Sunday – August 13, 2017
The sky was a bit cloudy this morning. I knew the crystal clear day we had yesterday in Reykjavik was a rare gift. I hoped for another sunny day because we signed up for an excursion called The Best of the Golden Circle which took us out of the city to see geysers, waterfalls, hot-springs, and other natural phenomena. We met our excursion bus at the ship’s terminal and rode away from Reykjavik. The vast landscape was treeless and barren.
The first place we visited was the Thingvillir National Park. This is where the first Nordic settlers of Iceland established their parliament in 930 AD. The Parliament was held outdoors at “Logberg” – Rock of the Law. Thingvillir is also the only place on land where people are able see the rift between tectonic plates of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean there is an extended geological fault which continues up through Iceland. The distance between the walls of the rift is growing by two centimeters every year. Our bus-load of people joined other tourists on a high viewing platform to see a large lake and the rift.
We were able to descend and walk between the walls of the massive geological fault. With hundreds of tourists, we continued along between the huge rock walls of the rift. It was an amazing experience!
Our second adventure was to visit the bubbling cauldron of Geysir Geothermal Area to see it shoot up from the earth. This geyser reliably spews hot water and steam every five to ten minutes. Of course, everyone compared it to Yellowstone National Park. Similarly, steam emanated from the earth and there were several pools of bubbling water.
Another interesting place we visited was to see a huge waterfall called Gullfoss. There were two observation levels to see the falls. We chose the high road above the falling waters. Far in the distance we could also see one of Iceland’s largest glaciers.
The last place we visited before returning to Reykjavik was a hydro-electric plant. The people of Iceland have worked to harness their natural resources to create energy. The plant utilizes hot water to generate electrical power.
We had enjoyed a sunny day but on the way back to the ship, clouds grew darker and it began to rain.
Later onboard, we watched the huge Koenigsdam ship push off from the dock and head out to the Ocean. This gigantic ship had been tied up to the dock ahead of us. Finally, our pilot boat pulled up next to the Rotterdam and we slowly moved away from the port of Reykjavik. Iceland was a great place to visit and we were so happy to have seen the city and part of the countryside. We both would like to return and see more of Iceland. It’s a wonderful country!
