Day 5: A Journey to the Center of the Earth, no kidding!

Well, we did it. We accomplished the elusive dream. I bought tickets online and then we saw the bus go by—“Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne. It’s a big thing here because there really is a lava tube in Snaefellsjökjull National Park.

Iceland is a very flat country with “mountains” made from lava overflows.

We have arrived!

Here we go. Down, down, down.

From the top of the second set of stairs, looking down.

In the story, Dr. Lindenbrock and his nephew Axel find out that a 400-year-old text says that they can find a lava tube in Iceland and journey to the center of the earth. Now, on our tour of The Vatnshellir Cave, there was no rappelling or monsters, and we did not arrive in Italy (Bon journo!) at the end of the tour—but it was a wonderful structure with two vaulted ceilings, full of cracks that might implode at any moment. There was troll or Viking rock furniture and even a Christmas tree.

Don’t we look cute in our helmets, but very necessary when ducking under low-hanging rocks.

Another feature of this all-day trip was the scenery along the way. I couldn’t take pictures fast enough because it was ever-changing and “oops, there goes another waterfall!” Gorgeous right from the passenger’s seat. The ocean on the other side of the car was teaming with gulls and even an Arctic tern, the little black headed white birds that travel from Antarctica to the Arctic.

Our first Arctic Tern! They travel between Antarctica and the Arctic seven times in their lifetimes.

This is a very popular canyon, known locally as Troll Canyon. Trolls and fairies are popular in Icelandic lore.

This is the best view we got of the Snafellsjokull glacier.

We stopped for a late lunch at a well-settled “tourist stop” and eyed the Canadian “Ocean Adventure” well-known for its trips around the island. And we ate. I had the best lamb of the trip, maybe of my life. I ate it all and didn’t take a photo. The leftover bones were not a pretty sight.

We came in late, had another hotel dinner (I continued to savor lunch over a single glass of wine), then off to an early bed. One more day and then we’ll be home.

Thanks for coming with us!