlook post is new-ish, I’d at least never gone there, although I’d seen people standing on it from afar.
The weather wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either since it wasn’t windy. I was actually happy there was rain, because then there were fewer flies!
Walking down Almannagjá.
Grassy knolls indicate where the support walls were for the tents erected there for the parliaments of old.
Tina quietly eavesdropping on a group of German tourists.
The parliament fields.
The youngsters, only semi-amused.
Handy pit for drowning women.
Walking up to the overlook post again.
New-ish visitors center. There is some educational stuff in there, and also a huge gift shop. Off to the side is an expensive toilet.
We drove onwards for half an hour to arrive at Laugarvatn, where we ate lunch at Lindin. There was no rain, so the flies almost ate us alive when we went to check out the lake after lunch. Anna quickly claimed the fly-net she found in her pocket for herself, grrr!
I’ve walked out into the lake where the kids are (the fancy collection of hot tubs named Fontana is right behind me here) and the water is a bizarre mix of freezing cold and scalding hot.
Next stop: The Geysir area, another half an hour down the road.
Strokkur, which generally goes off every 5 minutes or so. The timing’s irregular though.
Justin tried very hard to get a photo of an eruption, but most likely came away empty handed.
Sillies!
Strokkur went off a few times, but no real good photos. So we hiked further up the hill.
That pond is blue. And hot.
Weirdly, the sun started coming out!
Waiting for Strokkur to do its thing from a distance.
It came, and went!
I think that’s the original Geysir steaming in the background.
Strokkur going up, yet again.
Pretty colors.
Close by Strokkur again.
Heading back to the buildings and the parking lot.
In the swanky gift shop.
Har, har, very funny!
I wonder if it smells of stale aluminum?
Words fail.
Good times!
The kids got ice cream, and the adults got coffee to go. On to Gullfoss!
Our last stop of the day: Gullfoss, aka the Golden Waterfall.
I was there!
Hiking down the hill towards the waterfall. For once I remembered to park in the lower parking lot, and not up by the visitors center.
It’s been ages since I went down to the actual waterfall, but it looks like they’ve installed a guard line since then.
Fantastic!
Lots of people!
Don’t step backwards!
Anna in the mist.
Time to head back. I remember a time when that lower ledge was open to people, but now the path has been broken.
More Anna.
Attempt at an artistic shot, with the wrong lens.
Artsy?
The lady that fought for the waterfall to remain intact (there were plans for a dam).
We then sped home, because Holla and Óli were coming over for dinner to talk about visiting the south of Iceland, in particular Skaftafell-park, which was the next destination. But first: Hot tubbing!
Dinner is never a quiet affair.
A very tasty end to a fun day!