Many people see only this capital city when visiting Iceland, the northern most capital of a sovereign nation. (In our travels it has been observed that the chamber of commerce of any area can find enough ‘modifiers’ to make their area/city/attractions the ‘most’ of anywhere else in the world! That qualifier here appears to be ‘sovereign nation’.) However, this cruise has afforded the opportunity to see the Diamond Circle outside of Akureyri as well as rural Iceland around Isafjordur and Grundarfjordur – ventures well worth the time. And now, the adventures will include the area around Reykjavik known as the Golden Circle and the South Coast along the Ring Road.

First up – the South Coast. Unfortunately, many of the sights along this Ring Road are a bit of a distance from Reykjavik. But, that is OK as there is a scrumptious little bakery in the middle of no-where to fortify one.

Now – on to Skogafoss, widely considered to be one of Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls. It sits on the river Skoga, which originates from two glaciers, runs through the Skogargil canyon and descends 200′ from the edge of the moor as the Skogafoss waterfall. Legend has it a settler hid his chest of gold behind the waterfall and many have sought it out with no success;-( One can view from the front of the falls or climb 400 steps to the top of the falls for stunning views. Unfortunately, those were avoided this day due to the pouring rain.

Not far away (and not necessarily a highlight on the Ring Road) was Kvernufoss waterfall. A short, beautiful hike will take one back to this gem, which rivals Skogafoss in our book. One can hike behind Kvernufoss and get wonderful shots back down the little canyon. Don’t miss it – –

Next up – the Black Sand Beach of Reynisfjara. For any Game of Thrones fans, this may be recognized as one of the filming locations. It is a stunning beach with caves, sea pillars and ‘key holes’ – even on this cold, rainy, dreary day – –

This cold, soggy day it was quite good to have travel time along the Ring Road, as it gave one time to thaw out a bit and perhaps even get a little dry. Which helped for the walk back to the Solheimajokull glacier. This glacier is an ‘outlet’ glacier originating from a larger glacier. The walk back to the face of the glacier was approximately a half mile, which is the distance it has melted in just the last few years. Very sad to see.

Still raining – on to another waterfall. This one is Seljalandsfoss, one of the most famous in Iceland (probably due to the drop of 180′) and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is another that you can walk behind. Just down the path about a quarter mile is another hidden gem. Peek around the corner and a beautiful sight awaits – another waterfall but tucked away in a cave. On a better day one can walk into the cave to get a better look – not in the cards today;-(

Another day and a little less rain! Time to tackle the Golden Circle – off to Kerid. This crater is believed to have been formed by a small magma chamber beneath the crater being emptied towards the end of the eruption resulting in a collapse. Beneath a certain level, cavities and fissures are filled with groundwater, the surface of which is called the water table. This makes the crater a window to the level of groundwater in this area.

Not far, another waterfall is encountered – Faxi. It is possible this is the only waterfall with a 4-letter name!! This property is privately owned (which is not uncommon here in Iceland) and the owner raised horses. The waterfall reminded him of the mane on a horse, so he renamed the falls (from its much longer name) to Faxi, which means mane in Icelandic. A beautiful spot to own.

The owner also built a sheep sorting arena. It is common here for sheep of various owners to roam the fields and hillsides in the area. Once a year all the farmers go out together to round up all the sheep. They are herded into a pen with many ‘shoots’ off the sides. All the owners run the sheep into the pen then sort them into the various shoots depending on the ear tags signifying the owner. This annual event has become a social event attended by owners’ families, townspeople and visitors. In other words- a BIG PARTY!

Almost the entire island of Iceland is a geothermal area. So, no surprise there would be geysers similar to those found in Yellowstone NP. And, they have their own Old Faithful – Geysir (also the origin of the term geyser!). It spouts every few minutes so there is no long wait but you have to have the camera ready. We did and here it is – –

The namesake of the Golden Circle – Gullfoss Waterfall. Gull is gold and foss is fall(s) – in case you hadn’t figured that out by now;-) The evening light colors the glacial water with a gold cast, but even the daylight reflecting seems to cast a golden brown hue. Probably the reason for the name, but Iceland is a land of many stories. Thus the night trolls turning to stone, men burying gold behind a waterfall, elves not giving permission to remove ‘mounds’ when building roads so the roads zig and zag, etc. etc. etc. And so, there is a story about the ‘Gold Waterfall’ that says a local farmer had lots of gold pieces and didn’t know what would happen to them when he died. In order to keep all the pieces together and know what would happen to them he put them in a coffer and threw them into the waterfall. It has been called Gullfoss ever since. You choose your story. This is the granddaddy of all the Iceland waterfalls to us. Gigantic, forceful and beautiful. A fitting last fall – –

Finally, the last stop on the Golden Circle tour – Pingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area is praised as the national shrine of Iceland. It is where the land’s first Parliament met and did so until the 18th century. In fact Pingvellir means “the fields of Parliament”. The park sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of two tectonic plates – the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate. This is the only place in the world where this rift is above sea level and where the edges of the two plates can be seen so clearly. The land between the two plates is called ‘no man’s land’. Seems like nice scenery as long as one isn’t here during an earthquake!!

Iceland is a volcanic and otherworldly nation that is sadly misnamed. About 90 percent of the country is ice-free with incredible green fields spotted with sheep.

Its capital city, Reykjavik, is a modern city with a population of about 250,000 in the city area. It is the vibrant cultural, economic, and governmental heart of Iceland. It has wonderful shopping streets and restaurants galore to get any kind of food you desire. Walk the city and have fun.

Iceland was a world unknown – isolated, rugged, very green and yet very desolate in places and very much a place to discover what this earth is made of and has to offer. A unique, friendly place.

E & G – awed by Iceland. Glad we explored it!