The sun is still rising as we started out on our one-day Golden Circle Gourmet Food Tasting Tour.

In the countryside.

A lot of snow fell on the mountains last night.

Stop at the Thingvellir National Park where we had already been on our mutltiday tour. The weather had changed. Now this boardwalk was so slippery from ice on it that some younger people were enjoying sliding down it.

The Thingvellir National Park.

The Thingvellir National Park.

Icleland's flag. Anyone for snorkeling? Advertisement on the van.

We made a quick stop at Geysir geothermal fields. We also stopped at the Gullfoss waterfall. It was so cold and so windy that I went right back into the van as I had already taken photos of it on my other tour.

Boys will be boys--outside our next stop.

At our first eating stop. There were only eight on our tour: three Americans, two Canadians, and three from Hong Kong.

We are at the Efstidalur Farm House Restaurant (there are also accommodations here).

"Life is short -- eat dessert first."

This was once in a lifetime experience: the restaurant faced the cow shed.

We could watch the cows chowing down while we were chowing down and they could watch us.

Cows.

First on the menu, delcious bruschetta. All the food we were served was from the farm or from local sources.

Next, very good tomato soup and homemade bread.

Then, the feast: lamb, steak, and fish. Homemade ice cream for dessert. All very good.

Since Lyn and I had already been to the Golden Circle spots, our tour conductor thought we would like to see something we hadn't seen before--a different waterfall.

Our next stop was at the Fridheima, the geothermal tomato hot house that we had been to on our multiday tour.

This time we were offered delicious canapes made with something tomato in each one. On our multiday tour, there were no treats. But we couldn't eat more than one or two of them as we were stuffed from lunch.

Also, we were offered red and green tomato juices.

Some of the items on their restaurant menu: Mood Enhancers: Bloody Mary, tomato schnapps, and Hendrik's gin.

Desserts included tomato ice cream and waffles with two types of tomato jam and whipped cream.

Back on the road.

Our last stop, at Islenski Baerinn, where we would see turf houses and walk on a farm.

The main turf house. We would go inside it later. Our tour conductor is in the photo.

Walking on the farm: an Icelandic scarecrow. It was quite cold and very windy outside.

Farther along.

Outbuildings.

The tool shed. The property owner, our host, is in the photo.

The tool shed from the side. Turf is places on sides and roofs of buildings to keep in warmth and to keep out the wind.

Farther along.

We went inside this turf house which was where our host lived with his family while growing up.

The papers on the floor were for us to wipe our feet on.

Most of the rooms in the turf house were kept on the dark side. This is a bedroom.

Another bedroom with more light. The rooms were cozy.

The kitchen.

Family room.

View of the farm next door from a window.

View from another window.

The turf houses from the rear.

Beehives here.

Beehive.

Beehives.

A perfect Christmas tree.

The workhouse.

A real Icelandic "man cave."

Going back to our host's farmhouse.

Our host's art gallery in the main turf house.

The floor is made up of discarded pieces of granite used for counters. A beautiful floor.

Our host.

People send him photos of different world buildings, from the simplest to the complex.

One of the photos.

On this wall are more photos of buildings, I think mainly of houses.

Houses.

A turf house.

A winter photo of his farm. I had remarked that I hadn't seen any rams on the Iceland sheep ranches, so he showed me this one.

An interesting statue in the art gallery.

A wall display.

Time for our Smack Pack.

A selection of Icelandic snacks that are eaten at Christmas time. Then back to Reykjavik.