Reykjavik; Tuesday, 04 April, 2006

After popping in briefly to the town hall to look at a small exhibition of Icelandic photography and having a quick wander up to look at the rather plain and stumpy Catholic Cathedral we stopped for an early lunch and postcards.

The reason was because at midday we had to be back at the hotel to be picked up for our afternoon coach tour round the “Golden Circle” a route that takes you North East from the city through some of the most geologically active areas of the island.

The first stop on the tour was the Allþing, the site of the first parliament. Chosen for its natural acoustics and easy of access from the rest of the country, the first settlers would not have been aware of the areas spectacular geological secret. The whole space (and it is a couple of Kilometres across and runs the length of the island) is a fault line. It is where the tectonic plates that Europe and North America rest on are pulling apart, constantly creating new land. It is physically possible (because we did it) to drive from North America to Europe in about 5 minutes!

Moving on from the Allþing we drove along a small road that follows the same course it has done since settlers travelling from the east of the island to the Allþing over 1000 years ago used it. We went past the Geysers at Geysir to head on the short distance to the waterfalls at Gullfoss.

Whilst they may not be the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, they are certainly spectacular. The water pours over them into a deep canyon sending spray all around and, in winter, covering the sides of the canyon with bizarre ice formations.

From the falls, the bus headed back to the Geysers at Geysir. Whilst the largest geyser is not that active any longer there is one, Strokkur, which blows every 5 minutes or so, making it the most active geyser in the world. It is also the one with the least health and safety nannying so you can wander right up to within a few feet of it to watch it go off.

The whole area around is covered with bubbling pools and thermal springs, some about body temperature, some hot enough to boil you alive. You can walk right past the edge of them and see their bizarre colour, feel the warmth coming off them (and when its snowing it’s a strange sensation) and marvel and the truly revolting smell!

Having watched Strokkur go a couple of times we headed back to the coach, via the café and a warming cup of coffee, and continued on stopping at a volcano crater at Kerið before heading onto the horticultural centre of Iceland at Hveragerði. The town is covered with greenhouses, growing most of the fruit and veg for the country, all powered by the geothermal springs that surface under the town.

From there we were taken back to Reykjavik, just in time for dinner.