Wow What a Day!
“Wow what a day!” were Dan’s words after arriving at Úthlíð Cottages after a long day of steam, crevasses, and Icelandic history.
In the morning, they left Reykjavík and drove to the geothermal town of Hveragerði where they hiked near the Reykjadalur Hot River.
This is the very place where Dan and I met the Icelandic dog Hundur in April 2014. Hundur guided us up into those hills and back and inspired us to get our own sheep dog, Kiva, when we returned to King Salmon, Alaska. For more about the story of Hundur read The Secret Thread.
Next was Þingvellir National Park. Where the law was spoken and where you walk between two continents. The world’s oldest parliament, the AlÞingi, was established here in 930 AD and continued until 1798. This spoken law was a covenant among free people. The rift in the earth at Þingvellir is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
Dan said the caribou burgers at Lindin Bistro Cafe in Laugarvatn were terrific.
The van got stuck in the snow at Úthlíð Cottages, but they got it out.
Dan reported that the kids were jazzed about being in Iceland and talking a Chinese mile a minute. Meanwhile, he and Caleb were TIRED!
Tomorrow:
- Geysir – The English word “geyser” comes from this Icelandic word. Geysir is a place in Iceland with a number of different geysers with various eruption frequencies and heights, most notable among them are the Great Geysir and Strokkur, which means “to churn.”
- Gullfoss – Pronounced “Good-foss” and meaning “Golden Falls.”
- The LAVA Center in Hvolsvöllur – an interactive volcano and earthquake exhibit in southern Iceland.