We started today very early so we could visit Thingvellir National Park. This is the site of the very first Iceland parliament meeting in 930 AD. Parliament meetings were held here until 1798. There were no permanent buildings and the attendees stayed in tents.
This is also the site of the continental drift between the North American and the Eurasian plates. You can see the cracks or faults throughout the area.
We arrived just as the sun was coming up.
Onward to Langjokull glacier.
An Icelandic forest. Two things we were told not to kid about was the Icelandic horses are NOT ponies and that any time you have more than three trees together it is considered a forest as there are very few trees left in Iceland.
Okay, someone must have told them about our aborted glacier trip with the broken super truck so they put this one on steroids. It's supposed to be the largest vehicle in Iceland and was specifically built to take visitors to the top of Langjokull glacier.
I wanted to drive it.
It was very nice inside. I felt as if I was on a distant planet traveling across the terrain.
The tires had automatic air pressure tubes so the tires could be flattened for greater traction and then pumped back up for regular travel.
It was a vast barren area covered with snow and ice.
Langjokull glacier is the 2nd largest in Iceland. On top, there is an entrance to a man made ice cave. It took four years and 2.5 million dollars to complete. It is estimated that the cave will only last about 10 - 15 years.
Putting on our ice cleat crampons.
Explaining the different layers of ice and how they can date them based on the ash layers from volcanic eruptions.
A machine that is used to shave the ice off the ceilings and sides as needed.
There were a few chambers that could be used for gatherings.
A crevasse in the ice.
The Chapel room were weddings have been performed.
We took time for a group picture.
A pool were water has to be constantly pumped out to keep the cave from flooding.
Look closely and you can see a deer head carved into the ice.
Welcome back to the surface.
I was able to get a shot of this bird on top of the glacier with the sun behind him.
Since the sun doesn't rise very high above the horizon in the winter, it gave a wonderful opportunity to take sunset pictures while we were descending from the top. I think they were just as beautiful and impressive as the northern lights.
On our way back to Fludir, we stopped for a very brief visit to Hraunfossar waterfall. It is a series of waterfalls along the Hvita River with water flowing from ledges of lava rock that line the river banks.
This picture is a little fuzzy but it was already pretty dark.
the Hvita River
Tonight we were back in Reykjavik to spend the night. I took a walk about town. They had this ice rink in the town square.
Another long but exciting day. It's hard to believe there is only one more day before I head home.
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