Lolomiina: 17.07.2023
The weather has changed. Gorgeous sunshine
ThingvellirIn the year 930, the Vikings held the traditional legislative assembly once a year. One of the oldest parliaments in the world. In the year 1000, the adoption of Christianity was decided here and on June 17, 1944, the Republic of Iceland was declared.
Small and large rifts go in one direction during the geotectonic plate shift of Europe and North America. Displacement of 2 cm per year.In 1916, Alfred Wegener's theory of displacement was scientifically confirmed in 1960.
Geysir in StrokkurThe great Geysir has been dead since 2008. It will probably become active again after the next earthquake.The smaller Geysir erupts every 7 minutes, sometimes up to 15 meters high.
Gullfoss waterfall in StrokkurGigantic masses of water ... simply beautiful. The water of the glacier river Hvítá plunges into a 2.5 km long and 70 m deep gorge over two cascades (11 and 21 m high).The name "Golden Falls" comes from the fact that the spray of the waterfall shimmers golden in the evening sun. However, there is also the assumption that the rainbow, which is often visible in the spray of the waterfall in sunshine, inspired this name.....And another proposed explanation can be read in Mr. Sveinn Pálsson's travel book. On the farm Gýgjarhóllthere used to live a farmer named Gýgur. He owned gold and did not want to inherit this gold to anyone after his death. He therefore decided to throw a chest with the gold into the waterfall. Since then, the Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall, has been called.
There is a path to the waterfall called the Sigríður Path. The Sigríður Path is a tribute to Mrs. Sigríður Tómasdóttir from Brattholt and her heroic fight to protect the Gullfoss waterfall, which was about to be sacrificed for a hydroelectric power plant.
The largest glacier in Iceland is Vatnajökull. It covers an area of about 8,100 square kilometers and has an ice thickness of up to 1000 meters.We saw him from a distance. Very beautiful.Blue LagoonIn the middle of black lava rock, we lie in turquoise water at the end of the day and enjoy the warmth of 40° warm water coming from 2000 meters deep from the hot springs.