In Which We Are Reminded That It Is Winter

Notice the snow.

We tried to see waterfalls today. We tried to see two. One was just outside the town where we spent the night. It was billed as a 30 minute walk from the parking lot. We made it about ten minutes - maybe - through the snow before we decided this wasn't a good idea. The trail wasn't cleared, it was steep and icy, and we didn't have crampons.

We decided to try for the next waterfall - about a one-hour detour - and found the roads closed on both sides. We added both of them to our list for "Iceland in the summer." That list also includes a Zodiac tour of the ice lagoon, and a trip to the interior volcanic area which is inaccessible in winter. We're clearly coming back.

Stymied in our waterfall hunt, we continued to the north. Our next stop was Hevrir, a geothermal area. That means the groundwater is heated by the underlying hot rocks and forced up through the surface. That means there is sulfurous smoke and bubbling water - and mud. 

Be glad we don't have Smell-O-Vision

This is what it sounded like.

And this is a mud pot.

We walked around there until we'd had our fill of sulfur, and then drove on to Myrvatn where we found our hotel, checked in, and headed out for lunch. We found a farm-to-table restaurant that brings the table to the farm - we were looking out at their fields as we ate their lamb. That was the best lunch we've had - and they had decaf espresso! 

Fortified by lunch, we headed out to Dimmuborgir. I'm amazed at the number of different-looking rocks we've seen. It's all the same rock - it's all basalt from volcanic activity - but there's a lot of variation in appearance depending on the type of volcanic activity and the speed at which it occurred (I'm paraphrasing. If you want details, ask David). Dimmuborgir contains the remains of a lot of lava tubes. 

The opening in the top is an old lava tube.

We walked about two miles through the snow. We were rewarded with sights like this.

Not surprisingly, this is called The Church.

 It was even more interesting up close.

Those are drips of lava. Seriously.

I was all for turning back, but David suggested we walk through the space instead.

I was dubious.

It was worth it. This is what we found.

Two generations of lava tubes. When the first one cooled, a crust developed and the next one formed on top.

We then climbed up the other side and walked back to the car. After that, we deserved some relaxation, so we went to the Myrvatn Nature Baths and soaked in the warm (albeit sulfurous) water for a while before heading back to the hotel for a shower, drinks, and dinner. 

The remains of the day.

The day started out cloudy, but you can see from the picture above that it ended clear. Fingers crossed; we're signed up for the hotel's aurora wake-up call. We did see the Northern Lights on Tuesday night - a faint glow just above the horizon, too brief for pictures - and we're greedy enough to want more. No disappointment if that doesn't happen, though. This is still one of the best vacations ever.