Adventures in Iceland! Day Two, Part Two
The next stop on our tour was the Fontana Steam Bath. It wouldn't be a day in Iceland without some sort of hot springs!
The view was great; you could see Hekla in the distance...
...and the lake and nearby hills to the side.
Mark especially liked the little semicircle things that sprayed water. :)
After a relaxing hour or so in the water, we met up with the rest of the group and walked down to the tiny beach near the lake. We made sure to heed the sign's warning and use much carefulness.
There, a local 'baker' showed us how they make bread here: in the ground! They use clean juice boxes, fill them with bread dough, seal them up very well, then bury them in the ground. By the time they come back the next day, the bread is done!
After digging up the bread, we hopped on the bus for a short ride to his cafe/gallery...
...and got the chance to try some of the bread, along with some smoked trout (also from the lake). There was also a mixture of sour cream, hard-boiled egg, and smoked trout to spread on the bread...I could have eaten it by the bowlful. :)
We had one final stop on our tour: Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park. It's where the first Parliament was established in 930AD, and also the place where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates come together.
The valley is full of rifts - huuuuge cracks that drop down into the Earth. Some of them are filled with water, and you can go diving in them. 
The North American plate is easy to pick out - it's a sheer rock cliff. We got to spend some time at an observation deck right at the top.
I wish we had more time to wander around...the scenery was amazing!
The next stop on our tour was the Fontana Steam Bath. It wouldn't be a day in Iceland without some sort of hot springs!
The view was great; you could see Hekla in the distance...
...and the lake and nearby hills to the side.
Mark especially liked the little semicircle things that sprayed water. :)
After a relaxing hour or so in the water, we met up with the rest of the group and walked down to the tiny beach near the lake. We made sure to heed the sign's warning and use much carefulness.
There, a local 'baker' showed us how they make bread here: in the ground! They use clean juice boxes, fill them with bread dough, seal them up very well, then bury them in the ground. By the time they come back the next day, the bread is done!
After digging up the bread, we hopped on the bus for a short ride to his cafe/gallery...
...and got the chance to try some of the bread, along with some smoked trout (also from the lake). There was also a mixture of sour cream, hard-boiled egg, and smoked trout to spread on the bread...I could have eaten it by the bowlful. :)
We had one final stop on our tour: Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park. It's where the first Parliament was established in 930AD, and also the place where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates come together.
The valley is full of rifts - huuuuge cracks that drop down into the Earth. Some of them are filled with water, and you can go diving in them. 
The North American plate is easy to pick out - it's a sheer rock cliff. We got to spend some time at an observation deck right at the top.
I wish we had more time to wander around...the scenery was amazing!
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