After we visited the geysers, Bill, Ivar, and I loaded up the Land Cruiser and headed off to our very first stop on the Golden Circle tour, the most photographed waterfall in Iceland– the incredible Gullfoss Falls. These falls are located in the canyon of the Hvítá River in southwest Iceland. Ivar warned us to wear rain gear, as this waterfall is so powerful that it’s easy to get wet just standing near it. Even though we finally had sunny skies and relatively warm temperatures, I was pretty glad I had a rain jacket during our visit.

We started by looking at the falls from the parking lot, which was at a lower level than where the visitor center is. Ivar moved the Land Cruiser to the upper parking lot by the visitor center, while we climbed a couple of flights of stairs for a higher view of these incredibly powerful waterfalls. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people have been unlucky enough to go over the falls; then I kind of shuddered when I felt the power of them. It was extraordinary.

Below are some still shots I got at the Gullfoss Falls…

After we visited the waterfalls, we went into the visitor center for a quick bathroom break. I might have liked a few minutes to look around the visitor center, as it had a lot of cute merch for sale…

But we had other things to do and see, and our next stop was probably my favorite of al of our waterfall stops– Bruarfoss. Here we had a peaceful place with bright blue water flowing through black rocks and dirt. The colors were striking, and there was a little bridge that made filming easy. These falls are known as a “hidden gem” and Iceland’s bluest waterfalls. Check out the video to see why!

Once we visited Bruarfoss Falls, we got back on the road to a place known as the “birthplace of Iceland”, Thingvellir Park. Ivar explained the history of how Iceland came to be in the year 1944, as it was previously a territory of both Norway and Denmark before it became its own country. I could see that the place was huge, and we really only got a short visit there. Some people might spend a couple of days camping at this park. Ivar said there were folks who went diving there, as the water is very clear. Still, it was good to walk around and see even more waterfalls, including one where women who were suspected of being witches were thrown into as a test to see if they were witches. It was considered kinder to drown them than do to them what was done to the men– beheading or burning at the stake!

And some still photos… Ivar told us about a burial ground at this site where the most honorable people of Iceland are invited to be buried. At this writing, there are only a couple of people buried here, and they were moved after they died. No one else has felt worthy enough to be buried at Iceland’s birthplace… but Ivar says he thinks that will soon change. 😉

I had to tell him that I don’t think we have that “problem” in the United States.

As we were about to leave Thingvellir, Ivar was talking to another guide who had a group of Indians with him. They apparently didn’t speak English, so the guide was having quite the trip with them. Maybe my constant chatter was less of a problem than that. 😀

From Thingvellir, we headed back into the Highlands to get to our next stop. Ivar asked if we needed lunch before we started our journey. Bill answered “no”, but then thought to ask me. I reminded him that I had a whole bunch of granola bars in the back from the previous day, in case I started feeling bitchy.

Iceland is also where it’s technically possible to be in North America and Europe, as the North American and European tectonic plates meet there. The eastern part of the country is on the Eurasian plate, while the western part is on the North American plate. In a weird way, it’s kind of like Istanbul, being divided between Europe and Asia. No wonder Iceland is so “otherworldly”. But, of course, Iceland is considered part of Europe for all other intents and purposes.

The next part of the trip was interesting, as the landscape changed again, to orange rocks, grey silty waters, and the occasional moss green. I took lots of photos of that, too… It reminded me of pictures I’ve seen of Mars.

After awhile, we came out on the other side of the Highlands and stopped at a hotel for lunch. They had a buffet, which Ivar went for, while Bill and I ordered a la carte. Fish and chips for me, and a chicken Caesar salad for Bill, washed down with draft beer…

Then it was back on the road to…. more waterfalls! Perhaps these were kind of a “showstopper”– Barnafoss and Hraunfoss.

Barnafoss, the smaller falls, is translated as the Children’s Falls, as there’s a myth about how two boys got bored waiting for their parents and decided to try to find them. They crossed a stone bridge at the water, but got dizzy, fell in, and drowned. Their mother put a spell on the bridge so that anyone else who tried to cross it would also drown. The bridge was later destroyed by an earthquake.

The larger falls are Hraunfossar, which flow from a lava field. They take their name from the Icelandic word “Hraun”, which means lava. They’re pretty awesome, aren’t they? I’m so glad we had nice weather for all of these waterfalls! On another note, imagine this place in the middle of fall! I’ll bet it’s just glorious!

Finally, we got back into the Land Cruiser for one last stop before we ended at Hotel Budir for the night. We went to see natural hot springs… much hotter than the ones at the campground we saw the day before. This was a very short stop, and I don’t even remember the name of the springs. I do remember the smell of sulfur, though, and the tremendous heat.

And a few photos from there…

Well… since this has been a very full posting with lots of photos and videos, I think I’ll stop here. Next post will be about Hotel Budir and our last day with Ivar. Stay tuned!