Friday, June 17, 2016 – Golden Circle and Hekla

Golden-circle-in-Iceland

Today was “Golden Circle Plus.” We did the Golden Circle, which is a series of three sites in southwest Iceland that many tourists visit, but we saw a lot of other things along the way and ended with exploring the area around Mount Hekla. Plus today was Icelandic National Day, which commemorates the day of Iceland’s independence from Denmark in 1944, as well as my husband’s birthday. So there was a lot to cover in one day!

We set off this morning from Hvanneyri with bus and trailer full of our luggage and food. We traveled from an agricultural valley into the highlands. Whereas we had seen a lot of land used to grow crops, especially hay for feeding animals during the long winter, now we were seeing a lot of grazing area. Tobba told us that the horses we saw were set free on pasture for summer break.

Going into the highlands we stopped because a sign said the road ahead was impassable. Our driver Sigthor made some calls and found out the road was okay now but had been impassable earlier in the year. As we moved forward, I could see why – the mountain inclines were pretty steep. Fortunately in the middle of June, we saw only one small patch of snow.

Traveling south we then moved into Iceland’s rift valley, part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates come together. On our right on the North American plate was Hvalvtan, the lake that fed the Glymur waterfall, and on our right on the Eurasian plate was the broad shield volcano Skjaldbreiður.

Þingvellir National Park

Descending into Almannagjá gorge at Þingvellir National Park.

Descending into Almannagjá gorge at Þingvellir National Park.

Finally we arrived at Þingvellir National Park. The park sits on Lake Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland. Across the lake we could see the Steingrimsstöð Power Station, one of Iceland’s first hydropower stations that came online in 1959. The plant drains water from Lake Þingvallavatn into the River Sog to create hydropower. Dr. Slater said when it first opened, it took too much water too quickly and killed a lot of the char in the lake. Now it is used to manage lake levels.

Þingvellir (pronounced “thing-vellir”) is incredibly significant for Iceland in both geology and history. Geologically the park’s most impressive structure is Almannagjá, the gorge on the eastern edge of the North American plate. The walking path through Þingvellir takes you through the Almannagjá gorge, overlooking the 7 km basin between the North American and European plates.

A goose keeps watch at Þingvellir National Park.

A goose keeps watch at Þingvellir National Park.

Historically, Þingvellir, or “parliament plains,” is where Iceland’s Alþing (pronounced “all-thing”) general assembly was established around 930 and met until 1798. This is where Iceland was declared to be a Christian nation around the year 1000, and where Snorri Sturluson was elected law speaker in 1213.

Of special importance at Þingvellir was the lögberg, or law rock. Anyone could step onto the lögberg to give a speech or share important news. This is where the assembly was convened and dissolved and rulings of the law council announced. Because of shifts in the landscape since the Middle Ages, no one knows exactly where the lögberg is now, but two possible sites have been identified.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Þingvellir became an important symbol of Iceland’s national pride.  Numerous rallies and meetings were held there to push for independence, and on June 17, 1944, the birthday of Icelandic national hero, Jón Sigurðsson, the republic of Iceland was declared at Þingvellir. Þingvellir was designated as a national park in 1930 and a UNESCO world heritage site in 2014.

Laugarvatn

Fontana spa at Laugarvatn.

Fontana spa at Laugarvatn.

The next stop was Laugarvatn, or “lake of the hot springs,” a small town on a lake fed by hot springs under its floor. Tobba went to high school here and recently visited for her 25th class reunion. We stopped at a spa called Fontana, where people could pay about $30 to bathe in the geothermal baths. I wish we would have had time for that, but we didn’t. The restaurant on site sold bread baked by geothermal heat underground. We walked around and saw hot springs bubbling out of the ground.

Geysir

Hot springs at Geysir.

Hot springs at Geysir.

Next was the second official stop on the Golden Circle tour, Geysir (pronounced “gay-sere”), home to the first erupting geyser discovered by Europeans. We found a picnic area for lunch, then walked through a series of hot springs. In the early 20th century, the largest geyser would erupt many times a day, sending boiling water up 60 meters (196 feet), but now it erupts rarely, and we did not see it.

