9 Sep 2014 – Golden Circle

Sat: wet start and instead of the fjord drive, took the toll tunnel and headed to Þingvellir National Park (UNESCO World heritage Site), the first national park in Iceland and was decreed a protected national shrine for all Icelanders, the perpetual property of the Icelandic nation under the preservation of parliament, never to be sold or mortgaged. Parliament or AlÞingi was established at Þingvellir in 930 and remained there until 1798. It is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance.

Thankfully the rains stop when we reached Geysir. The word geyser comes from Geysir,  the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa=to gush, the verb itself from Old Norse.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullfoss

Night at Hotel Helka***more inland and into farming area, thus lamb was the dinner choice for us.

Sun: the small peninsula Dyrhólaey (formerly known as Cape Portland by English seamen) is located on the south coast of Iceland not far from the village Vik. It was formerly an island of volcanic origin, which is also known by the Icelandic word eyja meaning island.

Beautiful and interesting geologic formations and black beaches.

The village of Vik

Solheimajokull glacier, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss were wet experiences, but by then it did not matter as it was time to find our hotel in Selfoss

Hotel Sefoss located by the river will be the accommodation for tonight and tomorrow night. Good fish dinner at Kaffi Krus***

To be edited…