On the walk back to our Airbnb in Prague, Yana found a promotional tie on a riverside bollard. She of course immediately put it on Mark, who proceeded to also wear it the next day on our plane journey back to Reykjavik.
This time in Iceland we were staying at a different Airbnb and immediately preferred it since it was so much closer to a bunch of other lodgings, making it easy to get picked up by tour busses and the bus to the airport. One of the main reasons we decided to stop in Iceland again on the way back home was we anticipated being jet-lagged loons on the way out (we were right!) and so wanted to wait to take a day-tour until we were sane again. In anticipation of the Golden Circle trip the next morning, on our first evening back we ate an early dinner at a decent if unremarkable cafe and passed out around 8:30pm.
We were told we’d be picked up between 8:00 and 8:30am and…well, we’re glad we ran to the hotel they were picking us up at because Logi and his mini-bus arrived exactly at 8am! Every bus that we’d ordered had always picked us up at the earliest moment they told us to be prepared for – sometimes a few minutes early. Thinking about the potential reasons behind this, Yana hypothesized that since the church bells of the city always rang a minute early (at least according to her cellphone clock) that everyone in Reykjavik is always a little early because they actually think they’re exactly on time!
Our tour guide regaled us with many Icelandic and personal tales reminiscent of the Icelandic Sagas of which the people are so proud. The Golden Circle tour would take the entire day, with stops at the most popular natural attractions of southwestern Iceland, covering about 190 miles in a loop from Reykjavik into the southern uplands and back. Our first stop was about an hour into the drive – bakery, bathrooms, and coffee!
The next stop was at Faxi Waterfall. It was originally called “the small waterfall,” or even “the waterfall without water,” which struck us as very funny when we saw it because it was anything but little or dry! According to our guide the feeling that the waterfall’s name was lacking was not uncommon and a local poet took it upon himself to spend some time by the waterfall and pick a new name. He chose “Horse’s Mane” Waterfall – which is perfect!
Gullfoss was next, which translates to “Golden Waterfall.” This was a bit of the drive from the first waterfall, so we got to listen to a lot of music from Iceland artists like Björk, Sigur Rós, and Of Monsters and Men. Logi’s mother babysat Björk as a child! Apparently since the country is so small (fewer than 325,000 people!) it’s very likely that each person is only a few degrees away from any other. This has led to some interesting problems to those in the dating pool – so much so that there is an app where you can find out if a potential partner is related to you! The joke is that the most popular pick up line in a bar in Reykjavik is: “What’s your name…and what year were you born?”
If you are lucky enough to find someone you like, who you’re not too closely related to, and you decide to have a child, before you can give it a first name not regularly used in Iceland you must have it approved by the Icelandic Naming Committee. This is apparently an effort to prevent distillation of the Icelandic language, which according to scholars is still essentially the same language it has been for centuries. Even common words for modern technologies, like “computer,” which in many languages is very close to the English word “computer” (like in Spanish: “computadora”) has its own very special Icelandic word: “tölva”. And Spiderman is Köngulóarmaðurinn!
Last names are also interesting in Iceland: there are hardly any family names at all (and to adopt a new one, you must be able to prove that you have a legal right to do so through inheritance). When a child is born, boys are given the last name “Father’s first name” + “son” and girls are given the last name “Father’s first name” + “dóttir”. According to Logi, it’s become increasingly common for children to be given a last name of “Mother’s first name” + <gendered suffix>, but it’s certainly not the norm. And when a couple marries, they keep their original last names and do not have a shared last name.
So when we learned the tale of Sigriður Tómasdóttir, we knew her father’s name was Tómas (and, it turns out, his whole name was Tómas Tómasson!) According to legend, Tómas Tómasson owned Gullfoss waterfall and in 1907, rented it (with the intention to eventually sell it) to an Englishman who wanted to harness the powerful waterfall to produce (and sell!) electricity. Sigriður, however, loved the waterfall and didn’t want its beauty destroyed by the developer. She threatened to throw herself off the waterfall if construction began. She also walked several times from the waterfall to Reykjavik (over 65 miles and once even barefoot!) to plead her case in court and to raise awareness of her cause. Though construction never occurred because the Englishman got behind on his rent, Sigriður’s actions caught Icelanders’ attention and she is hailed as their first environmentalist. In 1940 the waterfall was sold to the Icelandic government and in 1979 it was designated as a nature reserve, permanently protected and available for all to see.
There were lots of tourists out to see the Icelandic splendor, which meant there were also pretty decent places to eat nearby. We were driven to the Geysir Hot Spring area and before seeing the next amazing natural wonder, we ate some delicious schnitzel and salads. Our neighboring table had left their breadbasket completely untouched, so we stealthily swiped it and enjoyed some garlic olive oil on top!
Geysir was next – and yes, it’s the original geyser! It erupted pretty regularly for years but has since been relatively dormant. It has a “younger brother,” however, called Strokkur. Strokkur is practically next door and erupts about every 4 minutes!
The last stop was at Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park, a place with great significance for Iceland. Geographically, it is in a rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are slowly separating, about 2mm a year.
Historically, it was the meeting place of Iceland’s parliament, the oldest still-running national parliament on the planet. Established in 930 and holding its annual sessions there until 1798 (when it moved to Reykjavik), the Althing was where representatives from all over the country came to make new laws, punish criminals, and all get on the same page. Not surprisingly, some of their tactics were questionable (drowning unmarried mothers, anyone?) but the fact that they had otherwise peaceful meetings for so many years is inspiring.
After a long day of sightseeing and almost being blown away, we were ready for a chill night in –- but on our way from dinner we did stop into a Reykjavik bar simply packed with people on a Saturday night. About 3 minutes in we both remembered why we no longer go to bars simply packed with people on a Saturday night and decided to get back to the Airbnb, pack, and get ready to go home to Seattle the next day.
Our flight the next day wasn’t until 5pm, so we slept in a bit and then wandered until our bus was due to arrive. After stopping into the grocery store to pick up more rye pancake (so good!) we had lunch at a place that specialized in soup in a bread bowl – only two options: one meaty and one not. The soups were fantastic, the bread bowls even better, and there was a fun piece of art on the wall.
With bellies full we boarded the flight and made our way home, so happy to be back but even happier that we went!