Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.08.2019, Blaðsíða 47

so often onto viewing platforms
where Ásbyrgi’s vastness be-
comes clear once more. Some say
that Ásbyrgi is the capital of the
húldufólk, or “hidden people”—
and it’s true that the misty for-
est felt profoundly numinous. But
perhaps the overwhelming sense
is one of raw, elemental force;
the power of water to carve out
mighty, extraordinary worlds.
The edge of
the world
The power of Icelandic nature
was the most vividly on display at
the Diamond Circle’s most famous
stop. Even from the car park—a
good 10-minute walk away—you
can hear the thundering of Det-
tifoss, the most powerful wa-
terfall in the whole of Europe.
Fierce spray emerges beside this
breathtaking torrent as the iron
grey water churns over the edge at
over 500 cubic metres per second.
For reference, Gullfoss, the larg-
est waterfall on the Golden Circle
route, flows at around 140 m3/s.
We were thoroughly soaked, and
completely and utterly awestruck.
Were the earth flat (no arguments
please), this is surely what the
edge would look like.
We were nearly finished our
epic trip, but no sightseeing ex-
pedition in Iceland is complete
without that good, sulphurous
smell of rotten egg. At the Hverir
geothermal field, it was pres-
ent in spades. Just a short jaunt
from Mývatn, Hverir is a bleak
but beautiful expanse of brightly
coloured rock, riddled with fuma-
roles and pools of bubbling mud.
Steam rushed from vents in thick
clouds, just cool enough to walk
through, which made for a de-
lightful change from the chill of
Dettifoss and Ásbyrgi. Should you
wish to warm up even further, the
beautiful Mývatn Nature Baths a
mere minute drive away—a per-
fect place to relax after a long
drive.
For us, however, it was time to
head back home, with the memo-
ry of the Diamond Circle sure to
stay with me for a long time. The
Golden Circle is wonderful. But to
see a rougher, more elemental and
more profound side of Iceland, the
Diamond Circle is a trip you can-
not miss.
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Dettifoss: "profound," said our writer