Thingvellir National Park
You may be more familiar with scenes of Iceland’s Fjords, or Snow capped mountain ranges and of course the occasional Volcano. But perhaps here at Thingvellir National Park you get a view of what Iceland can look like in the summer…a chance to see the lush green vegetation, the rich green of the trees that seem reluctant to grow to any height (in fact we herd one guide telling his guest …. that you can never get lost in an Icelandic Forest – if you do then just stand up and you will see over the trees) You also can see where the green changes to the dark volcanic rock and on up to snow topped mountains and icefields beyond.
Thingvellir also straddles the gap between the Pan-American and the Eurasian Plates. In fact you can explore down into this gap which is widening every year. Only,they reckon, by 2cm each year but they all add up.
The viewpoint I have chosen is also of historic Icelandic importance. It is here in the outdoors, that the ‘Thing’ the name for their Parliament met every year from 930 until 1798. It then moved indoors and based in Reykjavik.
I do wonder if we have made progress on the ‘Political Front’. Just think if our Politicians had to meet outdoors…they may be more adept at making quick decisions.
Finally apologies. My spelling of Thingvellir is the English adaption as my keyboard does have the appropriate characters to be true to the name
Please Remember ….
Stay Safe …. Be Kind…. Look After Each Other
19th June
(C) David Oakes 2020
DAVID OAKES - IMAGES. 