Spots but they were rooed off to protect the over-zealous tourist. First we saw streams of flowing water, marked off with signs warning you not to touch. Then we passed Litli Geysir. This little bubbling pool of boiling hot water was adorable. The wind was cutting through us though. At that point Zane cleverly asked me "why did they name this country Icekand when it clearly should be named WINDLAND?!" I laughed so hard because he was RIGHT! Next we saw Strokkur Geysir thank goodness we were upwind when she erupted!
Here's a video of their first 3 eruptions, one was a double eruption:
Another eruption:
Right beyond it was the twin pools Blesi and Blazer . One clear and the other powder Icelandic blue. The colors were stunning. The vivid soft blues of Iceland that I see in the water and distant sky is like no other color blue that I've ever seen. Bwe've been calling it Icelandic blue. This pool has a sign saying the temperature is 80-100°C.
Video of Blesi and Blazer with Stokkur erupting, yet again, in the background:
This pool here was the original (now dormant) Geysir. It's always so disappointing that camera can't catch real beauty.
Here is the last eruption of Stokkur before we had to get out of the wind and cold.
So here is how here geysers work. (By the way geyser- English, Geysir- Icelandic). There are vertical vents, like pipes, underground. The water at the bottom of the pipe comes into contact with hot rock and boils, expanding upwards while cooler water at the surface of the geyser forms a sort of lid, trapping the rising water. Eventually so much pressure builds up that the geyser explodes skyward. In the videos above you can literally see Stokkur blow it's lid!
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