Wow, another great day! It was 12 degrees when we got up, a bit breezy, cloudy and chilly. At gym Ann spotted a whale! It was not large, probably a minke.
We are to meet up at 11.45 for our tour. As we sail into Reykjavik the wind has died down and there are sunny breaks with the temperature at 14 degrees. There are two other ships in port, a Viking ship that was in port with us yesterday, and a huge MSC ship the Preziosa around 4000 plus passengers.
Our tour group has gathered and we eventually get off the ship just after 12.30. We walk to our mini vans, there are 57 of us and we are evenly divided over three mini vans. We head off after 1 pm. Iceland is very green, it is a mix of gently rolling plains at the bas of their hills and rugged hills thrusting up from the ground. The rock formations are different from anything we have seen. The weather is fantastic around 15 degrees with sunny periods. It feels quite mild. We actually pass an outdoor pool area and the kids are swimming and going down slides into the pool.
Our guide and driver is very good and full of information. He is Hungarian but moved here some years ago. Our first stop is a waterfall, a smallish one compared to the main one, Gullfoss. They are fed by the glaciers and they have a lot of water going over them. We then head towards the Geysir but have a short stop to see some horses. Horses are an important part of Icelandic activities and they all have their individual ID. They are pure bred Icelandic ponies and Iceland jealously protects their genealogy.
The Geysir area has steam coming out of the earth everywhere. There is one that erupts regularly and it is quite a sight. Others are gently bubbling along with minor bursts every so often.
We then head to Thingvellir National Park where the American plate and the Eurasian plate are gradually moving away from each other. We view the rift from the European side and then drive round to the American side! We are dropped off at the top of the American side and then we walk down a path along where the rift occurred. It is an incredible experience to think we are walking between two continents. The area is filled with spectacular scenery.
We then head back to the ship, arriving back at 8.40 pm. It has been a long day and we have covered a few kms but have seen some great sights.
Wow amazing photos can’t wait to hear more about the rift - so cool you saw it - Kate
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