Hot Pots:
Iceland is a geothermal paradise! Marie and I went in at least one hot pot almost every day of our two week visit. From isolated hot springs in green valleys to hot pools literally feet from the frigid ocean to man-made pools filled with thermal water, we saw just about everything.
Outside Snorrislaug. Snorri is an Icelandic legend (hero in a saga) and we went to soak in his pool... and found out it was closed to tourist use.
Marie next to Europe's largest geothermal spring. It was huge, this picture doesn't do it justice.
This enormous hotspring was literally boiling, at 210 degrees.
So steamy!
Natural hot pot in Heydalur, one of our favorite places. After a long hike, this soak was welcome.
A natural spring shaped by man, directly across from the above photo.
Pool with a view...
This one was almost too hot to get in!
Left: hot pot. Right: ocean.
Hot pot.
Marie, in a hot pot aside the freezing fjord water.
Me, same place.
us!
Blue Lagoon, round two. With a new friend (Anne-Chris) and a former student (!) to the right.
Blue Lagoon, the first time. A happy day and a welcome way to relax after the plane ride.
Waterfalls:
We saw waterfalls every day. Whether it was a small trickle down a lush, verdant hillside or a massive, formidable goss, we appreciate everything Iceland had to offer in terms of cascading falls.
Golfoss (Gold Falls), Iceland's Niagra Falls and largest waterfall. Golfoss was nearly turned into a power plant in the early 20th Century, however the potential power plant owner's daughter protested and threatened to throw herself in if he destroyed her beloved falls. Thanks to Sigrídur Tómasdóttir, the falls remains untouched and protected to this day.
Travel buds in front of Golfoss. It was freezing and very wet. And we nearly missed the bus back.
After a long day's drive, we arrive at Dynjandi waterfall. One of the most impressive sights we saw! It was a decent hike from the bottom (ocean/fjord side) to the top.
Dynjandi from the very bottom.
And Dynjandi from across the fjord.
Beautiful blue glacial river...
leading to some of the most beautiful waterfalls I've ever seen.
Beat this! I think this is my favorite photo of the whole trip.
Small but beautiful falls trickling into the fjord below.
Nearing Dynjandi falls we saw dozens of smaller falls like this.
Lava Tubes:
Many things make me nervous, but hiking through lava tubes in the pitch black (and wondering if today is the day these thousands-of-years-old lava tubes will cave in) topped the list on this day. Luckily, Marie was encouraging and helpd me push my own limits. We had a great hike through the tubes, even after her headlamp went out and we only had mine to guide us.
Our first rental car witha backdrop of glacier and fjord.
Map of the network of lava tubes.
Entrance to the first of the lava tubes. We crawled down and hiked through this one and part of the next, then returned to the car after Marie's headlamp died.