Instead we had a lot of fun with a smaller geyser called Stokkur, which erupts every few minutes, sending water up about 30 meters (98 feet). Tourists line the rope surrounding the geyser with cameras ready to capture the moment. On my first try, I ended up getting drenched. I supposed the wet rocks where I was standing should have been a tipoff that it would be better to stand on the other side, but I didn’t think about that. Fortunately there was a warm breeze, and my clothes dried off pretty quickly.

Gullfoss

Watch your step at Gullfoss.

Watch your step at Gullfoss.

The third stop in the Golden Circle tour is Gullfoss, or “golden falls.” This is huge double waterfall 31 meters tall and the site of a nature reserves designated in 1979. In the early 20th century, the farmer who owned Gullfoss leased it to foreign investors to be used for an electric plant. His daughter, Sigriður Tómasdóttir, filed legal action to keep the plant from being built, and traveled to Reykjavik many times for legal proceedings.

Sigriður lost her case, but the rental contract for the power plant was voided for nonpayment. In 1940 her son sold the falls to the Icelandic government, which designated it a nature reserve in 1979. Sigriður’s efforts to save Gullfoss brought the importance of preserving nature to public attention, and she is considered Iceland’s first environmentalist.

Secret Lagoon

Salmon ladder at Faxi falls.

Salmon ladder at Faxi falls.

Leaving Gullfoss we got a good view of Langjökull, or Long Glacier, the second-largest ice cap in Iceland. If I visit Iceland again, I will have to make a stop here to see the ice tunnels and caves.

We then stopped by another waterfall called Faxi, notable for the salmon ladder next to the falls. The falls themselves are too steep for salmon to swim up, but the ladder provides a series of locks they can use to swim up and down the river. Apparently the salmon do use it, just as animals use animal crossings over highways that people build for them on land. Fish and animals are a lot smarter than we think.

Hanging out at the Secret Lagoon.

Hanging out at the Secret Lagoon.

Next we stopped at the Secret Lagoon, the oldest swimming pool in Iceland heated by geothermal springs. As soon as we disembarked to walk around, a huge tour bus pulled up; apparently the lagoon is no longer a secret. It looked like a fun and relaxing place to hang out — a couple dozen people were availing themselves of the facilities, beers in hand and on the shore.

Around the pool was a set of small hot springs.  One was like a miniature version of Stokkur at Geysir, erupting every few minutes. It was entertaining to watch, though a bit of an anticlimax after seeing eruptions 100 feet tall. There was also a series of greenhouses used to grow mushrooms and tomatoes.

Hekla

The imposing Hekla volcano.

The imposing Hekla volcano.

After a coffee and bathroom break, we left the Golden Circle and headed southwest to the highlands surrounding the volcano Hekla. Hekla is one of Iceland’s most active volcanos having erupted more than  20 times since 874. Europeans of the Middle Ages thought Hekla was the gateway to hell.

Hekla is a stratovolcano, meaning its cone has been built up through many layers of lava, tephra, pumice, and ash. Tephra from Hekla can be found all over Iceland and as far away as the British Isles. Hekla’s last eruption was in 2000, so many people think it is due to erupt soon. The risk is considered high enough that no flyovers are allowed. You can keep an eye on Hekla through the Mila webcam.

Hjalparfoss

Hjalparfoss

Hekla is also a mountain that can be climbed. Dr. Slater climbed it in 2009 and said it took six to seven hours of solid climbing. He went up with a Swiss guy who went back down by using a plastic bag as a sled. That took two hours. There was only a one-hour notice when Hekla erupted in 2000, so climbers might want to take plastic bags with them going up in case they need to get down fast.

We made three stops in the vicinity of Hekla. First was Hjalparfoss, a unique double waterfall joined at the base and surrounded by lava formations. It was a short hike to see the waterfall up close, but the area was swarming with midge flies. They didn’t bite, but they landed on your face and hair and swarmed into the bus.

Locks control the flow of the Þjórsá river at Búrfellsstöð power plant.

Locks control the flow of the Þjórsá river at Búrfellsstöð power plant.

Next was Búrfellsstöð, Iceland’s second-largest hydropower station. The power is generated by a drop in the Þjórsá river used to express potential energy. Here a series of impoundments and dams had been built onto the river just upstream of the plant to control the flow and rate of drop. Our driver Sigthor told us he had worked on construction of this plant in 1968, and he took the bus on the roads over the impoundments so we could see what it looked like. Two wind turbines were also visible.

