The first stop was Þingvellir National Park for a walk along the edge of the tectonic plates, then we drove onto Geysir to watch it explode out the ground and Gullfoss where we froze in icy winds. Fuelled by the yummy soup I had at the touristy shop and restaurant at Geysir, I managed a few minutes before retreating back to the car. Driving past fields of Icelandic horses, we decided to stop at a local farm (Bru Biskupstungum) where the farmer has built a special car park area so that people aren't stopping at the side of the road anymore. We paid 200 ISK for some horse treats to feed them and took some pictures.
Moving on from the Golden Circle we headed south to start our drive along the south coast of Iceland towards Vik and the Glacier Lagoon. We stopped at Seljalandsfoss, the waterfall that you can walk behind, and then drove onto Skogafoss.
Waterfalls done, next up was the Black Sand Beach (Reynisfjara) before landing at Vik for some service station burgers. We booked on booking.com an overnight stay in a little Icelandic summer cabin just outside Vik. It was cute and basic but perfect for the gang to get some well-earned sleep...after we sampled some of the Icelandic Mountain Vodka we brought.
The next morning we were up bright and early for breakfast and then off to hit the road again. We made a quick stop at Skaftafell for a little bathroom break before the drive onto the Glacier Lagoon (Jökulsárlón). The glacier lagoon is still the most incredible place I have visited in Iceland and I can't wait to go back. It's where the glacier meets the land and sea level, where the ice melts and creates a lagoon, and where large chunks of ice float around and break down before heading out to sea. There are seals playing amongst the ice and, if you are lucky enough, you might just spot them.