An eagerly awaited day 2 started with many bleary eyes, sleepy heads and disorganised souls. We made our way to the Thingvellir area – an hour on the coach, but extremely important in this region, as it strides the Mid Atlantic Ridge, and we all enjoyed travelling from the Eurasian plate to the North American plate en route.
The area is also the location of the Althing, the worlds first parliament, dating back to 930 AD. The group walked through the fissures created by the plate movements in this area. With towering walls either side of us, we made our way though, beyond the fissures to the Oxararfoss waterfall. This stunning feature again wowed and stunned in its magnificence. The landscape of this country is truly amazing, and many of us were often found staring, speechless. “It’s just so……..!!!!!”
After a much needed ‘supermarket’ stop for supplies, we found ourselves at the eagerly anticipated ‘show’ at the Geysir area. Every 5 minutes, the Strokkur Geysir erupted into the air to “Oo’s” and “Aahh’s” from the expectant crowd. I am running out of words to describe what we see on an hourly basis. When teenagers from our modern age are ‘blown away’ by these natural features that we are seeing, you know that they are special!
Our super coach driver showed us another waterfall a few minutes away and the students saw a fish ladder which impressed them all. And then the spectacular sights of the day. A volcanic crater at Kerid. Size could not be comprehended, and wind chill couldn’t be described.
A dip in the heated outdoor pool at the hotel has rounded off the events for today, and as we are awaiting dinner, students and staff are chilling, playing pool, ping-pong, and blogging!
It really has been a day of “It’s just……..”. I need a thesaurus! A student was overheard saying that it’s been really nice talking and interacting with students that they didn’t know before. It reflects the mix of the group and the way that they are gelling.
Happy birthday to Mrs Fowles!!!
Mr Mayo.