After a 3 hour flight we landed in Iceland and were ready to stretch our legs. Our first visit on the Saturday was to the “Bridge over the Continents”, one of the many fissures between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates and was followed by a visit to the Stampar volcanic craters.
The next morning, we went to Reykjavík Old Harbour to see the capital where most of Iceland’s small population reside. We visited the Perlan and admired the breath-taking panoramic views of Reykjavík from its rooftop. Then we travelled on to a geothermal power station and hydro-electric power station, both part of Iceland’s famous renewable energy system. We then walked down Stekkjargjá, a fissure where the first democratic parliament sat.
As the week progressed we visited the Lava Centre and learnt a considerable amount about volcanism in Iceland along with the earthquake simulator; the Secret Lagoon, a geothermally heated pool, and Geysir, a tourist hotspot with plenty of geysers including the famous Strokkur.
The trip culminated in a visit to a lava tube cave and the rocky coast with views across the Atlantic Ocean before our flight home. With thanks to Dr Anderson and Mr Stone.
Saral Patel (AMM)
