CE20_p34 to p37_Iceland_ads 6/8/2009 13:31 Page 3
Travel Iceland
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7: Lutheran church-near Bjarnafoss,
Our last day we headed east and the so fumaroles. Finally to Gulfoss, a wrong
1:Snaefellsness
called ‘Golden Tourist Triangle’ of turn landing us first in a snowdrift. Locals
8: Statue outside Geysir bistro-
Thingvellir, Geysir and the Gulfoss in giant trucks materialised, out to prove 1:Rekjavik old town
Waterfalls. “road closed” signs wrong, and lifted the
Thingvellir is sacred to Icelanders - seat car back on the road. They spoke of the
9: Icelandic Pancakes
of the oldest parliament (AD 930, as you sorry economy forcing them to sell their
10: Oliver’s bar- typical pub/bar
ask) where Christianity was adopted in giant 4x4s, bought on HP, to Norway. 1:hangout Rekyjavik
AD1000, and independence from Part-frozen Gulfoss falls were as dramatic
Denmark declared in 1944. It’s where the as we expected and we had the place to
American tectonic plate meets European ourselves in a visitor centre sponsored by
in a rift valley – we watched lunatic divers a failed Icelandic Bank.
descend into the fresh water canyon to Our last night was in the Geysir Bistro’
see the Atlantic spreading, and we put in the old town (no puffin but delicious lamb
one foot in America and one in Europe. and Icelandic Pancakes). Our waitress
On to Geysir, to find the namesake sadly apologised for the riotous, smartly dressed
diminished, and replaced by nearby Icelandic women being ‘replenished’ mobiles ready to start the day’s work.
Stokkur erupting every 10 minutes, before starting the ‘Runtuur’- the A strange, edgy and welcoming island.
surrounded by families oblivious of traditional club/pub crawl. Next Go soon and help them out of
health and safety, skidding about on morning, leaving the hotel at 5a.m. for bankruptcy.
steaming ice, dodging sulphurous our flight, we saw them checking their
36 COTSWOLDESSENCE | SEPTEMBER ~ NOVEMBER 2009 www.cotswoldessence.co.uk
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