I love Iceland! It is a beautiful and wild country. It is hard to capture on camera though since it is so big. Huge bare mountains tower over the plains and rivers flow in deep trenches that are hidden in the fields. The scenery is stunning and I wish I could do it justice. Spring is the right time to visit too because the fields are full of lambs and foals.
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| Icelandic horses |
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| There are fences everywhere |
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| Jon's picture |
We had a late start to the day and everyone slept until after 10. We moved slowly once we were all up and by the time we got out to the car it was 2:30. Our initial plan had been to go to Reykjavik to find a phone card and to visit the museums but we had only gone a few miles before we changed our minds and decided to see some of Iceland's natural wonders instead.
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| James' tribute to my dad |
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| Geysir |
Our first stop was Geysir which is the original geyser and where they get the name. As we walked up we passed a number of small boiling pools and steaming streams which helped cover the area in a warm mist. When we arrived at the geyser there was a large crowd waiting for it to go off so we went to the only open spot close to the rope. We soon found out though why it was clear, the wind was blowing strongly in our direction and when the geyser went off we were drenched! It was so much fun. I was worried that the water would be boiling but it was just pleasantly warm. We stood in the spray a couple more times, laughing as it went off. Will was so excited and wanted to get splashed over and over.
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| Geysir at rest |
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| Will can't wait for it to go off |
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| Waiting to get wet |
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| The geyser going off |
Geysir in action
Between geyser blasts we wandered the area looking at the bubbling hot springs. A couple of them were a cool blue color which Jon said looked just like water in the movies. After a while though our wet clothes started to get very cold so we went into the large gift shop to dry off and give the kids some overpriced hot chocolate.
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| Blue hot spring |
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| Little geyser |
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| James isn't sure about getting splashed |
Will and the geyser
In the gift shop we saw a number of cool Icelandic trinkets and clothes including some beautiful furs. I have a confession. It isn't pc but I am a fur person. I don't care about jewelry or expensive perfumes but I can't get enough of the feel of fur coats, hats, gloves, etc. One pair of gloves was made out of lambskin and rabbit fur and they were just heavenly. My ignorance on the subject is vast though and there were a number of furs piled up that had no obvious purpose. Maybe they are used for rugs or decoration? Christian wanted to cuddle up on them and I was surprised at how soft the seal pelts were.
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| Christian loved the soft furs |
We left Geysir and headed up the road to Gullfoss, a huge waterfall and another of Iceland's most popular tourist attractions. Gullfoss is really two waterfalls that pour into a narrow canyon. The mist from the waterfall is so thick that I can't see the bottom.
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| Gullfoss |
We were nervous about the boys running near the waterfall so we made them all hold hands from the moment we left the car. They all did it cheerfully and we didn't hear one word of complaint! There were two ways to see the waterfall, a high road where you had a good view from afar and a low road where you got right up close to the top of the waterfall and were drenched in the spray. I'm sure you can guess which one we chose.
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| My family in front of Gullfoss |
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| Flowing into the canyon |
We had our raincoats but had left our rainpants and waterproof shoes at home. At first the spray didn't look too bad but the closer we got to Gullfoss the wetter we became. It was much worse than being splashed by the warm water of Geysir! We climbed up the jagged rocks, still holding tight to the boys' hands, and went right up to the edge of the waterfall. There was so much water in the air that it was hard to get a good picture. But Jon had his camera out and was really interested in some of the small pools that had formed near the river. He has a unique perspective.
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| Jon's picture at the top of the waterfall |
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| White water at the top |
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| Will at the top of Gullfoss |
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| A view of the river downstream |
We weren't there long before we started to get too cold. Jon, who hates to be cold, was really having a hard time so David volunteered to carry him all the way up the hill and stairs to the parking lot. I was impressed, Jon is really heavy! We left Gullfoss planning to come again on a brighter day.
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| At the top of the falls |
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| Christian wanted me to take this picture of him on a rock |
On the way home we stopped to take a picture of some horses and one of them came right up to James. He wasn't interested in anything to eat, he just wanted to say hello. The boys were really happy and piled out of the car in a race to pet him. Just behind him was a mother and her foal. He was so cute and just a little wobbly. I loved getting a closer look since we'd been seeing a lot of foals around the countryside. We also stopped later to see a ewe with her twin lambs but I spooked them getting out of the car and they ran away. I'm sure I'll get a better picture though before we leave because you can't drive a mile without seeing a field full of lambs.
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| Rolling in the field |
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| The boys say hi to a friendly horse |
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| Behind the scenes |
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| Mom and baby |
We took a back road home and it was a wonderful drive. The view were amazing and every time the sun broke through the clouds to shine on the hills it took our breaths away. On the way home we found an unexpected treasure. We had just crossed a one lane bridge when we saw some cars parked in a lot and decided to check it out. We found a fast flowing river in black basalt gorge that had some unique rock formations. Once again Jon showed his eye for photography with some interesting pictures. I would never think to take the pictures that he does and I'm interested to see how his photography grows with him.
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| Our hidden gorge |
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| James taking pictures |
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| Jon looking for a picture |
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| Jon's picture of the river |
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| Jon getting a shot |
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| Jon's underwater picture |
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| Jon's little flowers |
We got home around 7, tired but happy, and James made us chicken alfredo for dinner. It was wonderful to have one of our favorite meals when we are so far away from home. After dinner we all played a card game and Jon won! Clearly we can't teach him any more games.
Now the kids are all sleeping and it is after midnight so it is time for me to go to bed too.
Goodnight!
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| Midnight in Iceland |
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