Iceland really prides itself as an excellent stopover destination between North America and Europe. For that reason many visitors only have a few hours and at most a few days to explore Iceland’s natural beauty. A popular day tour, found a few hours outside of Reykjavik, is the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle has a little bit of everything Iceland has to offer, geothermal activity, powerful waterfalls, lots of views of sheep and horse farms, modern churches, turf houses, volcanic wasteland and I assume in summer, lots of green.
Skálholt
Turf house and Church found in Skálholt. I personally think this “site” is one we could have skipped. Nonetheless, Dominic and I were both amazed at how many modern looking churches were scattered across the island.
This little lady was very curious and a perfect model. She came closer to me and then didn’t move until I was finished taking a few shots. I think she was hoping for an apple, but I personally think it’s not advisable to feed wild animals or animals that belong to someone else, without first getting permission. Yeah... I’m no fun...
Haukadalur Valley
The geothermal active Haukadalur valley area is home to the Strokkur and The Great Geysir geysers. The Great Geysir erupts infrequently unlike the eruptions from Stokkur that occur about once every 5-10 minutes. The Great Geysir has been dormant for several years, which is unfortunate because when it erupts it can reach up to 70 meters in the air whereas Stokkur reaches only about 30 meters.
Gullfoss Waterfall
Gullfoss Waterfall, meaning golden waterfall, is one of many beautiful exhibits of power found in Iceland. So much so that, earlier in the 20th century foreign investors wanted to use Gullfoss to generate electricity, but with the help of activist Sigríður Tómasdóttir and the lack of money, they were unsuccessful. Thankfully Iceland bought the property and Gullfoss is now a protected site.
Although the paths around Gullfoss were well maintained, and in fact some parts brand new, I was amazed to see only a tiny rope separating visitors from certain death, especially considering many tourists were American. For my American’s, I’m American too, we have to be honest with ourselves. If there aren’t danger signs all over the place, along with high fences and a space of at least three meters between safety and the edge, like by Niagara falls, someone would die/get injured and the person/family would sue for negligence. That mentality doesn’t work in Iceland. Iceland has an enter at your own risk policy. In many cases they request visitors use common sense and not get too close to edges because they are slippery or only going where one feels comfortable. Thanks to many non-government maintained hikes in Hawaii and hiking in the alps, I was already introduced to this mindset. It does add a bit of danger and daring to the tourist spots, but most of all roadblocks aren’t there to obstruct the view or ruin pictures.
Although the paths around Gullfoss were well maintained, and in fact some parts brand new, I was amazed to see only a tiny rope separating visitors from certain death, especially considering many tourists were American. For my American’s, I’m American too, we have to be honest with ourselves. If there aren’t danger signs all over the place, along with high fences and a space of at least three meters between safety and the edge, like by Niagara falls, someone would die/get injured and the person/family would sue for negligence. That mentality doesn’t work in Iceland. Iceland has an enter at your own risk policy. In many cases they request visitors use common sense and not get too close to edges because they are slippery or only going where one feels comfortable. Thanks to many non-government maintained hikes in Hawaii and hiking in the alps, I was already introduced to this mindset. It does add a bit of danger and daring to the tourist spots, but most of all roadblocks aren’t there to obstruct the view or ruin pictures.
Kaldidalur Valley
The whole of Iceland felt desolate, but nothing compared to the wasteland of the Kaldidalur “cold valley”. The stretch of 40km gravel road wasn’t tricky to maneuver, and one really doesn’t need a 4 wheel drive, but because we had a rented car, it was required by the rental company. Regardless it felt like we were on a post-apocalyptic movie set. Where the only living things around were us three and two rough looking lost sheep. Maybe in summer it is greener, but for us it was brown and barren. I’m surprised the sheep were able to survive on the dead grass and against such strong winds. Thanks in part to the wind and rocky landscape one of us met the ground face first... but I’m not gonna tattle.