Best Day

Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Staðastaður, West, Iceland
Yesterday (Monday), was my favorite day here, and you will see why by the photos.

I felt much better in the morning . I got a great night of sleep, and it was less windy than the day before. The sun was also shining, which always makes things better. After breakfast at Galleri, I made my way to The Golden Circle, which consists of Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss and Geysir (gay-zeer). These are popular sites in Iceland due to their proximity to Reykjavik. I knew they were nice, but I honestly wasn't expecting to be as blown away as I was. After this, despite the bad storm over the weekend, would make my way to Snaefellsness Peninsula, where I'd spend the remainder of the trip. Laila at the guesthouse emailed me to say she saw the "schooltruck" running, so I should be ok. :) 

Gullfoss, the two-tiered waterfall, was amazing. I took shots from above and walked down the steps to get closer. The wind and cold and sound of it was unreal. Geysir never explodes, but Strokkur does every 8 minutes, so I was able to see that. And the Thingvellir was unbelievable, especially Thingvellavatn Lake . This is also the area of the world's first parliament and where the Eurasian and North American plates meet. It was awesome.  

After stopping for some soup in the cute harbor town of Borganes, I made my way to Snaefellsness, which is referred to as "mini Iceland," because it has a lot of what Iceland has to offer in a small area. I stayed last night at Guesthouse Hof, and had a unit all to myself, which also meant I had the hot tub, overlooking the water, mountains and horses all to myself. It was stunning, so I had some wine and relaxed. If that wasn't awesome enough, I went outside around 12:30 am and saw the amazing Northern Lights. I didn't want to run back in and get my camera, but it was really something.  

Today I am exploring more of the peninsula. It is windy and cold, but I am ready. Then I will make my way to the northern part of the peninsula.  

I heard about what happened in Boston, and it just pains me. My heart goes out to everyone involved, and it makes me appreciate everyone back home even more! I thank you all for following along and staying "with" me. 

- Jamie

Comments

Connie
2013-04-16

Stunning!! Thanks for all the great commentary and pictures!

aunt sandy
2013-04-16

so beautiful...and somewhat unbelievable...natural beauy undisturbed by the hustle and bustle of the city..enjoy and be safe..I look forward to your next posting

Pat Budz
2013-04-16

Hi J., Scenery again is breathtaking!!! To be there in person must be a real thrill. Meeting your folks for dinner at North Star today. A gloomy but warmer day, 40's. More rain ahead; snow almost gone. Keep enjoying the sites and stay safe. P.

Emily
2013-04-17

I'm a little sad there are no pics of the northern lights. Aren't they amazing? So glad you got to enjoy them. And I know why you didn't run back in for the camera.

jmatczak
2013-04-17

Yeah, they would've been gone by the time I went back for it! They were crazy!

Katie G
2013-04-18

So glad you got to see the Northern Lights!

jmatczak
2013-04-18

Me too!

2023-11-28