On Easter Sunday we set off with our most excellent guide Haukur (Hawk) from Nature Explorer in his Nissan Patrol which they refer to as a super jeep.

One of our first stops that morning was to Seljalandsfoss where we hiked up behind the falls.

The tongue of the Sólheimajökull glacier where we were able to walk up and take a peek around.

Later in the morning we headed up in to the mountains and drove on top of a glacier where Haukur took us to you know, just hang out. And eat lunch. On the glacier. It was very cool

Top o’ the world, Ma!

The ride down from the glacier had us in fits of excited laughter as Hawk cranked up the music, hit the gas and bounced and expertly wheeled us down the snow. He was so awesome. He had a very quiet, smart and survivorman kind of vibe. You just knew that you were in capable hands and it allowed us to just relax and enjoy the spectular sights that unfolded.

The black sand beach near Myrdalsjokull glacier, a rainbow and the wreckage of an old Navy plane. Throw in the whale skeleton we’d just seen and it prompted our guide Hawk to mention that when he visits the beach here it often reminds him of being in a living Salvador Dali painting.

We had the beach and Skogarfoss and it’s beautiful rainbow all to ourselves.

I loved this day.

Out in the very lunar-like landscape sits one or Reykjavik most significant tourist draws. The Blue Lagoon spa. A littel slice of hot water heaven that is not to be missed.

The sheer power of Gullfoss waterfall is something to behold as you walk down the windy spray filled path to stand at the edge of the falls. A bajillion gallons of water go rushing by, clean and blue as you stand just a dozen feet away, wind whipping your face. It’s absolutely stunning to stand so close to such power.

In iceland when you go and visit a beautiful natural space such as Gullfoss, you’ll notice right away that there aren’t many safety barriers, railings and precautions put in place to keep the people out of the falls. I guess if you’re dumb enough to shimmy down the wet rocks in dress shoes to have your photo taken with your toe in the water, you probably deserve to fall in.

Not too far from Gullfoss sits the town of Geysir. The great geyser below is said to be the oldest known geyser.

While we were there we saw the geyser errupt probably 4 or 5 times. It starts off with a slow rolling bubble, gradually filling up to the top of the hole. It continues to roll and bubble and creep towards the rim of the rock and then.. whooooooosh

This travelling man stands outside of the Geysir Hotel. Travel on little fella.. travel on..

Okay, let’s get these out of the way:

1. No, it wasn’t that cold. It was about 40 degrees.
2. No, everything wasn’t super cheap because of economic collapse. Food and transportation were still major expenses.
3. They speak Icelandic and yes, most people speak English.
4. Everyone is very friendly.
5. No we didn’t see Bjork.

Reykjavik felt more like a suburb, like a far less dense and congested Queens, moreso than a major city. At times we found ourselves walking alone on streets that were lined with single family dwellings. Even within the town center there were moments when we were alone. Though it was the Easter holiday time, think about how often that happens in Times Square. Mmm… never? With less than 400,000 residents you’ve got a lot of elbow room in Iceland. I loved that part.

The ambulatory of Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavik’s tallest building and most visible city landmark looks quite, hmm, boob-like? to me. Unfortunately the church’s tower has been under restoration since October 2008, so we only have scaffolding shots of the front. When we entered we were in time to hear a chorus rehearsing in the cathedral’s empy halls. With only 4 other people in the church, it was almost like they were singing just for us.

The city unfolds into view from the top of the tower observation room:

The &quotFussMops&quot. Kenny needs to work on his backwards writing.

When you’re walking around the pavered streets you have an awareness of the mountains and the water from seemingly everywhere.

City Center (Centrum) where all of the motorcyclists congregated.

Reykjavik Cetrum Hotel where we stayed.

Hotdogs are really popular in town. They’re called pylsur. This stand always had a line.