The White Falcon - 02.10.1998, Side 6

Making Tracks in Iceland:
Story and photo by Karin W. Tramm
Where: The Golden Circle (Part 1)
Getting There: Follow Highway 41 to Highway 1 in Reykjavik.
Drive toward Mosfellsba:r, pass through town and turn right onto
Road 36. Follow it for about 20 miles until you reach your first stop
at "ingvellir.
What to Take: Map, camera and lunch
You just arrived on island and your car is here ... finally! If you’re
itching for an adventure, the Golden Circle tour is a good place to
start. The Golden Circle, supposedly dubbed as such many years ago
because the entire loop could be made on one tank of gas, encom-
passes stops at “ingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. These sites are prob-
ably the most visited attractions in Iceland due to their accessibility,
history and natural beauty. Each stop takes a fair amount of time, so
start early and plan a whole day for this adventure.
“ingvellir (parliament plains) has been a focal point in Iceland’s
history for many centuries. In 930 A.D. it was chosen to be the site
of the annual assembly of lawmakers, a tradition that was held for
hundreds of years. The Al.ing, as the assembly was called, was not
only where laws were made, but also a time of much merry-making,
business wheeling and dealing and marriages. The assembly took
place every June and was “the event” in Iceland - everyone able to
attend would do so. People came from all over Iceland - some trav-
elling up to 17 days to reach °ingvellir from the East Fjords.
"ingvellir continues to be close to the heart of Icelanders. On June
17, 1944, more than 30,000 people were on hand to witness the birth
of the nation of Iceland. Again, in 1974, twice that number came out
to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of Iceland’s settlement. It was the
biggest party ever held in Iceland.
The historical significance of this area, coupled with its unique
topographical features, inspired the government to proclaim °ingvel-
lir the nation’s first national park in 1928. It lies
on the shore of Iceland’s largest lake, °ing-
vallavatn, which is home to two crater islands,
Sandey, and Nesjaey. °ingvellir is flanked by
snow-capped mountains, and within its bound-
aries are caves, waterfalls, water-filled fissures,
streams, ponds and a small forest. It’s home to
gyrfalcons, ptarmigans, terns, snow buntings, and
numerous species of ducks. In the fall, splashes
of red, yellow and orange decorate the lakeside as
the birch trees prepare to lose their foliage.
One of the most interesting and easiest hikes
within the park is through the Almannagja fissure.
This fissure is proof positive that Iceland is split-
ting at the seams. As the European and the North
American tectonic plates continue to pull apart,
this great rift in the earth is but one in a series of
great cracks running northeast through the plains.
After driving about 20 minutes on Road 36,
there’s a gravel turn-off leading to Almannagja.
Look for a sign on the right side of the road.
Follow the road and park at the top of the fissure.
There’s a magnificent view of the entire area and
a path leading down between the vertical walls of
basalt. Follow the trail down the hill and look
towards the right for a sidetrack overlook. You
can climb up and over the rocks for a picturesque
view of "ingvallabcer, (the farm), "ingvallakirkja
(the church) and a cemetery. When heading back
out to the main trail, notice the contrasting pat-
terns created by different lava flows.
Continuing down the fissure, you’ll cross a
bridge over the Oxara river. Beneath the bridge is
a pool called Drekkingarhylur, the drowning pool.
Here misfortunate women who were accused of
adultery, perjury or infanticide were put into a sack and tossed into
the deep cold waters. Next along the trail is the “law rock” or log-
berg, where the lawspeaker would stand to recite the laws. This
important spot is commemorated with a stone and an Icelandic flag.
The trail will take you along the outside edge of the fissure and
down to the path leading to the waterfall Oxararfoss. Here you’ll
have a short uphill trek, but the sight of the river plunging over the
basalt cliffs and tumbling to the rocks below is well worth the climb.
Scramble down the inner wall for the best view of the falls and the
meadow in the canyon. Legend tells that the falls were artificially
created in the 12th century when the Oxara river was diverted from
its original course to provide a more scenic backdrop for the Aljng.
Further down, there’s a large meadow with a small evergreen for-
est at its far end. Trails crisscrossing the forest provide a beautiful
ending for your hike. If you left your car at the top, you'll need to
backtrack up the hill to get it. However, if you have a non-hiker with
you, it‘s possible to drive from Almannagja down to the lower park-
ing area. To get there, follow the gravel road back out to 36 and turn
right. Drive 2.5 miles and look for the visitors’ center on the left.
The road to the waterfall parking area is on the right, just prior to the
center. Follow the road and bear right at the fork onto °ingvallas-
taclur. Drive a half mile to the parking area below the waterfall. The
large field here is a great place for a picnic. Further down the road
you’ll find the church, the cemetery and the farm.
There are numerous trails around the shores of the lake and the sur-
rounding area. You can visit "ingvellir many times and still not see
all there is to see, as each season of the year offers its own spectacu-
lar version of flora, fauna and scenery.
Return to the visitors’ center and visit the book shop. You’ll also
find restrooms, a snack bar and large information maps of the local
area, which are posted outside. Complete your Golden Circle trip by
continuing on to Geysir and Gullfoss, which will be detailed in the
next edition of Making Tracks.
Members of the world’s oldest
parliament meet base leaders
By J02 Rob M. Wise
The Icelandic Parliament, Aiding (pro-
nounced: “al-thing”), first met in 930 AD.
It is the oldest parliamentary system in the
world and it remains the driving force
behind Iceland’s government today. It
makes the laws, approves or disapproves
policy and controls all government financ-
ing. Although Iceland’s constitution dates
back only to 1944, its body of law and
many of its governmental customs can be
traced to the country’s experience in the
Al.ing.
Members of the A1 Jng’s Foreign Affairs
Committee were here Tuesday to meet top
military officials and tour the NATO Base.
The first of such meetings in several
years, it gave the Government of Iceland
and base leadership the chance to discuss
items of mutual interest.
Foreign Affairs Committee member,
Arni Ragnar Arnason, explained that, as a
governing body, the AUng has a funda-
mental interest in the military communi-
ty’s relationship with it’s host country.
“We have found there is nothing com-
pletely new, which in itself is satisfying.
But there will always be issues we should
look into, both on and off base.” One
such issue is economical. Arnason point-
ed out Iceland’s and the United States’
shared interest in keeping the cost of
NATO Base operations down for the bene-
fit of both countries.
As a former Public Works
Administration director in 1991, Arnason
is no stranger to the base, and he has seen
changes in the way military does business
in Iceland - most notably in tours of duty.
He said the number of active-duty people
on station appears to have decreased while
the number of temporary-duty assign-
ments seems to have risen.
Although he used to work on base,
Arnason stressed it doesn’t mean he is the
“NATO Base expert” for the Foreign
Affairs Committee - only that he is more
familiar with the location of base facili-
ties. “The political issues and questions
are a bit different from that,” he said. Yet
the political ramifications of the base are
not at the top of the parliament’s agenda.
“We must be aware that the defense
agreement and the cooperation within that
agreement is not the largest political issue
in Iceland.”
Page 6
The White Falcon