The Rugged Icelandic windspace, er landscape!!

Kraggy Keflavik Bay!

On the drive to Keflavik on a peninsula the amazing landscape of Iceland was everywhere!  Rolling hills, vast roiling seas, and amazing vista as far as the eyes could see!

 

After checking in on some pretty sketchy rooms. The boys headed to downtown Reykjavik for lunch, a beer, and then to tour the Golden Circle! 

 

Reigning Havoc on a Rainy Reyjavik!

It took a better part of an hour to drive into the world's most northerly capital, Reykjavik, which was founded by Norwegian Vikings fleeing from their king and the Celtic slaves they picked up in Scotland and Ireland during the late 9th century. A Viking called Ingólfur Arnarson named the place Reykjavik ('Smokey Bay') after the steam rising from the hot springs, however today it would be better known as rainy spot, as a constant drizzle descended on the Boys.

 

Mike, Ready for the Rain!!

 

The iconic Hallgrinskirkjai!

The rain however did not prevent them from checking out the very cool Hallgrimskirkja, which was inspired by Icelandic traditions, this modern cathedral, consecrated in 1986, has a 73m-high tower.

Downtown Reykjavik is a.) not very big (despite being the biggest city in Iceland!) and b.) very, very eclectic, with restaurants with a Big Lebowski theme, with a Rug in the window stating “It really ties the room together!” Despite the drizzle the boys, wander around, checking out the places and faces and right above the Punk Rock Museum (It is real!) a very nice restaurant with great fish and chips and a perfect pint of Guinness!

Sated and not yet sleepy from the sleepless redeye, the Boy embarked on the world-famous Golden Circle! The Golden Circle is a tourist route in southern Iceland, covering about 250 miles looping from Reykjavík into the southern uplands of Iceland and back. It covers several National Parks and some of Iceland’s most iconic natural monuments.

 

Checking out Þingvellir National Park!

First stop was the Pingvellier National Park and the lkang Waterfall!  The Waterfall is only a short hike from the road and is a significant historical site. In the Middle Ages, people were put to their death by drowning, in this very pool below the 20m cascade. To the south sits Thingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland, containing one of the most unusual diving opportunities out there. Here you can descend into Silfra Gorge's glacial waters between two tectonic plates.

 

Mike at Lkang Waterfall at Þingvellir National Park!

Mne about to shower at Lkang Waterfall

The path took the Boys down to the very famous Granite cliffs that on one side have the North American Plate and on the other the European plate where the Iceland country and culture began; the Law Rock!

 

Lögberg - the Law Rock

The Law Rock or Lögberg,  is a a spot on the granite cliff and was the location for the assembly of the country's Althing parliament. The original Althing was gathered at this location inÞingvellir.

 

Two, Continents !!!

The Lögberg was the place on which the Lawspeaker (lögsögumaður) took his seat as the presiding official of the assembly of the Althing. Speeches and announcements were made from the spot. Anyone attending could make their argument from the Lögberg. The gatherings were also convened and dissolved from it.

The Lögberg performed its purpose from the formation of the parliament in 930. It ceased to be used in 1262, when Iceland took allegiance to Norway. 

 

The next stop on the tour for the Boys who hope to get out of the rain which returned was the original Geysir!  

 

Geezers at Geysir!

Geysir (Icelandic pronunciation: ​[ˈkeːisɪr̥]), sometimes known as The Great Geysir, is the first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans. The English word geyser (a periodically spouting hot spring) derives from Geysir. The name Geysir itself is derived from the Icelandic verb geysa ("to gush") the verb from Old Norse. Geysir lies in the Haukadalur valley on the slopes of Laugarfjall hill, which is also the home to Strokkur geyser about 50 metres (160 ft) south. Eruptions at Geysir can hurl boiling water up to 70 metres (230 ft) in the air. However, eruptions may be infrequent, and have in the past stopped altogether for years at a time.  

The worlds oldest Geysir!

The research shows that Geysir has been active for approximately 10,000 years. The oldest accounts of hot springs at Haukadalur date back to 1294, when earthquakes in the area caused significant changes in local neighbouring landscape creating several new hot springs. Changes in the activity of Geysir and the surrounding geysers are strongly related to earthquake activity. In records dated 1630 the geysers erupted so violently that the valley around them trembled. The place name "Geysir" has been first mentioned in written sources in 18th century and, as unusual natural phenomena were of high interest to the society during the Age of Enlightenment, the term became popular and has been used for similar hydrothermal features worldwide since then such as Yellowstone in the States.  

