Photos: August 3, 2014
This wall of rock is the end of the North American Plate. We were in Þingvellir, a place that is important both for the geology and the history. It was here that the first "parliament" met and continued to meet until the late 1700s: the Alþing. The valley sits between the North American and Eurasian plates.
You can find out much more about the history at this site. I´ve been reading Nyall´s saga and the yearly trek to the Alþing features prominently.
It is possible that legal decisions were pronounced where this flagpole stands.
The lake, Þingvallavatn, has a wide variety of vegetation and invertebrates.
When you look out, there are mountains in every direction. They are dormant volcanoes. Who knows when they will once again become active. You can follow Iceland's many daily earthquakes and volcanic activity at http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/earthquakes
In addition to fish in the lake, there are geese on its shores.
More Iceland photos at: Iceland album
