May 15, 2023
Iceland
While the island of Iceland is really below the arctic circle (only some islands off the northern coast are within the Arctic Circle), it is probably as close to the arctic as we will ever get. So, it was fun when today's excursion began with beautiful vistas of new-fallen snow on the mountains, hills, and plains.
And then, as we approached Thingvellir National Park, it started to snow! While the walk got slippery, the falling snow was beautiful. And the walk was amazing! Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, lies along the border of the North American and Atlantic tectonic plates. In Iceland these two plates are being pushed apart - and you can walk between them! At one point we were walking on a path that wasn't on either plate, but we could reach out and touch both of them! This is one of the few places in the world where that is possible. Soooo cool!
The geology of Iceland is really fascinating. There is a feeling of raw energy and a closeness to nature that permeates that landscape. Some of the mountains are obviously volcanoes, others appear as relics of past powerful eruptions. A Geyser field, and fissures expelling steam that pop-up on hillsides, hint at the power and heat that hides just beneath the surface. Volcanic rock fields filled with boulders are a reminder of the force of volcanic eruptions, and the possibility of eruptions is never far from anyone's mind due to frequent earthquakes around the island. Below are some pictures that illustrate these points:
And now - check out this geyser video:
If any of these scenes look familiar, maybe you saw it in one of the many movies filmed in Iceland:
View to a Kill (James Bond) and Die Another Day
Star Wars: Force Awakens (Ice Planet Hoth)
Game of Thrones
Tomb Raider
Oblivion
Interstellar
Fast & Furious 8
Thor: The Dark World
Captain America
We have reached the end of another adventure. We hope you have enjoyed our blog, and maybe we will be back sometime in the future.
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