The Þingvellir adventure

After arriving late evening to Iceland and grabbing some much-needed rest, we were anxious to start exploring!

And so, we took our rental and drove out in the direction of Þingvellir National Park. It seemed like a magical place and since it wasn’t too much of a drive from where we were, it seemed like a logical option.

Also, secretly, I was super curious to know what the letter Þ actually sounds like. It´s pronounced Th by the way.

It was a perfect winter sunny day and driving through the fields of snow, past the Icelandic ponies and towards the park was simply awe-inspiring!

Excited by the views, we decided to stop and take in the scenery just a few kilometres before our objective. And this is where things went awry…

While taking things from the back seat I heard a “knock” sound from inside the car just before closing the door. Disaster! It was the auto-lock mechanism and I had just locked the rental car keys inside the car… the only set of keys… inside the rental car… at below-freezing temperatures… in front of a woman I am always trying to impress…

Disheartened, I told her what had just happened but, somewhat to my surprise, she didn´t take it too badly and even added it to our video. What a trooper!

In any case, after many phone calls, a highway robbery of a price for someone driving to us to open the car and an hour and a half watching beautiful frozen scenery, we were finally off!

And though, I could have dispensed with the whole car key debacle, the trip to the park was worth it!

A UNESCO site with over 1000 years of history, this is a magical place to visit! The views of the lake and of the white wilderness are utterly breathtaking!

With several trekking paths on offer and since we only had a limited amount of time we decided to only walk to a few places. First off was Öxarárfoss waterfall.

Just a very short hike from the parking lot is this beautiful gem of a place which is, in my personal opinion, only made more wonderful in winter. It was the very first time I saw a completely frozen waterfall and my mind is still having trouble accepting it! Just, awesome…

Do be careful with walking up the hill though. Some did not have appropriate shoes and it was super slippery!

Hiking along we came to a wooden stand next which is a proud Icelandic flag: Lögberg.

It was at this natural platform which now holds a podium of sorts where the legislative and judicial authorities of Iceland began and where the Lawspeaker would recite the law of the land for all those gathered around him. Today, it is a must-see for tourists who simply want to experience beauty.

Our final stop at the park was the sundial. Set upon a column which itself is set upon ancient an lava flow, it is both cunning, robust and set upon a remarkable landscape. It is Iceland in a nutshell.