Iceland > The Golden Circle

It feels a bit like the last day of the holiday has arrived. Maybe it really has. Tomorrow morning, we’ll leave very early for the airport. All the more reason to visit a few beautiful sights today. We set off early and first drive to the Kerið crater. There is an entrance fee at the crater. The crater is on private land, and the owner charges for entry. This is the only place in Iceland where an entrance fee is charged for a natural attraction. Some places do have parking fees. The Kerið crater is a volcanic crater. The oval crater is 270 meters wide and 55 meters high at its highest point. The lake that formed in the crater originated 6,500 years ago at its deepest point through a 14-meter deep depression. About half an hour’s drive further lies the geyser Geysir. Geysir is the name-giver for all geysers. It used to erupt about every hour, shooting water up to fifty meters high. Heat beneath the ground creates pressure. This pressure forces water out of the opening. By throwing detergent into the geyser, this process could be accelerated. This was handy for tour groups who didn’t want to wait an hour for an eruption.

Iceland - Various hot springs and geysers

Unfortunately, this happened so often that Geysir stopped erupting. The nearby Strokkur geyser erupts every five minutes, shooting water up to twenty meters high. When we approach, we can already see the water spout in the distance. It’s funny to see everyone standing around the geyser with their cameras ready. A new eruption follows quickly. At the Geysir pool, we see the water bubbling but nothing more. The sun reflects beautifully in the clear, boiling-hot water. We drive a few minutes further to the Gullfoss waterfall. The impressive Gullfoss waterfall drops the water from the Ölfusá river in two stages. From the viewing platform, we see the waterfall lying in the valley. A path leads us close to the falling water. Here it’s clearly visible that the water from the lower waterfall falls into a perpendicular gorge. Around noon, we drive to Þingvellir National Park. This park lies on the tectonic plate boundary.

Iceland - The water of the lfusa River falls at Gullfoss

The sharp rock walls show how the plates are slowly moving apart. At the top of the rock wall, we have our picnic lunch for the last time. Next to us sits a German girl and a Japanese boy. They both live in The Hague. We leave our half jar of jam with them, as we no longer need it. Þingvellir was already the place around the year 900 where Icelandic tribes gathered to make laws and administer justice. Since writing was not yet known then, the laws were spoken aloud once a year on the Þingvellir plain. This was the formation of the world’s first democracy. From Þingvellir, it’s about an hour’s drive to the capital. Traffic increases quickly. While during our island tour we barely encountered traffic, now we drive into the city in a traffic jam. Around three o’clock, we arrive at the hotel. There is a parking space free in the street right next to the hotel. We quickly park the car. Although it is the most expensive parking zone, this only applies until 6:00 p.m. For tonight, it’s convenient to park close by since we leave for the airport very early. Now we still have some time to visit the capital.

Iceland - The characteristic Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavik

The sun is shining brightly in Reykjavik. We walk to Hallgrímskirkja. How different the view of the church is compared to two weeks ago. Then it was drizzling lightly. Inside, the church is plain and maybe even dull. We take the elevator to the top of the church tower. How often do you get to ride an elevator inside a church tower? From the height, we overlook the sunlit Reykjavik. We also see the next two sights in Reykjavik Bay: the Sun Voyager monument and the Höfði house. The Sun Voyager sculpture looks like a Viking ship. The artist created a dream boat as a tribute to the sun. A little further on stands the Höfði House. This historic building hosted the 1986 negotiations between Reagan and Gorbachev about ending the Cold War. Via Laugavegur, we walk to the center. On both sides of this partly car-free street are cozy restaurants and shops. In the old town, at Ingólfur Square, we order a beer. Once out of the sun, it immediately becomes cooler. We walk past the city hall and the Tjörnin inner lake back to the hotel. In the evening, we eat for the last time at “Brew & Food,” a cozy café in a side street of Laugavegur. We return to the hotel room early. After all, we have to get up early tonight.