I guess these photos are my payoff for taking so many of them!
A little patch of sunshine through the clouds, highlighting the glacier.
Most folks thought the best day of our tour was our visit to the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, and the black sand beach.
Look around, and it's pretty clear you're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
This is the black sand beach. The waves are huge and totally confused. Not a place to surf, for sure. And, the guy in the bottom left frame is experiencing up close and personally, a "sneaker wave." [click link] Jens and Freyja managed to keep us all safe and dry, but for the foolish and uninformed, every now and then a huge wave climbs waaaay up the beach and sweeps someone away, or at the very least soaks them and their cameras.
Wow! These Icelanders are so friendly! Wait. Maybe they know each other. Just teasing Freyja! ;-)
We continued getting closer and closer to the glacier.
When we arrived at the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, we all had a ride on these amphibious vehicles, so we got up close and personal with the icebergs. I thought it would be in poor taste to start humming the Titanic theme song. I considered it, though.
This looks like the star of many childhood nightmares, but it's only a chunk of glacier, melting and cracked.
The fijord empties into the sea via Iceland's shortest river. And that is how all these icebergs find their was back to the sea. Or to the beach.
Gorgeous skies, beautiful place.
We spent a lot of time trying to get decent photos of the Icelandic Horses out the bus windows. Eventually, they found a place where we could pull the bus off the road safely, so we had a horse petting frenzy for a bit.
Here's the Geyser that gives all others the name. Up top, we have two ways to photograph scenery: take the picture, or take a picture of the scene with yourself in the foreground. I. Don't. Get. It.
This flagpole is thought to be the place where the Lawspeaker would stand to read out the laws to the people at the The Althing (Icelandic: Alþingi)
This area around The Althing is all fissured and cracked from the earth just pulling apart at the continental plates.
This is an image from a poster. (My punking days are over :-)
This waterfall is Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall). It was really impressive. I think it's one of the most famous, as it is on the Golden Circle Tour route. The Golden Circle contains numerous gorgeous places to stop off, and see the landscape and features of Iceland in a day-trip.
Freyja and Jens, our trusty guides
Our coach. It had some serious steps going up into the back of the bus. Also, the bus was magic--sometimes it put everyone to sleep! Nighty-night. Nap time. ;-)