As you’ve all been so patient it’s about time I took you around the Golden Circle. I was up at 7am to catch the bus for the transfer to yet another tour bus around this the best known of all the tours in Iceland. Most people that only do one tour usually end up opting for this one. Setting out from Reykjavik at a reasonable hour it enables participants to visit three of the country’s best known landmarks in one day.

The first stop was a series of greenhouses, at Hveragerdi known as hothouses here I believe, but I hadn’t really expected them to be on the itinerary, but there was also a coffee shop, snack bar and gift shop and the gardens were well very nice.  The cynic in me can’t help but wonder if this little stopover is created by some ‘contribution’ from the ‘hothouses’ to ensure a daily influx of visitors. The next stop before getting onto the ‘big three’ was a waterfall which was called Haxxa or something similar, a pleasant interlude to the so called highlights though.

We bypassed Geysir to as we travelled straight onto Gullfoss, which was an impressive sight. The roar of the falling water could be heard as soon as I stepped off the bus, and as I made my way down the pathway to the falls I put on my waterproofs as the spray hung in the air and was carried for some distance on the light breeze. We were given around 30 minutes to look around and take a few pictures before rejoining the tour heading back to Geysir and lunch.

Geysir is obviously a result of Iceland being situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, with geothermic activity in the form of a series of hot pools and an actual geyser. There used to be two, but apparently Geysir is sulking and hasn’t done its thing for quite a few years, fortunately the smaller Strokkur still likes to put on a show. There is an eruption every five to eight minutes although it can surprise you by erupting moments after an earlier one.  There was enough time to explore the low hills surrounding the area, have a bite to eat at the hotel restaurant or snack bar and for a little retail therapy in the gift shop. I had a bowl of the Icelandic lamb soup which I enjoyed out in the sun and then bought a little nick knack from the shop and made my way back to the bus.

Once we were all loaded back upon the bus we continued on our merry way to Pingvellir (prononced Thingvellir). This is a National Park and the site where the rift caused by the two tectonic plates of Eurasia and North America drifting apart can best be seen.  You can walk between the two seperate walls created and is another awesome sight to behold. It is also the site of the ‘Alping’ where the Chieftains used to come to make the decisions that would govern the land. It is hard to imagine a more spectacular setting for the oldest known parliament.

This type of tour is necessarily a bit rushed and superficial, a guide is provided and she did a sterling job of keeping the time on the coach interesting. However each stop never seems long enough to have a really good explore and poke around each feature of interest, there is little flexibility or independence, but it is one way of getting to see these ‘must see’ sights.

We were back in Reykjavik by around 4pm, leaving plenty of time to participate in my favourite pastime, chilling. The sun was making an appearance again and I took the opportunity to have a big ice cream in a little bistro, bliss in a dish! I was also intrigued to spot two guys working just outside the bistro, they were busy painting two parking spaces green, and on further inspection there was also a little green box by the roadside which you could plug your electric car into and get it recharged, how cool is that? They attracted a fair bit of attention, with many people stopping to have a look at what it was they were doing.

I returned to Cafe Paris for dinner, enjoying a few more minutes in the sun with an iced coffee before retreating from the cigarette smoke to eat inside. I savoured a couple of glasses of red wine and sorted out some photographs in a totally relaxed mood, this is a pleasant little place and would definitely recommend it for a bite to eat to anybody visiting the city.

On arrival back at the Aurora I discovered that I had to move rooms, there was a little confusion as to which room I was to move to, but eventually it was sorted out and I ended up in a room of four in the main building. The room was already full with Bianca from Germany, Daniel from Italy and Petra from the Czech Republic. We chatted and Petra was bemused to find herself challenged a ‘most travelled’ competition by Daniel, which she promptly won. After this excitement we all needed a rest, I unpacked again, had a shower and tried to sleep, but had to give up initially and read for awhile, but eventually joined the rest of my roommates in getting a decent night’s sleep.

