Friday 8 July 2016

ancient government and continental divide



Visiting the old seat of government at Pingvellir park, warming up in hot pools

It was a cold windy day and I regretted leaving my warm long trousers in my luggage, I froze on the bike ride to Pingellir. The setting is very dramatic, the first parliament was held here and the columns of basalt rocks are still an impressive sight. The European and American tectonic plates are splitting here, and still moving apart. There were good cycle tracks and paths. I noticed boards about the historical aspects of the sight but I was too cold to appreciate them. Niamh and I sat in the bus until the mountain pass, this was a stiff challenge that I did attempt. Yorkshire Bob, who is always at the front, was first up and came sailing down the pass. He had not stopped at the top and later he told us that he was the fastest person in his age group (55-60) across that challenge. Very impressive. We then biked into Reykjavik along local paths and past interesting new houses. We checked into the same hotel that we stayed in a week ago. Joan and I walked down the main shopping street. There are numerous interesting design shops, I tried on a very nice Icelandic sweater in green and white which I am quite tempted by. The shops had a Nordic style and flare that reminded me of Copenhagen. We met the others at a trendy bar and then headed down to a good Icelandic bistro. I had a lovely Icelandic seafood platter with herring and rotted shark and salmon, many people ate whale meat which I could not do. I don't think that we should be catching whales and even less eating them, but I kept quiet. Afterwards we joined the Iceland drinkers in central pub. Walked back through Rey well after midnight.

This was the end of the tour

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