After another fine European breakfast, Sandy and I headed out to see some of the sights Iceland referred to as the “Golden Circle”. There was only a little new snow last night, and the plows had done a good job of clearing the roads.
sometimes I have both.
Geysir, Iceland is the home of numerous geysers and steam vents. [geysir - Icelandic spelling; geyser - English spelling] Great Geysir is the place that originally gave its name to the geological phenomenon effectively making it the great grandfather of all geysers. Because of changing geology beneath Iceland, Great Geysir, which is believed to have regularly erupted to a height of 570 feet, now seldom erupts. Fortunately for us Strokkur, a much smaller, but very reliable, geyser gave us a good show. Erupting several times while we were there, to the height of about 130 feet, it provided us with a hands on feel of the geological activity taking place beneath our feet. Walking away from Strokkur geyser, the steam had re-condensed into ice particles attached to our eyebrows, the rotten-egg smell of sulfur and other gases was all around and skin-numbing freezing air was being blown by a heavy wind across our faces. This was Iceland in the winter, and it was perfect.
A few miles further up the road was Iceland’s version of the Niagara Falls.
Gullfoss, Iceland's iconic waterfall, serves as a geological masterpiece shaped by the intricate dance of tectonic plates. It is positioned atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, residing at the juncture of the North American and Eurasian plates.
As the Hvítá River rushes towards the rift valley, it encounters the fractured landscape resulting from the plates’ slow divergence. The cascade's horseshoe shape reflects the rift's influence, as the river plunges over the edge, exploiting weaknesses in the bedrock formed by the stretching Earth.
Standing there looking at the falls and realizing that I was looking at where North America and Europe touch, and the continually move apart (seven inches per year) I was profoundly moved. I was also profoundly cold. We went back to the car and drove to the Hotel where we both enjoyed a well deserved cup of hot chocolate created by our bartender.
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