Iceland – Day 2

Surprise! It takes more than a hurricane to cancel a field trip in this tough country. Off we go on the ‘Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon’ trip. First stop – Thingvellir National Park (the spelling is anglicized here because there are a couple of Icelandic letters that are not on our keyboards or in the Symbols menu).

Thingvellir National Park, Iceland (13 March 2016)

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the park is the only place on land where you can see the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates come together. This explains why the island is so rich in volcanoes, geysers and earthquakes.

Settled during the Viking Expansion, the first Norsemen arrived in 874. Another reason this park is so important is that it was here in the year 930 that the settlers formed their first legislative council. They have governed themselves democratically for over a thousand years.

Like with Britain and Ireland, the Gulf Stream current keeps the island’s climate relatively temperate. The latitude places Iceland well north of Hudson Bay, Canada and most of Siberia. The maritime climate also means the weather is ever-changing. From gray skies to rain to sun to horizontal snow and back again. That was the pattern for our entire stay…except for the sun part. We didn’t get much of that.

(Not so) Golden Falls, Iceland (13 March 2016)

The next stop was Gullfoss or Golden Falls, a cataract on the River Hvítá. It was here that the weather was the most challenging as we were exposed to gale winds and sleet that felt like needles when it hit your face. The trails were frozen and many of the visitors were blown to the ground. I like this image for its stark lack of color…like it was taken as a black and white picture…though not on purpose. If you Google ‘Gullfoss’, you can see what this area looks like in more accommodating seasons.

The Geysir Area, Iceland (13 March 2016)

Anyone who has been to Yellowstone National Park has seen terrain like this. The Geysir Area is a concentration of surface geothermal activity with boiling pools, steam vents and one pool that erupts into the air every few minutes. The weather calmed enough to make the walkabout easier and hot soup in the visitor center restaurant was much appreciated.

The Secret Lagoon, Iceland (13 March 2016)

So far, nothing about this adventure cries ‘swim suits’ but we packed them, given Iceland’s famous hot pools. At the end of the day, we were taken to The Secret Lagoon, an old swimming hole in a geothermal area. In the late 19th century, it was developed for the public as a place to learn how to swim. Now, the public (and the occasional tour bus) stop by for a relaxing soak. In the hour we spent in the 100+-degree water, we were ‘treated’ to rain, sleet, a brief snow squall and sunshine. It was other-worldly and a bit magical.

Hot Springs and a Frozen River, Iceland (13 March 2016)

This might be my favorite shot of the day. Just beyond the Secret Lagoon are other steaming puddles and vents. Naturally, this land is perpetually warm enough to keep the ground cover green and healthy…even as it sits right next to a near-frozen river with blocks of ice just a few feet away.

After a nice pizza dinner, we learned that the evening’s northern lights tour was cancelled again so we settled in for the night.