The Definition of Freezing Cold!

Today we slept until 11 am. When I looked up the Blue Lagoon ticket to confirm the time while still trying to wake up, I realized it's for tomorrow, not today! Today was supposed to be our Golden Circle day! So we dove into high gear getting ourselves fed and ready and out the door!

Theme for today: His beauty changes me.

We visited Thingvellir National Park, Thingvallavatn Lake, The Strokkur Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss Waterfall. It started out windy and only got colder and windier until we were frozen popsicles! But the sky put on a show for us- the clouds and the sun were absolutely gorgeous! We couldn't get enough! We passed lots

of Icelandic horses and stopped to take a picture of some. One of the most fascinating things today was the ice crystals on the ground. They are unlike anything I have seen before. So delicate and small, but added layers upon layers to cover the grasses, branches, rocks, and anything else they can reach. Just incredible! The Geysir was neat but so cold just standing there in the wind waiting for it to go off. At Gullfoss it was dusk, so we rushed to see it, and Clara forgot her gloves in the car. Her poor hands were frigid and the wind was blowing us around like toothpicks. Peter offered her his gloves as we stopped for a picture, but through her tears she said "No". When Peter asked why not, she said "I don't want YOUR hands to be cold!" Always thinking of others, that Clara. After we got in the car, Peter

suggested we go get some hot chocolate. That was such a welcome idea! Then we tried to go shopping, but the shops had closed. So home we came for dinner and bed.

Things we learned today:
Emma: That Iceland is cold.
Clara: That nature is pretty.
Leesie: To always bring a lot more layers than I'm wearing.
Addy: Ice on plants can be super pretty - all the layers. The ice waterfalls are really pretty.
Kathy: If I leave my sitting pad in the car overnight it freezes and turns rock hard. Also if I keep my phone out of my pocket for more than 3 minutes videoing Strokkur Geysir, my phone will freeze and shut off.
Peter: I should have remembered to pack my hat. I also learned that you have to pay attention to some of the details: I thought the mountains were brown and yellow, but Kathy pointed out the green

and orange. My expectation for the waterfall (Gullfoss Falls) was water, not massive ice and some water gushing out.

Miracles:
-To realize quickly this morning we had the wrong day in mind and be able to get out and see as much as possible while we still had light.
-Even with the freezing cold and wind, we were able to enjoy the beauty that was before us: noticing the tiny crystals, seeing the colorful mountains, enjoying the sunsets that last for hours, contemplating the huge gorges and rocks jutting out of the earth over the tectonic plates (geology happening right in front of us!), and marveling at the scale and beauty of Gullfoss Falls- just breathtaking!