Friday, March 1, 2019

DAY 32 – SATURDAY 5TH JANUARY 2019


Today we decided to head out to the Thingvellir National Park - Sunlight was forecast for today so we thought we should make the most of it as most days were forecast for rain or snow whilst we were to be here…
This is perhaps the most famous of the National Parks in Iceland.  It is the oldest National Park and it is the only UNESCO World Heritage listed site in Iceland.  It was at Þingvellir - which translates directly to ‘the fields of parliament’ that the first national parliament was established in 930AD and it continued to convene here yearly until 1798. Many crucial events in Icelandic history took place at Thingvellier and it is the heart of the Icelandic identity.  This is world’s oldest parliament.


The other significant feature of Pingvellir National Park is that it is situated between two tectonic plates, the North American and the Eurasian. It is actually quite easy to see the continental drift between the two tectonics, there are visible cracks and faults traversing the area. The biggest one, Almannagja being a veritable canyon. 
Interestingly, this waterfall is actually a human made waterfall.  As strange as this may sound geologists and historians have discovered that the river Öxará was moved hundreds of years ago, to channel the water into the ravine Almannagjá in the ninth century. The purpose was to provide water for the members and visitors of the Icelandic parliament Althingi in the 9th century. This was documented in the saga Sturlunga written in the 12th and the 13th century.   The name, according to folklore, came from an Ax that killed a notorious and a very unstable female troll famous for killing and terrorizing visitors. We were fortunate to see the waterfall in sunlight with a large volume of water flowing over it.  Apparently, this can change with the seasons. Quite spectacular, and definitely worth the visit….

For Game of Thrones enthusiasts, this is also home to where a lot of the filming for this series took place and I can see why, particularly with its blood thirsty history.   It was a very interesting day where we learnt heaps.  Weather wise, we also experienced the extremes, from sunshine, to hail and then snow on the drive home.  

 Before heading home we stopped off at a lookout to admire the view of a lake below.  We happened to hear a tourist guide telling the tourists that were also there info on the tetonic plates, and how this particular spot was on the European tetonic plate, where when we were at the waterfall, we were actually standing on the North American tetonic plate.   So of course we took some photos there also. 


We came home to find the cabin dotted in ice and snow, it looked so pretty.  

We came home to snow on the road
 Pete, Steve and Maria thought they would try out the hot tub and enjoyed a dip in in it.... even though the temperature outside was zero. (Someone had to babysit, and I put my hand up for that duty).
A dip in the hot tub... 40 degrees, whilst the outdoor temperatures were below zero

The ideal conditions to see the Northern Lights are when it’s cold and dark outside and the Aurora activity is high. The cold per say is not a factor but the sky has to be clear which it usually is on very cold nights.
Pete had an app on his phone which indicated that the conditions tonight were ideal for seeing the Aurora Borealis.  So, after dinner he would periodically go outside to check the night sky.  At around 10pm, he came in quite excited to say that he could see the northern lights.  At first none of us believed him until we stepped outside ourselves.  It was pretty cold, down to 0 degrees, so we weren’t in a hurry to go out there unnecessarily. 

 Both Pete and Steve took off to grab their cameras to capture this phenomenon.  They really weren’t prepared and had to set up their tripods and work out how to leave their shutters open to capture it all.   Maria and I just totally enjoyed being in the moment and watching the Northern Lights dance across the night sky. 


 The day couldn't have ended more perfectly. We were in for an amazing treat, with the heavens clear, the stars shinning and a good three-hour display of the Aurora Borealis. It started snowing around 1am, so we decided it was time to head to bed.
We felt so very privileged that we got to see them, as after all, they come and go as they please, with no promise of overstaying their welcome and with no apparent consideration for the money you spent trying to find them.  We spoke to several folk who had come to Iceland specifically to see them, and never saw them. For us to witness them for  a staggering three hours and so early in our visit to Iceland was somewhat a miracle. 
When the snow started falling around 1am we finally called it a night and went to bed...

What a way to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary.  This is one anniversary we won’t forget.  It was made even more special in that we could share it with Pete and Maria…

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