The Golden Circle

Welcome to the Golden Circle, comprised of visits to Geysir, Gollfoss and Thingveiller National Park.  Many tourists go to Iceland and do the Blue Lagoon and the Golden Circle.  Enjoy the photos of these very popular destinations.

Hot thermal water is a milky blue due to silica, among other minerals.

So many steamy pools!

  

 Hot water and mineral pool-- too hot to touch!

This is Geysir (pronounced GAY-zeer), the original, from which all other geysirs are named.  

Here's a look at how Geysir compares to other geysirs in the world.  There really aren't that many of them, so if you've seen one you are lucky!

Stokker in erupting!  See below!

 Stokker erupting-- we didn't get to see Geysir go off.

 Gollfoss (meaning Gold Falls) is among the most impressive waterfalls I've ever seen and is reminiscent of Niagra Falls.  I loved the lush green around it, would have made a nice day hike if we'd had time.  Instead we went up close to get a photo, got our clothes drenched in the mist and then returned to the bus for a wet 2 1/2 hour bus ride home.

 In Thingveiller National Park, where two continental plates (the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate) are rifting apart at a rate of about 2cm per year.  This place is wicked cool!

Continental drifting, right in front of me!

There are places where the plates are feet apart and others 6 or 7 miles apart.

The Rift Valley.  Thingveiller is also home to the world's first organized parliament, which is still in existence!  How forward thinking are the Icelandic?  Above and below.