Iceland

Our last stop was Iceland.  We flew through there on our way out and planned to spend a few days on our way home.  Seemed silly to go through the country twice and not stay for at least a little while.

I rather liked Iceland.  Being October, we were prepared for it to be colder but it wasn't bad at all.  It really is a pretty country.  Not very many trees but an interesting landscape.

The country wouldn't exist except for it's geothermal system.  Almost all of it's power comes from that.  They actually have power plants that have to cool the water before it can be piped through homes and buildings for heating. 

They also have an extensive amount of acreage under green houses to grow their crops.  The younger generation is moving off the farms and into the cities (ie. mostly Reykjavik) which is leaving the old to the farms.  They now have immigrant workers that come for the farming season and then leave.  We picked up a young woman from France who was hitch-hiking and on an exchange internship.  She had spent 1 month on a farm in the northern part of the country and was moving to another month stint in Vik on the southern side.

Strokkur

Gullfoss

We drove their Golden Circle tour which includes a geothermal field.  They have the Strokkur geyser which is their equivalent to our Old Faithful.  It isn't as high but goes off much more frequently, every 10-15 minutes.  The tour also includes Gullfoss waterfall which "in wildness and fury, outdoes Niagara Falls".




Hallgrimskirkja

Toured Reykjavik one day which included the Hallgrimskirkja church.  You can go up in the tower for views of the city.  It is 8 stories in the elevator and then another by stairs.


Sun Voyager

We also walked the beach and the Sun Voyager sculpture is a popular one for photographers to light at night and then photograph.

Hofdi House

We also passed Hofdi House which is the house that Reagan and Gorbachev met in during 1986.  Their meeting here effectively ended the Cold War and changed Europe.  It also put Iceland in the international spotlight and the country has grown dramatically since then.

We met an American group of photographers in a restaurant that recommended a location they had just been to the day before.  The next day we followed their recommendation and drove 4 1/2 hours one way along the southern coast out to the southeast section to Glacier Lagoon (Jokulsarlon). 


It was worth the long drive.  The largest ice field in Iceland (Hvannadalshnukur, try saying that even once) calves into Glacier Lagoon.  That lagoon connects with the ocean.  The icebergs melt and get washed by the tide out to sea.  Then the tide and wave action leaves most of them on a black, lava sand beach.  It is quite a sight to see these huge chunks of ice on a black beach.  They melt in some pretty cool shapes.

We really enjoyed Iceland and I wouldn't mind going back to catch some of the parts we missed.  We then headed home.  It was a terrific trip with lots and lots of special memories.