One of our stops on our tour from Reykjavik took us to the Golden Waterfall. It was impressive, both visually and audibly. The waterfall is fed by a glacier in the nearby mountains that is part of the largest ice shield in Europe.
The ride around the southwestern part of Iceland was very interesting. As we traveled across a mountain ridge we alternated between lush grass and farmlands and desert-like scenery. Iceland's territory is nearly 40% desert as a result of deforestation by the early settlers. Once the trees were removed for timber, charcoal, and by the livestock eating new growth, the land has eroded and become very barren. A major effort is now being made to reforest the country.
As we drove along we passed through several major lava fields, one of which dated to 1000AD so it was relatively new. In those areas we saw many steam vents, evidence of the volcanic activity close to the surface.
Our trip ended with a quick drive through Reykjavik. The city is impressive for one with only 300,000 population. The old part of the city is quite charming with a lovely park and lots of flowers and statues. There is a lot of new construction going on and there were signs proclaiming the offices of many multinational businesses.
As we sailed away we passed through a little rain squall and once we'd gone through it we saw another rainbow. It wasn't as dramatic as the one we saw the other day but perhaps a good omen for weather for the remainder of our cruise.
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