Our wonderful host for last night recommended that we visit a few a the local sights, especially 2 waterfalls nearby. To be honest, we were pretty "waterfalled" out. There are waterfalls everywhere in Iceland. As you drive down any of the roads, you could probably pick out 5 or 6 waterfalls along any road in Iceland. We had seen Dettifoss, Godafoss, Selfosss, Kirkjufellsfoss, Dynjandi, and more. But, no, our host protested, these, especially Hraunfossar, were really worth the short trip. A side note: as we chatted with the gentleman at the front desk, I watched as an older gentleman (probably a family member) hung guest sheets to dry on a line. This only endeared this place to us even more.
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| The dining room/ former cow shed |
So after breakfast in the dining room (former cow shed), we headed out. It turned out that the trip was really worth it. Hraunfossar is a waterfall formed not by a river plunging over a cliff, but by water from a nearby glacier that has small streams of water flowing at the edge of the Hallmundarhraun lava field. Hallmundarhraun formed after an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the nearby glacier of Langjokull, the second largest ice-cap in Iceland. When the water comes pouring out from under the lava, it creates a glacial blue river that is entrancing. So beautiful!
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| Barnafoss |
We then continued on to Barnafoss, just a short walk up from Hraunfossar. Barnafoss had its own rough charm as the river rushed down through the rock formations.
Our next stop was Deildartunguhver, Europe's most powerful hot spring that gushes out 50 gallons of boiling water per second. You can see the steam from the spring from quite a distance. The water is piped to homes for heating and bathing. You can see the water bubbling up from the ground, but you can't get too close or you'll be scalded. Plus the steam smells sulphurous.
We planned to end our day in Reykjavik, and so navigated there. Oh-my-god-what a jumbled mess Reykjavik streets are. We tried using Google maps to navigate, but streets jut out at angles, and there are not a lot of street signs to help you determine that you're going the right way. We really wanted to use a parking garage, and followed directions, but couldn't locate the entrance, even though we drove around the block and could see the garage itself. We finally gave up and parked at an outside lot.
Our walking tour took us first to Iceland's Parliament Square, the political center of Iceland. The square is lined with cafes, and today (Sunday) those cafes were packed with people, sunning themselves in the 50ish degree day with a moderate breeze. Some had jackets on, but we saw others wearing sleeveless tops and shorts! Because we both needed a restroom, we stopped and asked someone where we might find one. A gentleman kindly pointed us to a free toilet nearby. Ray went in first, and as he was inside, I was encouraged by the note on the outside that this toilet had automatic disinfecting mechanism between patrons. Great! Ray stepped out, and as the door shut, I could hear the disinfecting begin. Awesome! When, after a minute or two, I opened the door, I was greeted to what Ray had seen (or possibly not seen because he REALLY needed to go): an absolutely filthy (and I do mean FILTHY) toilet. So much for disinfection....I've used sketchy bathrooms in the past when I really needed to, but this was beyond the pale. I let the door slam, and we started to search for another option. We found a clean indoor option in the Queer Art Market in the building across the way.
We decided to head up to the grand Lutheran Baslica, Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. It has a very distinctive design, and it took 41 years to built, completed in 1986. The pews can be converted to face the massive elevated pipe organ built into the wall above the entrance, or to face the front for services. Our walk to the church showed us some Reykjavik neighborhoods and houses.
By the time we left the church, we needed to check into our hotel, and then drop the car off at the rental company.
Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Rro3ra3ieEEjMRhj7
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