Golden Circle 黄金圈游

June 25: We joined the Golden Circle tour from a local tour company booked through Viator. While glaciers shaped yesterday's sights, today's destinations were all related to volcanic eruptions and geothermal activity. Unfortunately, with constant rain and strong winds, today's weather wasn't favorable. The significant advantage of joining a guided tour is that we leave the driving to someone else, especially on long journeys and bad weather days.

Like yesterday's tour, we gathered at bus stop #12, where a large bus came to pick us up. Arriving at a parking lot near a gas station in the city, the passengers on the bus either remained on the same bus or switched to a different one, depending on their itineraries. Fortunately, in both cases, the bus that picked us up was the right one for our tour, so we did not need to change buses.

Our first destination was the stunning Thingvellir National Park, where we walked through a narrow valley leading to the birthplace of the Icelandic parliament, known as the Althing. The Althing is the world's oldest parliament, dating back over a thousand years. In those ancient times, the Icelanders gathered here annually to establish their self-governing regulations, resisting being ruled by the Danish crown, which was later abolished by decree. As we strolled through the valley, we also had the incredible opportunity to witness the ongoing geological marvel of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This geological boundary separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, gradually drifting apart at a rate of two centimeters per year. The cliffs flanking either side of the valley, with different elevations, are tangible evidence of this real-time separation of the tectonic plates. The park's beauty was captivating, with its majestic mountains, serene lakes, majestic waterfalls, and rich historical significance. It is undoubtedly a must-visit destination in Iceland, offering an unforgettable experience for all who venture there. The disadvantage of joining a guided tour was that we only had limited time at each sight, which was not enough for the beautiful Thingvellir National Park.

Arriving at the Strokkur Geyser, besides the geyser viewing, this was also our lunch spot. We decided to have lunch first at the café, which was bustling with fellow travelers. Once we were fueled up, we eagerly awaited the geyser's eruption. Strokkur did not disappoint; it put on a mesmerizing display, sending boiling water columns shooting several meters high into the air every 5 to 10 minutes. We even fortunately had witnessed a double eruption, to our delight. The sight was truly impressive, captivating everyone present. However, despite its awe-inspiring nature, Strokkur couldn't quite match the grandeur and size of the geysers found in Yellowstone National Park. Nevertheless, experiencing the natural spectacle of Strokkur was undoubtedly one of the day's highlights, leaving us in awe of the mighty forces at play in this geothermal wonderland.

Continuing our journey, we proceeded to another renowned site, the magnificent Gullfoss waterfall. This natural wonder is a two-tiered waterfall boasting a powerful flow that gracefully descends into a canyon, creating a truly breathtaking spectacle. To fully appreciate its beauty, we ventured down a flight of stairs to catch a closer glimpse of the lower tier, but in doing so, we couldn't escape the refreshing mist from the cascading water. The experience was invigorating. On the other hand, the path to view the upper tier was much easier to navigate, offering a flat and accessible vantage point to witness the waterfall's grandeur. Gullfoss left us in awe of nature's prowess and provided another unforgettable moment in this extraordinary Icelandic adventure.

Our final destination on the Golden Circle route for the day was the Kerid Crater, a volcanic crater lake. Unfortunately, the weather was unfavorable, rainy and windy. However, we still took the opportunity to walk around the rim, marveling at the impressive geological formation and the serene lake at its center. Despite being unable to walk down to the bottom of the crater and explore the crater fully, we appreciated the unique beauty of Kerid and were content with the experience.

After returning from the Golden Circle tour, we rested a little at the apartment, had a quick dinner, and went out again. Tonight, we attended a famous Icelandic stand-up comedy show called "How to Become an Icelander in 60 Minutes" at the HARPA Concert Hall. It was a hilarious and light-hearted way to end this challenging day.

6/25: 今天跟着当地的旅游团走了冰岛另一条热门线路-黄金圈。昨天的景色都是由冰川造成的，那么今天所去的地方都是与火山爆发和地热有关的。天公不作美,今天又是整天刮风下雨。跟团游的最大好处是把开车的事交给他人了，尤其是当路途遥远且天气糟糕的时候。

首先来到辛格维利尔国家公园 (Thingvellir National Park), 走进通往冰岛议会诞生地的狭谷。一千多年前，不愿意听从挪威国王统治，在那里冰岛人开始一年一度集会，制定自治法规。走在狭谷中也目睹正在进行中的大西洋中部裂谷的地理过程，欧亚板块和北美板块正在以每年二厘米速度分离，狭谷两边的高低不同悬崖峭𤩹位于不同的板块上，是板块分离的见证。公园很漂亮，有山，有水，有瀑布，有历史，是一个应该慢游的地方。

第二个景点是盖歇尔地热区(Geysir)，其中最为活跃的史托克喷泉（Strokkur)每隔5～10分钟就喷发一道沸腾的水柱，高达几十米，场面颇为壮观。但比我们黄石公园的差远了。

接下来我们来到的是另一个著名的景点-黄金瀑布(Gullfoss）。这是一个双层的瀑布，水流非常急，最终流入峡谷，极其壮观。看下层的瀑布需要往下走一段台阶，同时也会被飞流直下的水气淋湿。去看上面那层瀑布的路就很平坦。

今天黄金圈线路的最后一个景点是火山口湖（Kerid Crater）。可以沿着火山口走一圈再走到火山口下面的湖边，但今天风雨交加，我们俩只是沿着火山口走了一圈，没下到火山底。

黄金圈回来后，回公寓稍微休息一下，吃个晚饭又外出了。今晚去哈帕音乐厅看著名的冰岛脱口秀-怎么在60分钟内学会做冰岛人，这脱口秀已上演了十年了。捧腹大笑轻松一下，给这辛苦的一天有个完美的结局。