Now we're at our connecting airport in Copenhagen, Denmark. We have a 5-hour layover so we won't arrive at our destination until this evening. Of course, we have a tour scheduled to start bright and early at 8:00a.m. tomorrow morning!!! It seemed like a good idea at the time. Oh well, who needs sleep. How many opportunities do we get to visit Iceland???? Should be exciting.
Although getting up early was a little difficult, once we were on tour we had a great day. Our first stop was at the Thingvellir National Park where the North American and Eurasian plates meet. The area has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area is one of the only places in the world where the plates rise above the ocean floor. The volcanic seams run the entire length of the Atlantic Ocean and belch magma which pushes the plates apart and creates more crust at the rate of about an inch per year. The geological treasure is surrounded by majestic cliffs covered in beautiful shades of green. The valleys are filled with beautiful and vibrant wildflowers such as lupin, buttercups, marigolds, and daisies. Our guide explained to us that only three species of trees survived the Ice Age in Iceland - the mountain birch, ash and willow. The birch trees, which normally grow to be quite tall, are very small. Evidently birch trees do not get taller because they have no competition for the sunlight and they do not like the wind. Therefore, they don't grow any taller than the willow or ash trees.
Our next stop was at Gullfoss (Golden Falls) Waterfall. This was a thunderous and majestic two-tiered waterfall. It reminded me a bit of Niagara Falls. There was a pathway which led to the bottom of the falls. Bob walked down there. I chose to stay dry so I climbed the 100 stairs to the top of the falls for a different view. They really were beautiful from all vantage points. There was a restaurant on site so we took a lunch break there. The guide suggested we try the lamb stew. Since I really don't like lamb I was very hesitant to try it. However, I quickly discovered that the lunch choices were very limited so I decided to try it. I was soooo glad I did. Evidently, Iceland lamb is quite well known and has a very unique taste. It was absolutely delicious. The vegetables were organic, locally grown and extremely fresh. So glad I gave it a try!
After a great lunch we were off to see the Geysir and hot springs. This is an area of geothermal springs in the middle of the country with one of them spewing steaming water into the air approximately 30 feet. It was an interesting place but I must admit that after seeing Yellowstone Park, this geyser was not terribly impressive. There was an entire field of bubbling, steaming hot springs surrounding the geyser but nothing was very exciting.
After viewing the geothermal springs we were off to see a geothermal plant. Afterward, we returned to the hotel for our final night outside of the USA!!!! Sooo excited that I may have trouble sleeping tonight :)