Down the road we saw an area where tephra was being mined, so we got out to take a look. Tephra is sold to be used in building materials, insulation and ceramics, and there is a huge supply of it around Hekla. It comes in various forms from a fine ash to pieces 5 to 10 mm across to large pieces many feet across, but it weighs almost nothing because there are so many airholes in the rock.

Inside a large piece of tephra from Hekla.

Inside a large piece of tephra from Hekla.

At the quarry we picked up a huge piece of tephra and threw it around like a beach ball until it dropped and broke open. Again the midge flies swarmed us, and I became the subject of wide entertainment by waving my arms like windshield wipers in front of my face. I was just thankful the suckers didn’t bite or I would have been in trouble.

Throughout the drive, we saw areas where the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland had been trying to rehabilitate the land. In one area Dr. Slater had been working with a student to do reforesting. Volcano ash kills plants close to the ground, so the goal was to get trees high enough to resist the ash. We saw birch trees about 15 years old, along with a lot of – what else – lupine.

In other areas, the Soil Conservation Service was using lyme grass to stabilize the sand. They used to distribute seed and fertilizer from airplanes but now use tractors. Without it, the sand shifts so much that it’s impossible to hold water, and it erodes away. It was easy to tell the difference between gray areas of degraded lava fields and green areas that had been rehabilitated with lyme grass.

Dinner was pizza at a restaurant chain in Iceland called Arhus. I was thankful not to eat out of the lunchboxes again, and to have a real bed with a private bath at the Lax-A West Ranga Lodge room I shared with Danielle. We had a beautiful view of a river in the back, and during reflection time Tobba taught the group how to say Happy Birthday in Icelandic so I could send that to Paul. Unfortunately wifi didn’t work in the rooms as advertised, but I was able to get it by walking to the ritzier hotel next door. In case you ever need to wish anyone Happy Birthday in Icelandic, it is “Til hamingju með afmælið.”

Here are more photos from the day. Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Sunday, June 12 – Hot spring, Snorrastofa, waterfalls, lava cave, goat farm

Today started with a visit to the Deildartunguhver thermal spring.  On the way Tobba pointed out a house growing strawberries in a greenhouse heated with geothermal.  This is a way Icelanders can get access to fresh fruits and vegetables that they wouldn’t have otherwise.  Pairing geothermal energy with the long summer days seems like the perfect way to grow fresh food here, though I am not sure how it could be done in winter months.

As we pulled up to the hot spring, we could see steam coming out of the earth. We toured a spa facility called Krauma, or “boiling,” still under construction.  The owner told us his grandmother owned the hot spring, and that their house had been heated since 1930.  That was well before most homes in Iceland got their own heat, which occurred in the 50s.

All the walls of the spa were made of concrete, I am guessing to stand up to the winds of Iceland and hold in the heat. There was a series of large hot tubs under construction, each to be a slightly different temperature.  The owner told us that people will be able to lie in the hot tub and watch the northern lights.  There will also be a restaurant for 60 people.  This area of Iceland gets 200,000 tourists a year and growing. I asked the owner if he plans to build a hotel, and he laughed.  The spa and restaurant seem like enough.  He said he plans to open in July, but it looked like they still had a long way to go.

Snorrastofa

Snorrastofa in Reykholt, Iceland

Snorrastofa in Reykholt, Iceland

The next stop was Reykholt to see Snorrastofa, home of Snorri Sturluson, the 13th century poet and politician who wrote the Prose Edda and likely Egil’s Saga.  These are definitive works of mythology and Icelandic national identity.  The church and museum had a detailed display of Snorri’s life and several original editions of his books.

Geir Waage, a Lutheran priest in residence at Snorrastofa, told us the entire story of Snorri’s life, stopping periodically to snuff tobacco.  I didn’t get all of it, but did learn that Snorri married his first wife for money, dumped her but kept the money and had several mistresses. They had several children but only one survived. He traveled to Norway where his best friend was Earl Skuli Baardsson, who thought himself the most beautiful man on earth. An engraving of the earl depicts his long curly hair. The Norwegian King had the earl killed, so Snorri criticized the king in poetry, not directly but by portraying a previous Norwegian king badly.

