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At breakfast we asked the waiter for some advice on what sights to see and he suggested the South Coast to the glacier. There was a nice shop in the hotel so we bought a few Icelandic scarves and gloves to prepare ourselves for the cold. Reykjavik First of all we drove into Reykjavik with the guide book to help us see the most important sights. Even though it was Sunday, I was amazed that the place was deserted. I suppose it is primitive as capital cities go but is quite charming and pollution free. There is also a law banning dogs. There are a host of colourful buildings all heated by natural hot water and corrugated iron roofs abound. Being a nordic city, Iceland's architecture is reminiscent of modern Scandinavian art.
Old accounts say the ancient gods themselves guided Iceland’s first settler, Ingolfur Arnarson, to make his home in Reykjavik. He named the place Reykjavik (Steamy Bay) after the geothermal steam he saw, which today heats homes and outdoor swimming pools throughout the city – a pollution-free energy source that leaves the air outstandingly fresh, clean and clear. The capital area includes seven municipalities in addition to Reykjavik itself, with a total population of about 170,000. More than half of the total population live here and it is the only place on the island with any trees. Iceland was heavily deforested by the early settlers and the government has recently begun a tree planting campaign.
Reykjavik has historical sites, natural beauty, museums and galleries, several theaters, an opera house, a symphony orchestra, public parks, a wide range of leisure activities, hotels, restaurants and a remarkably lively artistic scene. Austurstraeti is the main business street complete with a MacDonalds. The large Kringlan Mall is a great place to shop. We stopped near the Tjornin Lake in the Old City, where the City Hall seems to float on the water and there are abundant ducks. Over 40 species of birds that visit 'The Pond' every year, ducks, swans and seabirds, including the arctic terns which nest in a small island in the middle of the water.
There are two squares, one of which had a statue of Eriksson, son of Eric the Red, the Althingshusid (Parliament building) where Iceland's current 63 member Althingi meets, the Domkirkjan (Lutheran Cathedral) and the Hotel Borg, built in 1930.
Höfði House is where the summit meeting between President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachew was held in 1986. Down by the harbour there is a replica of an old Viking Ship.
The South Coast Leaving the city once again we got back on Route 1 to travel south east. This road goes all the way around Iceland but can be washed away by huge floods when volcanoes erupt beneath the massive glaciers. There is a maximum speed limit (strictly enforced), but it is unlikely that it will be reached because of the state of the road surface. There are 12,955 km of road but only 3,863 km is made up. Beyond Selfoss the area is dominated by a huge plain that is predominantly agricultural and full of rivers and lakes. The scenery is incredible with the mountains on the left which include the active volcano Hekla.
Seljalandsfoss We arrived at the grassy green area around Seljalandsá, to see Seljalandsfoss, the beautiful 40 metres high ribbon-like waterfall. We were able to walk right behind the water and the noise was awesome. It is the only known waterfall of its kind, where there is a path behind.
Vik We made our way to the village of Vik where we got some great hamburgers. Everyone is credit card crazy here, they use them for the smallest amounts. This is Iceland’s rainiest spot and sure enough it began to rain. It is a beautiful place, with sandy beaches and high headlands full of bird life. The name means ‘bay of the marshy valley’ and began life as a fishing village, but the lousy conditions for a harbour meant that this was abandoned. Nevertheless Vík's inhabitants go fishing with the help of their amphibious boats, which enable them to drive out to sea. On the hillside are some picturesque chalet houses and a pretty church.
Dyrholaey This was our furthest point and we set off towards Dyrholaey hoping to see the natural sea arch that is big enough for boats to pass through. The name literally means ‘door-hole’. We got as far as a warning notice “Dangerous sea cliff precipice – visitors entering do so at their own responsibility”. By this time it was pouring with rain and the single track road appeared to end in the Atlantic. We drove a few feet and realised there was water on both sides and the road disappeared into the mist. Andy stopped the car and we both said NO. We precariously backed up and decided to give it a miss.
The Icelanders say “if you don’t like the weather – wait a moment”. Sure enough, the clouds parted and there was a clear blue sky and a rainbow – quite incredible. The roads around here are elevated to allow for the melt water from the glaciers. This final stretch of the ring road was only completed in 1974. Myrdalsjokull Among the most distinctive features of Iceland are its glaciers, which cover over 4,600 sq. m. During the past few decades, these have markedly thinned and retreated owing to a milder climate. By far the largest is the Vatnajökull glacier in Southeast Iceland with an area of 3,240 sq. metres and it reaches a thickness of 3,000 feet.
We had our first view of the smaller Myrdalsjokull glacier from the road and turned north to get close to it. Myrdalsjokull covers an active volcano, Katla, which last erupted in 1918 and is about due again. This road was interesting to say the least. It was a narrow, hilly gravel track full of pot holes and strewn with boulders – about 5 miles but the car survived. At one point we stopped at what looked like a river crossing the road and weren’t sure what to do. A small tourist bus arrived and drove straight through so we gingerly followed it to the ‘car park’.
The path crossed more streams and we negotiated wooden planks and rocks to get to the ice sheet. The water flowing from it was fast flowing and murky. We arrived at a solid wall of ice full of ground up rocks and boulders and looking very black. The clearer ice at the top was an amazing turquoise blue. We spent a while clambering over the rocks and exclaiming how magnificent it was. The American tourists left and we were alone with nature.
Seljalandsfoss A few miles on and we reached another magnificent waterfall at Skogafoss, also thundering from the sheer sides of a cliff. This was not as high as Seljalandsfoss, but wider, and it was like walking into a cave to approach it. It was extremely difficult to keep the camera dry to take close pictures. There are 20 waterfalls along this river that come to an end here. A legend says that a settler named Prasi hid a treasure chest her but it has never been found.
Perlan We had quite a long drive today but decided to go and visit the Perlan (The Pearl) before returning to the hotel.
Situated on a hill to the east of Reykjavik, Perlan is a ten-storey building, opened to the public in 1991. Geothermally heated by water forced through steel supports, it provides a means of water storage and power for the region. There are a total of six storage tanks, each with a capacity of four million litres of water heated to 85ºC. Inside there is a spiral staircase next to a very tall slim hot water geyser that goes off regularly.
There was an exhibition of cheese going on and a revolving restaurant in the glass dome at the top of the building. We went to the viewing deck on level four and watched as the daily planes returned to the little airstrip near the hotel.
At night this building is illuminated and we had a good view from our room. Yet another lovely evening meal and an early night as we have a very early start tomorrow.
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