Iceland - Day two, Gullfoss waterfall

The second stop on our Golden Circle tour was Gullfoss waterfall.

As you stop in the car park there is not too much to see, but then as you walk towards the sound of running water you are greeted with this spectacular view. 

Fed by the Langjökull glacier, Gullfoss is a double decker waterfall, with a little staircase fall, cascading into the big 100 ft drop. And more excitingly you can head down and get as close as you dare.

As you approach, the roar of the waterfall is constant, but not too overpowering. It is just there to remind you of the power being pushed through, in case you are tempted to go too close to the edge. 

One thing that caught my attention was the beautiful spray of dancing water being thrown towards you.

Unfortunately the sun wasn't quite in the right place to catch a rainbow but it was still very hypnotic to watch.

We visited Gullfoss on our previous trip to Iceland when it was covered in ice and snow, and I want to take this opportunity to show you how different it can look.

My next plan is to visit Iceland one summer to enjoy the greenery and almost 24 hour daylight, then I might have more luck with the rainbow photo I so wanted. Now back to our most recent trip, having got as close to the edge as we dared, we had headed back up the steps to take a selfie above the waterfall.

With a quick glance towards the glacier we'd be visiting the following day we decided it was high time for us to grab some lunch.

Iceland - Day Two, Thingvellir National Park

Our second day in Iceland was going to be spent on one of the most popular and famous trips in Iceland; The Golden Circle tour. The first stop, as the sun began to pop out from behind the clouds was Thingvellir National Park.

Thingvellir is famous in Iceland for being the location of the founding of the first Icelandic parliament. Þingvellir, the Icelandic spelling of Thingvellir, literally translates as 'Parliament Plains'. As far back as 930AD a general assembly was held which laid the ground for the first parliamentary proceedings. This beautiful site was where the chieftains came to listen to important cases and pass laws.

As well as its historical importance the park is a geologists dream. It is situated on two tectonic plates, the Eurasian plate and the North American plate. Over time the plates have moved, pulled apart and pushed back creating these dramatic rock formations and beautiful lakes. You can walk in-between the plates, and as you marvel at this geological treat, you are stepping across the rift zone, the space between spaces as Stuart and I call it. We also like to think the tectonic plates are the reason every single hotel we stayed in gave us twin beds pushed together when we had booked a double room - they just wanted to recreate the experience of the continental drift. 

Now the Game of Thrones fans amongst you may know that many Icelandic locations have been used on the TV series. Filming has mainly been in the winter months across Iceland, to illustrate the cold, snowy lands North of the Wall, where the wildings and whitewalkers hail from. However did you know Thingvellir, in the summer months, was used for Arya and Cleganes trip through Westeros? Although I am yet to see that series, I have read the books (go me!) and it is easy to imagine you are far away from the smell and heat of Kings Landing and trying to make your way across the country to the (hopeful) safety on Winterfell.

It is an absolutely beautiful, serene and peaceful place. I took far too many photos and wish I could have stayed longer - just wandering and enjoying the tranquillity, but we had a busy day ahead with waterfalls and geysers still to check out. So, with one last quick photo and a lingering look behind me I jumped back on the bus for the next location.