Three sites constitute the Golden Circle: Geysir, Gullfoss waterfall and þingvellir, my bus ride included one additional stop, the Fridheimer greenhouses, which was also the first visit. The greenhouse grew tomatoes all year round, heated by hot, geothermal water and with artificial light for much of the year. Electricity for the lighting was provided by geothermal power and carbon dioxide released by geothermal water was used to increase productivity. Bees were brought in from Holland to improve pollination. A variety of tomato products were sold, I decided against the tomato beer!
At Geysir, the original geyser, after which all others are named, no longer shoots water into the air. Fortunately a nearby geyser has taken over, briefly sending up a fountain of water several metres high, every five or six minutes. It was surrounded by tourists clutching their phones or cameras trying the catch the moment. There were also boiling hot springs and clouds of steam to admire, along with rock created by precipitation of minerals from the hot water. Nearby was a café and gift shop selling the classic Icelandic jumpers and much more.
The path to the Gullfoss waterfall was behind another gift shop. Although I have now seen a few waterfalls in Iceland I have to admit it was impressive, both due to the volume of water and the way it fell in two sections into a deep and narrow canyon. Between the two parts of the falls, the upwelling of water in front of me illustrated the strong and turbulent currents.
Þingvellir also had a gift shop. There was a long cliff of black lava, and some deep ravines caused by the European tectonic plate separating from its American counterpart and a large lake. However, the main interest was historical, this being the location of the ancient open air Icelandic "parliament" and principal court of law.
Rain for much of the day and weather is likely to impede my plans to visit Hornstrandir....
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