Thursday - 31 August - Day 4 of V & G - The Golden Circle

Another church

This is a village,  this time

At 8 o'clock this morning, we left Vik for the Golden Circle, an area of Iceland that is said to be one of the most beautiful and which is where the tectonic plates are drifting apart.  It was a completely different day from yesterday - cold, windy and rainy.  In other words, typical Icelandic weather.  There are only two seasons in Iceland - summer and winter and summer is over.

Same church & village,  different perspective

Drove past hot springs on our way to Gullfoss Falls

First stop was Gullfoss, the most spectacular waterfall I've ever seen - and I've been to Niagara Falls.  This is where I almost killed us both, not intentionally, may I add.  Where we took that selfie on the right, there was a rope around knee height behind us.  I stepped back, tried to take hold of the rope as I almost tripped over it, grabbed Maureen instead (I wasn't going on my own!!) which saved us both.  She had her two feet planted firmly on the ground.  On the other side of the rope was a cliff that went straight down into the river below the falls.  I gave myself quite a fright when I saw how easily I could have gone over the side.  There would have been no saving me, though I'm sure Maureen would have tried.
I think her interaction with the bus in Oslo was a closer call, though.  She has to be the winner in everything, even near death experiences, I've discovered.  Boy, oh boy, Al, you owe me big time!!! 

These are Gullfoss Falls - SPECTACULAR!!!

Guess who,  lookin' good at Gullfoss Falls!

Same falls

Again!!

And again!

And again!!

This is the woman who saved the falls from the English who wanted to harness them for power supply

This is her story

Who'd fly a drone over an area of such spray?

Last one of the falls,  promise!!!

Welcome to Geysir

This pool doesn't erupt.

It just bubbles!

From there, we drove to Geysir, a geothermal field of bubbling mud pots and steamy erupting geysers.  Strokkur is the geyser that we saw erupt - it goes off every 4-8 minutes.  I got a picture of it and Maureen got video but it was rather underwhelming.  Even Pali, our guide, had difficulty getting excited about it.  I think it was pretty good, but after all the other wonderful things we'd seen and done, it was a little disappointing.  We had lunch there and I finally bought a decent pair of walking shoes.  They are Scarpa (??) and I bought them at a souvenir shop.  Price will not be discussed.  It's up there with prescription reading glasses!!

This is the main geyser.   Didn't sprout as high as we'd have liked!!

Accommodation on the Golden Circle

Country between Geysir and Pingvellir National Park ( Rift Valley)

Waterfall in the NP

Same waterfall

Same waterfall into a creek

Iceland National Flag

Old Parliament House in the middle of the Rift

Walking up one wall of the tectonic plates

After lunch, we went to the rift valley, Thingvellir, where the tectonic plates are drifting apart and where the first 'parliament' of Iceland - and the first in the world - was held around 950AD.  The valley is called Almannagja Canyon and it is beautiful.  Check out Maureen's photos.  We walked alongside the wall of the Eurasian Plate, which is moving about 3 - 8mm a year.  Incredible to think that this slight movement here can result in a devastating earthquake in California.
This was the attraction that brought me to Iceland in the first place and it was every bit as wonderful and amazing and beautiful and mind-blowing as I thought it would be.  Not sure how Maur felt about it because she got lost, stopping to take photos as the rest of us moved on, surprise, surprise.
Obviously she found us again, but not before she found George Negus...

Guess who?   Cath spoiled my surprise........!!!!!

The lakes formed by the separation of the plates - stunning scenery!

Poster of the  separation of the plates

Old Parliament House on the low side of the Rift

Scenery on the drive back to Reykyavik

More scenery on the drive - it's just such a contrast

I know you're sick of churches,  but this one is a bit different!!

Like chickenman,  Ikea is everywhere!!!!

We left Thingvellir (sob, sob) and drove to Reykjavik where we were dropped off at our hotel, the Raddisson.  It was really nice, the best breakfast of all the hotels we've stayed at so far.  We went out looking for dinner, followed the advice of a very nice couple from Sydney, got completely lost and ended up having pizza - and a delicious pizza it was - at a dubious looking restaurant near the harbour.  We also had a drink...