Iceland Saga II
Þingvellir River
Constance went on the “Golden Circle” excursion from Reykjavik, starting at Þingvellir which was the site of the Icelandic parliament from 930 and until 1789…Here she poses in front of the Drowning Pool.
Þingvellir 2
The Icelandic flag flies from the rock where laws were proclaimed for 859 years.
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Þingvellir 3
The area is geologically interesting too, as it is the site where continental plates are separating. Iceland is wracked by earthquakes and volcanoes, as one side of the valley is on the North American plate, and is breaking away from the other side which is on the Eurasian plate.
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Geysir
Next stop – the original Geysir, after which all geysers were named! After recent seismic activity it no longer bursts with regularity, but it’s neighbour geyser Strokkur does! The water is so hot the ground is steaming!
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Gulfoss 1
The last stop on the Golden Circle route is the amazing giant waterfall of Gullfoss (Golden Falls). It pours an average of 140 m³/s down three huge steps and into a crevice in the lava…
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Gulfoss 2
Quimper Hittys 
What a great start to the tale. These photos are terrific, and Constance is so brave to sit on the edges of steep cliffs and the like. A real adventurer!
Thanks, Constance is just getting started!
What a beautiful place. Hope I can visit a geyser some day with my hittys.
The Geysir Stokkur was really impressive, shooting off about every 5 minutes – the hot water heaves and sloshes and then a huge dome of water forms over a gas bubble. Suddenly it explodes into a steaming tower of water – so exciting!
Thank you Constance, for a glimpse into climes that are so unlike ours. The Quimper Hittys are fantastic teachers.
You are welcome! The Hitty cupboard is still buzzing!
As a college Geology major, I love, love, love these photos!!! And I have Norse ancestors who attended meetings at the bingvellir site! So cool to see it. Thank you, Constance!
The whole trip was a real immersion in Nordic history and Geology. We all had the BEST time!
The third photo of that gorgeous geologically busy area makes me want to go and stay there and paint it.
So beautiful, Kjerstin! laura
Oh my word! How wonderful is this! I am so excited to see the new series launch here and am very much looking forward to seeing them all!
Thanks, Toad. Constance and Tansy were just out of town again! We’ll catch up on the Iceland Saga first before we tell you about that trip!