Our first stop was to check out the rent in the earth from a recent earthquake (they happen regularly) over which they have built a glass floor, a pastry shop, a SUPA and a souvenir outlet. They have their tourism head screwed on here.
Not long after the landscape changed. We were passing hundreds of square miles of lava fields where the volcanic rock has spewed out over millions of years and is overgrown with moss, a landscape from another planet. There are heavy fines for tampering with the moss, it is a delicate ecosystem.
And the home of the elves. I don't think he was joking either.
Our first waterfall stop was impressive, but was nothing compared to what was ahead. Still, beautiful and rugged and misty and eerie in a Game of Thrones, ancient Icelandic Saga way. Expecting Smaug the dragon to come hurtling towards us at any minute.
Across the horizon as we continued on the road was steam rising, the geothermal vents that power the island. Oscar was like a dog with a bone on the geothermal brownie points his homeland was rattling up. Good on Him!
The next stop was right out there Jerry. A series of waterfalls to give Niagara a huge shake, and with no theme parks. Just magnificent. There was a "The Castle" story connected where the Brits wanted to build a power plant here, damming the waterfall. A family refused to give up their farm and battled through two generations to hang onto their "friend" the waterfall. AAAGGHHH. Incredible to think this world heritage site may have gone under.
The walk here was tough for me, last onto the bus like an wobbly old codger on a stick.
We got some good shots though.
Icelandic ponies, then OMG!
Not only the place where they filmed The Bloody Gate scenes for game of Thrones, but the world's first parliament site. It is magnificent and features in the last episode of "Ascent of Man" the best documentary series I have ever seen.
I am beside myself. LOR and GOT and Professor J Bronowski all in one place.
More stunning scenery, then home. On the last leg, Oscar spoke of the Irish influence here. The Vikings captured Irish women to bring to Iceland as slaves and of course they brought their stunning beauty, language and music. He is descended from them, apparently his name is the give away. The Icelandic language, like the ponies, in untainted and remains in its ancient form, so their names give away their heritage.
What a superb day. The rain added to it.
Michele, brilliant little tour leader that she is, organised the next day to incorporate not only a sleep in, but an excursion to the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal pool, as well as a last minute booking on a 10pm Northern Lights Tour. The Blue Lagoon experience was tops. Floating around in a geothermal pool, average 38 degrees, air temperature 5, as the sun was setting, sipping beer and wine was Caligula decadent. Peel me a grape would you?
As the afternoon wore on the excitement in Reykjavik was building. They have ratings for the possibility of seeing The Northern Lights based on both the magnetic resonance and the clarity of the air. News was out that it was a 4 for both, a real goer.
It is now mayhem. People are trying to book tickets and get onto buses, both tourists and locals, so there are tour guides checking your credentials, bus drivers trying to predict vantage points and two way radios crackling out Icelandic panic. In the end we were front seaters again, luck of the draw and out on the road south. They were heading for spots away from the city lights and beyond the airport was the target, but as we are belting along the guide shoots out her arm and points.
Hell, there is The Aurora!
To keep going would be dicing with disappointment, the lights are fleeting, so the two coaches pull off the freeway onto a flat lava field and we all pile out.
At first it appeared just like wispy cloud. But slowly it takes shape, like funnels or beams, then it changes into curtains or waterfalls. Once it changes it does not stop. It's a real show. No two minutes are the same and standing out here on a lava field, in the pitch black, freezing cold, it felt like it was performing just for us. The colours were there, but faintly. Amazingly, through the cameras, the colour was vivid. Michele used a slow shutter speed app she had bought and it was worth every cent. I was happy with my sad old phone camera, but hers were stunning.
An experience we will never forget. After an hour they faded and we piled onto the bus. As we found our seats our guide said "uh oh." The lights were putting on a final performance, the best yet. But how could we be disappointed? The only clear night, the only hour they appeared and we were there to see it.
Iceland was like nothing I have ever experienced before.
Even without the pineapples.
Fabulous!
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