So after we'd seen lots of the incredible sights in northern Iceland, our driver Anton just casually asked, "Has anybody on the bus been watching GAME OF THRONES on HBO?"  Well I, of course, shouted "yes" from the back of the bus, but practically nobody else in the group knew what we were talking about.  (OK, Patty knew but she's not exactly a fan.)  But that was OK, because Anton knew I'd want to know that we were now "north of the wall."  YIKES!  Turn back; we're doomed!

What wall, you ask?  That one, right up there.  No, it doesn't really exist; it's all make believe; this is just a computer-generated image grabbed off the internet.  But it's an integral part of the story in GAME OF THRONES, and HBO comes here to Iceland to film the sequences that take place north of it, where it's reeeealy cold.  Remember that wall with the big gate in KING KONG, the one that kept all the monsters on their side of Skull Island?  Well this wall keeps the "wildings" where they belong.  All fun; all make-believe.  But when you get right down to it, this picture looks just about as real as the real pictures we took in this cold, strange part of the world.  I just hope we don't run into any wildings.

This is the real thing, along with -- hey look!  I believe I see a bit of blue sky. 

Well that didn't last long.

Say, isn't that actual liquid water over there?

Yep, we've finally found the shores of Lake Myvatn.  Tammy and Patty are delighted.

I think we won't hop in for a swim.

Nope, thanks, we'll just enjoy the view.

Now there's an imposing sight.  It's an old volcano.

What a place.

Tammy bundles up.

I wonder what those trees look like in summer.  Wouldn't be so bad around here with a little greenery.

Bill pretends he's not freezing.

We're all pretending.

If i were HBO and I wanted to film spectacular frozen desolation, this is where I'd come.

Yep, we're north of the wall all right.

In fact, that actually could be the wall right over there.

Shiver.

Bill is happy he has his blue hat to keep him warm.

Greg contemplates the tales we've been told of the blue-skinned creatures who roam these mountains.

And now Greg dozes off.  He'd better be careful; you never know whom you might run into north of the wall.  Hey Greg....

Boo!