A page from Snorri's "Egil's Saga"

A page from Snorri’s “Egil’s Saga”

Back in Iceland, Snorri fell in love with a noble woman named Hallveig Ormsdottir and had several children with her, but none survived. She died young and he was heartbroken.  Snorri also served as speaker of the Icelandic parliament for many years.  He held political discussions in his pool, which is still there today behind the house. He was assassinated in the closet near the pool on orders of the Norwegian king.  Waage said Snorri said “Do not strike” three times, quoting the 5th commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” but they killed him anyway.

Checking out Snorri's pool

Checking out Snorri’s pool

I am not sure whether Waage was playing a role or if he really thinks a lot of what he said, but his talk was like listening to someone who stepped out of a past era.  It was clear he idolizes Snorri, which is understandable.  But he made several fairly blatantly sexist statements. For example, it was fine for Snorri to marry for money, keep mistresses, dump the wife, and keep her money.  But it was not fine for women to have money of their own.  Waage made a couple of references to “women and money,” as if everyone knows that women can’t handle money and will spend it all on stupid things.

The other thing odd about the talk was the constant violence.  Everyone was killing everyone.  It sounded as if someone would kill someone as easily as look at them.  There were stories about running into someone on the road and slaying them on the spot.  Perhaps these sorts of encounters are what got memorialized in the sagas more than mundane activities, but it came across like a giant game of Dungeons and Dragons. I get the idea that Iceland of the old ages was extremely violent, and that women had no control over their lives.

Lava Falls and Children’s Falls

On the way to the next stop, we passed by a dairy farm that Tobba said is one of the largest in Iceland.  It has 150 cows which they milk robotically.  I wonder what they would think of an average dairy farm in the United States with hundreds of cows.

The next stop was an area of natural waterfalls — Lava Falls or Hraunfossar and Children’s Falls or Barnafoss. They are fed through the river Hvita, formed from glacial melt.  There’s another sad story associated with Barnafoss.  The falls were said to have once held a stone bridge, but the bridge was removed after a woman’s two children left the house while she was at Mass, slipped on the bridge, fell into the river and drowned.

We spent an hour at this site climbing around the lava rocks above Barnafoss and Hraunfossar.  There were also some good foot bridges and boardwalks to go across.  Lava Falls was amazing.  I have seen streams in Ohio that people have reconstructed to look natural, but no human could possibly construct something that looks like Lava Falls with the water coming out of the rocks and falling across a flat plate.

Lava cave

Entering the cave

Entering the cave

After lunch we then went to Víðgelmir, the largest lava tube cave in Iceland.  This is a cave formed by lava under a volcano.  This cave dates to 930 to 970 AD. Remains of an outlaw who lived there in the early 1000s were found, along with the fire pit where he had his last meal.

There was a large set of wooden steps going downtown a boardwalk that led 700 meters back into the cave.  Once we got our helmets and lights on, we set off. The light on my helmet turned out to be very dim, but the guides were excellent and helped me out at one point where the boardwalk stopped and I couldn’t see where to put my feet.  They guided me through and gave me some extra lights to hold.

Stalagmites in the cave

Stalagmites in the cave

We saw stalagmites and stalactites (which Icelanders had given some naughty names), and all kinds of different rock formations.  The cave had some lighting in most areas, but at the end we stopped in an area where the guides had everyone turn off their lamps, and we experienced total and complete blackness.  This was where they told a story about Icelandic zombies, which is the first I’ve heard of zombies in Iceland, but they are pretty much everywhere nowadays.

Going back up the steps to get out and get back to the visitors center was arduous, but I made it, and people were still waiting to use the bathroom when I got back to the visitors center, so my slowness didn’t hold anyone up.

Goat farm

Tobba's daughter holds a baby goat.

Tobba’s daughter holds a baby goat.

After the cave we headed to a much livelier destination at Háafell Goat Farm. The farm’s owner, Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir, is on a mission to save the Icelandic goat, considered a rare breed, from extinction.  At one point there were less than 300 of these goats in existence, so Þorvaldsdóttir gave up a career in Reykjavik to start the farm where she breeds them.  We got to visit with some of the goats to pet and hold the babies. The farm’s shop sells cheese made from goat milk and other products.  We relaxed with some coffee, tea, and crackers before heading back to Hvanneyri for dinner.

Here are some more photos from the day. Click on any photo to enlarge it.