The most awe-inspiring sight of our tour of Iceland was the Gullfoss or Golden Waterfall. With a height of 96 feet above a deep gorge it was resplendent with a series of cascades extending to the peripheries of our vision. A gravel path runs alongside and those with waterproofs could venture further into the spray. Indeed some people were enthusiastic enough to penetrate the spray without waterproofs.

The hot springs of the geyser area would spout about every 20 minutes. It is wise to dress warmly. Waiting in the cold wind was unpleasant and the performance of the geyser varies from the disappointing to an impressive 60 feet. We recuperated later when lunch with a generous portion of salmon was served in the nearby hotel.

Kerid is the site of a volcanic crater that retains the conic sides so often depicted but rarely seen. A lake has formed at the bottom, reminiscent of the hideout for the villain in a James Bond film.

The tour culminated in a visit to the top of Pearl a dome of glass built on hot water storage tanks. The platform encircling the dome is excellent for taking panoramic photographs. Compass directions are etched into flat plates. They are suitable for rigidly mounting a camera, which can be rotated accurately for shots to make a panoramic scene on the computer. Software that stitches adjacent shots together can give a wide-angle view of the scene, but it is necessary to keep each shot at the same height and angle.

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