On our second day in Iceland, we began with a delicious breakfast at the Viking Hotel. I enjoyed fresh fruit and Nutella waffles. After breakfast, we began the drive to Thingvellir National Park. There we walked through the UNESCO world heritage site and hiked through the areas between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The trail took us past waterfalls and dramatic rock formations before reaching a visitor center with a great view over the surrounding valley.
Later in the day we visited a geothermal bakery where traditional Icelandic rye bread is cooked underground using natural geothermal heat. The dough is placed in a pot and buried in warm soil, where it slowly bakes for three to four hours. When the pot was dug up, we were able to try the bread with butter and smoked fish. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the bread was surprisingly soft and slightly sweet.
After that, we stopped at a local dairy farm for ice cream. One of the coolest parts was that there were windows where you could look directly into the barn and see the cows that produced the milk. The ice cream was so creamy and flavorful.
We also visited Kerid Crater, which had incredible views of the volcanic crater ruins. To finish the day, we went to a food hall for dinner. Back at the hotel, we relaxed in the outdoor hot tub, which ended up being the perfect way to warm up after spending the day outside in the cold Icelandic weather.
Swanson School of Engineering 