How would you describe our adventure in Iceland?
As we picked up our rental car and left downtown Reykjavík, we quickly realized we were in an unusual place. We saw a wave of smoke rising from the ground!
We spent the first three days of our trip taking in the amazing landscapes and places of the area known as the Golden Circle.
The overwhelming feeling was walking into a pristine world where nature still dominates and human presence is largely irrelevant.
Some of the impressions they formed on me.
There is an immense landscape of ocher and pale moss green. Fluffy golden grass covers the bare ground everywhere.
In the distance we see blue mountains and as we approach them they dwarf us. Sometimes the mountains are black. Volcanic activity has formed much of the landscape here.
Few trees are seen, but there are occasional groves of aspen or spruce.
Crystal blue/grey lakes abound and streams of crystal clear water run down rocky beds. The sun never rises more than 45 degrees above the horizon, giving the impression that it will soon lose its upward momentum.
Golfs Golfs
Golfs
Endless night is approaching.
Earthy browns, dark volcanic blacks, crimson reds, ocher and pale olive green are the earth tones.
We see mighty waterfalls at Gullfoss and incredible ice blue water at Brewerfoss. Gysir or Haukadalur has bubbling hot pools that come out of the earth. We were able to walk through the great rift in the earth where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are separating at Thingvellir.
In Laugarvatn, rye bread is baked on the ground. And at Raufarholscheller we walked through 5000 year old lava tunnels.
A lot of everything here.
The space, the scale, the brutality of the landscape, the vastness of the sky. Iceland is tough. It is deserted. It’s amazing. It’s beautiful.
Gulph’s Mountain almost made me cry. I have no idea why.
I think it has something to do with the fact that I feel enveloped by the realization that nature is supreme and that my power in the world is insignificant.
And did I mention Aurora? We saw it not once, but twice.
