The Land of Ice and Fire

When we returned to Iceland from Greenland we tied up at the port in Reykjavik the caital. The port was so uninteresting that we only took one picture there! We set off on an all day tour called The Golden Circle which visited the highlights of southern Iceland:


This is our only picture of Reykjavik.
We travelled through old lava flows and cinder cones reminiscent of Hawai'i.  Iceland has a history of volcanic eruptions.

A group of Icelandic Horses (not ponies, no,no,no!)
Iceland once had trees, but they were cut down for lumber and fuel. Now there are efforts at reforestation. Still we were told: "If you get lost in an Icelandic forest, just stand up."

Skálholt

Skálholt was the cultural, ecclesiastical, and political center of Iceland from the 11th century until the end of the 18th. Originally it was centered around the Cathedral. The introduction of the Lutheran Church of Iceland saw the execution of the Roman Catholic bishop. Skálholt is now a study and retreat center with a brand new Cathedral used when the suffragen bishop visits.  Recent excavations are looking for the remains of the medieval town.


This detail from a painting shows what Skaholt looked like in 1772. Note the buildings to the right of the Church.

The new Cathedral

When the old building was torn down to build the new one, this inscription in praise of a former student was found on the back of some boards.
A cellist was practicing in the nave.
A list of bishops of the modern Church of Iceland.
.
This tunnel leads to a display of artifacts in the crypt of the old Church, which is located under the new cathedral.
The excavations of the medieval town on the grounds of the Cathedral.
A 17th century grave marker

Gullfoss

The Gullfoss (or Golden Falls) is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in southern Iceland. The river drops over 100 feet in two steps, then makes a sharp left turn into a narrow gorge.

Faxi Falls
On the way there, we stopped off at Faxi falls, a lower fall which featured a fish ladder.
The Gullfoss

Looking across the face of the upper falls down the gorge.

Geothermal Iceland

Iceland sits atop the Mid-Atlantic ridge, and over a volcanic hot spot. There is a lot of lava down there, and as water seeps down from the surface, it hits the lava and instantly becomes live steam which finds its way to the surface emerging through vents called fumaroles.  Icelanders heat their homes and warm their sidewalks with steam piped in from these vents. Electricity comes from geothermal and hydroelectric sources. Iceland even has a hydrogen refueling station for their small fleet of hydrogen powered experimental city buses.


We passed a geothermal plant outside Reykjavik.
Areas such as this may smell like sulphur because the steam brings minerals from underground to the surface.
Small vents such as this often are tapped to provide heat, hot water, and electricity for local farms. They run year-round.

A steam pipeline

Our next stop was Geysir, from which we get our word geyser.

It erupts about every fifteen minutes, throwing a column of hot water over 100 feet into the air. Earthquakes have changed the underground channels from time to time, altering the timing and location.

The area has pools of hot water all over.
Some of it is mineral laden.
Stay behind the rope!

An example of a structure built to capture geothermal energy.
Steam bubbling up from below heats the water.
Mineral deposits from flowing water.

Thingvellir

Þingvellir National Park ("Þ" is a thorn, pronounced th) is a large park centered on the location where the original Icelandic parliament (the Alþing) met starting in 930 until they moved it indoors in 1798. Since only temporary structures were used, little of historical interest remains of those assemblies.

Of great interest to us is that this is an area where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent boundary between the North American and European tectonic plates, comes above water. The fault zone gives evidence of the forces tearing the rock apart. A major rift valley runs through the park.


This wall of rock is the eastern edge of the North American plate as seen from the European plate.
The park surrounds Iceland's largest lake, Þingvallavatn

We hiked the Mid-Atlantic Ridge!

An old flow of ropy lava (Pahoehoe)
Artists conception of an Althing assembly.
While there are numerous earthquakes along the faults, none has been violent enough to dislodge this rock.

This rift has flooded with clear water
The local Church and parsonage.