The Golden Circle

We took the Golden Circle tour in Reykjavik which took us on a full-day journey. The day  started with a scenic drive to Thingvellir National Park  where we walked  through the tectonic rift.  The park was established in 1930 as a historical, cultural and geological shrine. This breathtaking rift valley features Iceland’s largest natural lake and a rich history tied to the formation of Icelandic Parliament in 930 A.D. 

Our next stop was Gullfoss Waterfall, whose rushing water tumbles over a natural tiered ‘staircase’ to plunge down a deep ravine.

From there, we visited Strokkur, an explosive geyser whose steamy spouts sometimes blast 60 feet skyward. Though we saw the geyser go off while getting off the bus, we did not catch a 60 footer while we were standing there waiting. 

The Icelandic lunch we were served was the best lunch I have ever had on any excursion anywhere in the world. I think we had to wait a few minutes because the fishing boat was still offloading the catch of the day.   The salmon we were served was fresh, cooked to perfection and guess what, it was served with rice!  The food was served family style and all 5 of us at the table were so ever to dig in no one took a photo of this great meal. It will be long before anything can beat that meal!

After lunch, we visited Hellisheidi, the world’s second largest power station, which employs geothermal forces from three volcanic systems dating back 11,000 years.