Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.04.2011, Síða 30

With a couple friends coming for a very short visit
to Iceland, I was faced with that classic travel di-
lemma: how to get the most out of a trip with limit-
ed time and limited money. There was one obvious
choice. We rented a car and hit up the sights on
the Golden Circle. With just one day, it was always
clear that we weren’t going to get the full experi-
ence, but just hit up the touristy sights. But there’s
a reason why Þingvellir National Park, Geysir, and
Gulfoss are so popular. They’re amazing. No mat-
ter how much time you get to spend in the Golden
Circle, you can’t be disappointed.
The Golden Circle is conveniently located only
a quick car ride from Reykjavík, so getting there
was a snap. All we really needed were the clothes
on our backs and a well-charged camera. This was
a day for photos.
The ÞinGvelliR eXpReSS
In less than an hour, we were driving through
Þingvellir, awe-struck by the beauty. Call me cli-
ché, but it really was like driving through a paint-
ing. We found an information centre, grabbed a
map, and went to the site of the first Alþingi. Ev-
erywhere I looked was something else I wanted
to photograph. There were high cliffs, open plains
divided by streams, rushing waterfalls. Had I made
a wrong turn and driven to Middle Earth?
After we pulled ourselves away from the beau-
ty of the old Alþingi, we continued to drive around
the majestic lake Þingvallavatn. I couldn’t help
but turn at every detour and stop at every turn-
off point to take more photos. We saw a few other
tourists here and there, but for the most part it was
just us and the landscape.
After four hours of taking in the sheer splen-
dour of Þingvellir, we headed to Geysir. We passed
a few petrol stations along the way in search of
some cheap food. After finding only some sketchy-
looking sandwiches kept on a semi-chilled shelf,
we came upon a small diner called Bláskógar,
where we got some reasonably priced burgers and
a mountain of fries that we all shared.
The cAUldRon of The Golden ciRcle
The drive from Þingvellir to Geysir took an hour,
and we could smell the sulphur as we got close. It
was delightfully odd going from the stoic slumber
of a frozen Þingvellir to the churning, bubbling,
warm life of Geysir. We walked along the clearly
marked trails past pools of boiling water and ran-
dom plumes of steam venting straight out of the
ground. We came to Strokkur, which at first glance
was simply a slightly churning pool. Within a few
minutes and without any warning, a surge of water
and steam burst straight up about 30 metres. I was
too surprised to even think about taking a photo.
Not to worry though. Strokkur erupts every five
minutes or so, so we just waited for the next one.
And sure enough, like clockwork, it shot up right
on time and we all snapped some great shots.
We stood and watched Geysir, the largest gey-
ser, for any signs of life. But unlike its hyperac-
tive neighbour Strokkur, Geysir is unpredictable
and has even stopped for years at a time. With the
instant satisfaction we got from Strokkur, we de-
cided to let the sleeping giant lie, and headed out.
If you’ve seen one geyser, you’ve seen them all.
oUR feATURe pReSenTATion
Our next stop was the main event: the crown jewel
of the Golden Circle, the subject of countless post-
cards, one of the most incredible waterfalls in the
world, Gullfoss. Oh, how the anticipation built as
we passed signs and drew nearer. How could it
ever live up to the hype? Well… it did. I can prob-
ably count on one hand the number of times in
my life that my jaw dropped involuntarily, and this
was one of them. We walked down a short trail
from the parking lot and then suddenly came to a
cliff, where we all stood starry-eyed looking out on
the magnificent Gullfoss. Strangely, I found myself
only taking a few photos. It was like I had to take
a few obligatory shots, but I knew that the photos
wouldn’t really do it justice.
On the way back, I spotted a sign for Kerið. It
was something I had only read a small blurb about
in my guidebook, and had never seen a picture,
but it was supposedly a pretty cool volcanic crater,
so we stopped and checked it out. I was surprised
that it wasn’t more hyped when I saw it. I was
amazed at the crater’s symmetry, and the frozen
blue pool at the heart of the pit was so charming.
As far as giant holes in the ground go, this one is
worth a shout-out.
So in eight hours, I managed to wring every bit
of water out of what seemed to be a pretty dry
towel. We had so little time, and yet managed to
have a memorable and satisfying trip. Of course
one day isn’t ideal, but if that’s all you got, take
it and make it your own. The Golden Circle has
so much to offer, even the tip of the iceberg is
enough.
30
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 4 — 2011
Words
Steve Ganey
photography
Vanessa Schipani
Travel | Golden Circle
The Golden circle is Thus called for A Reason
Getting the most out of your time on the Golden Circle
“everywhere i looked was something else i wanted to
photograph. There were high
cliffs, open plains divided by
streams, rushing waterfalls.
had i made a wrong turn and
driven to middle earth?
Always best price online.
Various online-offers to all Air Iceland's destinations.
www.airiceland.is
websales@airiceland.is / tel. +354 570 3030 Contact Air Iceland or
travel agent for reservation.
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