History of recent centuries shows that earthquakes have tended to revive the activity of Geysir which then subsides again in the following years. Before 1896, Geysir was almost dormant before an earthquake that year caused eruptions to begin again, occurring several times a day, lasting up to an hour and causing spouts of up to 60 metres (200 ft) in height. In 1910, it was active every 30 minutes; five years later the time between the eruptions was as much as six hours, and in 1916, the eruptions all but ceased. In 1935, a man-made channel was dug through the silica rim around the edge of the geyser vent. This ditch caused a lowering of the water table and a revival in activity. Gradually this channel became too clogged with silica and eruptions again became rare.  

In 1981 the ditch was cleared again and eruptions could be stimulated, on special occasions, by the addition of soap. Following environmental concerns the practice of adding soap was seldom employed during the 1990s. During that time Geysir seldom erupted. When it did erupt, it was spectacular, sending boiling water sometimes up to 230 ft into the air. On the Icelandic National Day authorized government geologists would force an eruption. A further earthquake in 2000 revived the geyser again and it reached 122 meters for two days, thus becoming one of the highest known geysers in history (Waimangu Geyser in New Zealand erupted up to 460 metres (1,510 ft) high but stopped erupting around 1900). Initially eruptions were taking place on average eight times a day. By July 2003 this activity had again decreased to around three times per day.  

Fortunately for Mike and Bone, the damned thing erupted within 5 minutes of the Boys arrival!!!!! 

Thar She Blows!

 

Just a little ole geysir!

Next, they checked out the Little Geysir, the nearby geyser Strokkur which erupts much more frequently than Geysir, erupting to heights of up to 30 metres (98 ft) every few minutes. Strokkur's activity has also been affected by earthquakes, although to a lesser extent than the Great Geysir. Due to its eruption frequency, online photos and videos of Strokkur are regularly mis-labelled as depicting Geysir. There are around thirty much smaller geysers and hot pools in the area, including one called Litli Geysir ('Little Geysir').  

 

Geologic Boiling Mudpots

 

"Water, Water, Everywhere!

The Boys needed to dry out a bit and grabbed an uninspired Dinner (as most of the food would be in Iceland!) in the Tourist Shop next to the Geysirs, then they planned to crater at Kerid Crater Lake!

 

Bone and Mike in Horizontal Rain at Crater Lake !

Kerid is unique among crater lakes in that its caldera likely didn’t form from an explosion as most do. The Kerid volcano is thought to have formed when the magma in the center simply depleted itself, and the empty chamber beneath caved in. Regardless of the geological minutia that led to the lake’s creation, its bright rainbow of colors look unearthly. In addition to the bright, sapphire-colored waters, the steep slopes of the caldera’s bowl are almost entirely covered in red volcanic rock. There is one, less-steep side of the slope that is covered in rich green moss, as though the lake weren’t colorful enough.

 

While Mike and Bone thought is was amazing, they could barely see it! The rain was pouring in a deluge, sideways!! In 50 mph winds!

The storm was so strong that the car was rocking in the wind and it was almost dark on the longest day of the Year!

By now it was pushing 10:00 PM, so the Boys had crossed off most of the places to check on Golden Circle and headed back to their Room on Keflavik.   Once they got back to Keflavik, the skies finally cleared and everything become an unearthly twilight even though it was 11:00 at night!

By sheer happenstance and luck there was an Irish Pub just a block from the Boys rooms, so in typical Mike and Bone fashion, they ended the night with a few pints of the Guinness!

Mike and Bone Partying with Stefan in Kevalvik !!

The Bar was pretty vacant except for one other patron Stephan. Mike and Bone asked Stephan how most people get by and he shared that most people have 1 or 2 part time jobs. Stephan worked at the Pizzeria that was next to the Bar. Mike and Bone as old time Pizza Men bought him a beer in brotherhood of the Pie!

Mike and Bone, windswept at Midnight outside a Irish Pub on Summer Solstice!!