We headed immediately  to the Budget’s desk to pick up our car.
We were given a Land Rover Discovery in perfect condition. Our big amount of backpacks, bags and cases fit fully on board, the space never ends! A little tired from the trip and eager to settle as soon as possible for the night, we went straight to our really nice and clean apartment in the city, booked by email some days before.
It is very common to stay in private houses or fully furnished apartments in Iceland, instead of normal hotels.
Next morning the curiosity and excitement were already soaring. After putting on the Discovery the Event Media logo sticker, we started towards Geysir following the road 35, reserving the visit to the city for the return. The road is very good and in perfect conditions.

The geyser can be easily found and, nearby, there is a parking and a gift shop with a bar and toilets.
There was many tourists and buses, thanks to the beautiful sunny day. The surrounding area is characterized by a series of hot springs and water jets including the famous geysers Strokkur and Geysir Small, warm streams and mineral deposits that make the area similar to that of “another planet.”
I had never seen a geyser before and I must admit that it was really exciting!
Recovering from Wikipedia some information we found that the activities of Strokkur began in 1789 following an earthquake. Strokkur continued to erupt until 1896, when another earthquake blocked the water pipe of the same geyser.
In 1963, the inhabitants of the area cleared and unlocked the conduct restoring the geyser’s eruptions.
This natural phenomenon is explained as follow: the water present at a depth of 23 meters has a temperature of about 120 ° C, but is not transformed into the gaseous state due to the weight of other water that pushes from above. When this water reaches 16 meters depth, a certain quantity can reach the boiling point, and this causes the chain reaction that we see. The decrease in pressure allows the boiling of a greater quantity of water and its conversion into steam: this allows the water not yet transformed into steam to escape from the duct. This phenomenon always occurs closer to the surface and with increasing speed, until the mixture of water and steam escapes from the geyser.

After thousand photos we moved to the nearby Gullfoss waterfalls, following the national 35.

Gullfoss (the name comes from the gull: golden + foss: waterfall), is called “the queen of Iceland’s waterfalls” for theatricality, beauty and light effects of his double jump and is one of the most famous waterfalls of Iceland along the path of the river Hvítá in Haukadalur in the west of the island.
You can walk on the very edge of the first jump and admire the power of water that is vaporized in the valley below, forming even more than a rainbow. Such a natural spectacle worth a long stay and the scenery is very impressive when you arrive in a sunny day.
Next to the park there is a restaurant where they serve excellent soups at very good prices.

Then we left to the north, crossing this island that is much wilder than we’d been given to see. Road 35, although not classified as “F”, (offroad vehicles only) is a dirt road surrounded by an endless expanse of stones and nothing else and crosses a valley between two glaciers (Langjokull- Hofsjokull).
Along the road we made a detour to reach the Langjokull glacier. We arrived at the foot of the glacier that slides from the mountain into the valley of stone and rock. Snowmobiles parked not far suggest that in less than two months, the area will be possible only for snowmobiles and tracked vehicles. The ice here is covered by a black and thin dust.

We continue the way. Along the way we meet only two German bikers and a very few other cars. Iceland here is really a vast plain of stones and rocks. The road is kept accessible through checks and periodic maintenance but there is only one paved road and not even one filling station.

After many hours of driving we reach Akueyri which is a fairly large town.
We spend the night at the Kea Hotel, with very comfortable rooms and a great breakfast the next morning.
We spend the morning visiting the city and after we move to Husavik where sometimes is possible to see some whales in the gulf.

We rent a powerful motorboat and spend four hours in the freezing gulf searching for whales but, unfortunately, with no success.

After an excellent lunch in the car again to Jokulsargljufur, the most spectacular canyon in Iceland, 25 km long and 500 meters wide and, in some points, more than 100 meters deep.
Dettifoss waterfall is really impressive, the power of the mass of water view from so close (here you can walk on the very edge of the jump) really scares!
Long-stay and nice walk there and then, before it gets too dark, we start to look for a place for the night. We decide to stop at Myvatn, rather desolate little town but close to an hot spring with a nice pool where we went for a swim after dinner. The water temperature is perfect for relaxing while watching the stars!

The journey continues to Egilsstadir, where we sleep in a beautiful log cabin by the lake and, the next morning, following the highway # 1, we get to the coast and then we drove to west.

The landscape now is very nice, green meadows and a few colorful houses and farms, long black beaches, alongside mountains overlooking the coast and little waterfalls formed by small streams of water coming from the glacier nearby.

After dozens of stops to make photographs we finally arrive at Jökulsárlón. According to Wikipedia, Jökulsárlón is the largest and best known glacial lake in Iceland. Located south of the glacier Vatnajökull between Skaftafell National Park and the town of Höfn, it appeared for the first time between 1934 and 1935 and from 1975 grew from 7.9 square kilometers to the current 18 square kilometers of surface, due to the melting of Icelandic glaciers. It has a maximum depth of about 200 meters, making it probably the second deepest lake in Iceland. One of its most striking features is the presence of numerous icebergs deriving from the glacier tongue of Breiðamerkurjökull.

The morning greets us with a beautiful sunny day. As soon as we leave the hotel, we realize that just behind us there is a beautiful sight, a white glacier tongue that slides in the valley between two mountains. The contrast with the bright blue sky is wonderful and we take a short walk after breakfast. We take the car to go and see the famous Svartifoss waterfalls (Black Falls) located within the National Park Skaftafell. Special feature of this cascade is the presence of hexagonal basalt columns of volcanic origin. Svartifoss is within walking distance in about 45 minutes, along a path leading from the camp of the park, a nice and easy walk. Arriving at the waterfall you can go right up to his jet, the photographs that you can make are very nice for the presence of the rainbow that is formed between the water spray.

We spend the last two nights in the capital, which we find to be very lively, especially on weekends. Some hiking to see the nearby villages and the beautiful Blue Lagoon, where we spend a whole afternoon in the thermal pools.
In the evening, dinner in the beautiful restaurant and a toast to conclude this beautiful trip!