Michael Powell's Blog, page 107
August 19, 2013
Three Waterfalls of Southern Iceland
“Don’t go chasing waterfalls”: advice from the greatest American girl group of the 1990s, TLC. A catchy refrain, no doubt, but… it’s a terrible message! Why should TLC, who achieved their own dreams at an early age, dissuade their fans from “chasing waterfalls”? To stick to the rivers that they’re used to? (I suspect T-Boz and co. were trying to nip future competition in the bud.) And it’s not just bad advice on a metaphorical level. As we’ve discovered in Iceland, waterfall-chasing can be ve...
August 18, 2013
The Blue Lagoon
A steaming pool of milky blue water in an unforgiving landscape of lava, the Blue Lagoon is among Iceland’s most attractive sights, and perhaps its most popular. At $60 per head, entrance to the lagoon is scandalously overpriced, but that doesn’t deter the crowds from pouring in. And it didn’t deter us.
Found near the international airport in Keflavík, the Blue Lagoon makes an easy stop for tourists on their way into or out of Iceland. Buses to the lagoon run frequently from both the airport a...
August 15, 2013
An Aerial Tour of Iceland
It was an amazing experience to stand on the cliffs of Þingvellir and survey the rift valley where two tectonic plates are separating. But even more amazing? Flying over that same valley. I think I know why so many birds spend their summers in Iceland. They enjoy the view.
Aerial tours of Iceland are a growing business, and it’s not hard to understand why. Most of the country is inaccessible by car; only a handful of roads crisscross the ungovernable interior of the country, and even these can...
The Church at Skálholt
Standing in front of the church at Skálholt, my mind wasn’t occupied by the magnificent natural scenery of the location, but rather by its quiet solitude. “This was once the largest town in Iceland?” Unbelievable, and so I asked my question again, this time aloud in a thunderous voice. Why not? It’s not as though there was anyone around to hear me.
After Iceland’s embrace of Catholicism, Skálholt was home to the country’s biggest cathedral, and soon developed into a thriving town. Its influenc...
The Mighty Waterfall of Gullfoss
Arguably the most impressive sight along Iceland’s Golden Circle is the enormously powerful double-stepped waterfall known as Gullfoss (Golden Falls). Here, the Hývtá River’s journey through the highlands comes to a magnificent end as it drops over 100 feet into the canyon below.
On approaching, I was awed enough by the breadth and force of Gullfoss, but it wasn’t until reaching the ledge of the viewing platform that I saw the itss second drop. After the initial descent of 36 feet, the river t...
August 14, 2013
Geysir – The World’s Original
Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge just northeast of Þingvellir, is the Haukadalur valley: an especially restless area of geothermal activity. In addition to many other bubbling pools of rotten-smelling sulfur, Haukadalur is home to Geysir. This is the original; the one which gave its name to the word we use for all others.
Now, geologically speaking, Geysir probably isn’t the world’s “original” geyser, but it was the first encountered by Europeans. The first to be named, the first to enter the lexi...
Þingvellir – The Historic Heart of Iceland
Reykjavík may be the country’s capital, but the rift valley of Þingvellir (pronounced “thing-vet-lir”) is the true heart of the Icelandic state. Over a thousand years ago, the country’s first parliaments were convened here, adding historical significance to an area of unbelievable natural beauty.
Þingvellir lies right along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and European continental plates are pulling apart from each other. It’s unlikely that the 10th-century Icelandic councilmen...
August 11, 2013
The Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach
Close to the Perlan building, and directly underneath the path of roaring planes landing in at the nearby Reykjavík airport, is Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach: one of the city’s favorite hangouts.
Among the things we immediately learned about Icelanders: they love bathing. Really love it. They’ll drive far out of their way to reach a hot spring; natural or artificial, it doesn’t matter. Almost every town has a pool, and they’re always busy. Point out a puddle of lukewarm water to an Icelander an...
The Saga Museum
Like most countries, Iceland has its share of legends from the time of its founding. But unlike most countries, Iceland’s tales are those of Vikings, and so they’re guaranteed to be bloody and exciting. For the uninitiated, the country’s sagas have been brought to life in the excellent Saga Museum, found within the Perlan building.
The Perlan is one of Reykjavík’s most distinctive buildings. Set atop a hill just south of town, its glass dome is visible from all over the city, and sits atop fou...
Reykjavík Goes Gay for a Day
Jürgen and I have been to our share of pride parades around the world… Boston, Berlin, NYC, Spain. But we’ve never seen a Gay Pride quite like Reykjavík’s, held annually in August. Led by its mayor, the entire city paints itself in rainbow colors and puts on an astonishing celebration of gayness.
Well then, this is my lucky day.
Although it’s been a miserable summer, the rains held off for this year’s event. As we walked down to the parade route, I couldn’t believe my eyes — Reykjavík had truly...