Geysir is interesting, seemingly in the middle of nowhere (as most of Iceland is), the bubbling mud pools, sulfur stained rocks and the geysers themselves are astonishing, if a little packed with people! Standing shoulder to shoulder with about fifty strangers, all looking at your watch timing the three minutes it should take for the eruption to happen is slightly odd; the mass fumbling for cameras is farcical.

I liked Geysir, it was very interesting, and, thankfully, had indoor plumbing for the toilets. Something I'd miss a lot later on.

To be continued

At first I want to say that I love horses... and I love working with them... And I think there is no better way to visit the hot springs area of Geysir and the Golden Waterfall – Gullfoss – than by riding through the lovely countryside of South Iceland. This summer I went as a guide in the Golden Circle... which is a 7 days riding tour, this popular tour is ideal for families and those who do not have the required riding experience for the highland tours. Still riding days can be long so you should be in good physical condition and have a basic knowledge of horsemanship. first riding day the tourists got acquainted with the Icelandic horses and their special gaits on a relaxed ride through the countryside surrounding Fossnes Farm (the starting point) We, the guides lead spare horses (but the tourists that wanted to try could)along as we ride towards the magnificent Gullfoss Waterfall and the hot springs area of Geysir. We ascend through lovely birch forests with wild mountain flowers to a highland plateau with great views of mountains and glaciers. Riding over 3 rivers ( depends on the weather how deep they are) The last two days of the ride are more challenging since you now herd your spare horses along. The last 2 days are the best... more speed and beutiful landscape. You experience riding along the edge of civilisation when crossing the highland moor of Hrunaheiði. On our last riding day we enjoy the good riding tracks when we follow Laxárdalur Valley on our way back to Fossnes Farm. I highly recommend exploring Iceland by riding :) you cant imagine how wonderful it is being on the highland, how quite it is, only birdsong, the rivers and the sound from your horses feet. I guess I will go again this summer :) and the next.... and the one after that haha

Geysir:

• Geysir: this is the hot spring where the name Geyser comes from. Who would have thought such a famous word came from this remote country? Oh well, Geysir was on the way to Gullfoss, but when I passed by there was nobody and I didn't see any eruption around so went to the falls first. Coming back, I parked in the lot of the Geysir Hotel right in front and walked towards the geyser area. There were lots of holes with boiling water and steam. So I waited, and other people came and waited... and waited... and waited... Maybe I'm not patient, but those things take some time. So I walked around and finally one of them erupted. I took a picture and some videos and waited till it erupted a second time. It was impressive, the water level lowers before the very brief "explosion"... it was just interesting, but it was time to move on. I had to return to Reykjavik and hurry towards Husavik before it got too dark.

After a good night sleep, we had some breakfast (got the pickled herring, sild, in the supermarket...happy days) and then off to see the famous Geysir and Gulfoss.

Geysir is the oldest known geyser but it rarely erupts these days. You can see a big puddle of water bubbling along. Apparently, you can force an eruption by adding soap and this is done for special occasions. Strokkur is another geyser nearby, which erupts more frequently but apparently not as impressive as Geysir once was. We still thought it was quite impressive and I enyoyed it a lot. It was very busy around this area, as it is a tourist hotspot. It is only about 1 hour drive from Reykjavik, so lots of daytours would come to this area. If you want your peace, come very early. I assume the summer months will be crazy!

After a good wander around, we drove another 10 minutes to Gulfoss. There is a tourist information centre there, that shows a film (we didn't watch it) and they have a small cafe there as well. I guarantee it will be pricey, we didn't stop there at all. Gulfoss is breathtaking! A huge waterfall. Again, lots of tourists were swarming about...a change from the loneliness the past few days. We couldn't walk close up to the waterfall because the path was frozen over and it was too dangerous to walk on it. We tried a few steps but we were falling around the place and decided it's not worth it!

Despite the masses of tourists, it is worth a visit. You can't miss Geysir and Gulfoss, if you are in Iceland! We really enjoyed the visit.

Needless to say, that we were looking forward to our hot tub that evening :)