With our trusty Toyota Corolla, we did the standard tourist circuit called the Golden Circle. We drove about 90 minutes through the gorgeous countryside, once again with good weather to get to Strokkur Geyser.
Despite the relatively short drive, Kim was getting sleepy so we stopped for a cuppa before continuing to Gulfoss water fall. We saw the glaciers of the Icelandic highlands and decided to drive towards it as far as possible. That wasn’t very far as we had to turn back once the road turned to gravel and normal cars were not permitted.
We returned to Gulfoss to check the place out from the upper and lower viewpoints. We were both ready for lunch and grabbed a hot dog each nearby. They were topped with both fresh and crunchy fried onions (like the Asian deep-fried shallots sold in jars). That made the hot dogs awesomely delicious.
Our last stop was the tectonic place at Thingvellir National Park. It is the site of the oldest parliament in the world and also where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet (or in this case diverge).
The outing wasn’t a bad way to spend my 50th birthday. We celebrated (or maybe just “observed”) this milestone with a dinner out at another noodle shop. We returned to our room for a dessert of skyr, pouring yoghurt (or maybe it is kefir) and muesli.
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- Stacking of rocks (common in Tibet and other touristed areas) is not permitted.
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- Drive into the countryside.
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- Drive into the countryside.
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- Strokkur Geyser blowing.
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- Strokkur Geyser blowing.
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- Strokkur Geyser blowing.
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- Gulfoss waterfall.
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- Gulfoss waterfall.
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- Glacier in the distance behind the hills.
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- River in the Thingvellir National Park.
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- Thingvellir National Park.
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- Thingvellir National Park.
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- Thingvellir National Park where the world’s oldest parliament sat.
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- Thingvellir National Park.
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- Thingvellir National Park.
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- Thingvellir National Park where the world’s oldest parliament sat.
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- Thingvellir National Park where the world’s oldest parliament sat.
