HIGHLIGHTS FROM JUNE 2010 EXCURSION TO ICELAND

We took a direct overnight flight from Dulles to Keflavik Airport on IcelandAir. The steward announced that the flight would take 5 hours, 34 minutes, and 14 seconds (our first hint of the Icelandic sense of humor we would discover). Our seating request fell through; putting us at opposite windows. Dave sat right by the main door (had to move legs so the door could be closed). Heather sat next to a man from Finland who was in D.C. to help create international standards for universal power supplies. We flew over land until we cleared Newfoundland/Labrador. Later saw what we believe were lights from the Greenland coast. Economy comfort class provided a small meal (good) and a beer (Icelandic of course). The airport was small; easy to navigate through. A short line took us through the passport check. We had nothing to declare. We found an ATM for Krona; then found the shuttle service booth.

The Hotel Klettur (originally booked) did not have a room for us but had arranged for us to switch to a partner hotel - Hotel Cabin. We agreed and were driven to what turned out to be a better situation. The view of the bay and mountain ridge was tremendous. It was still only a 20 minute walk to the city center; plus only 10 minutes to the start of the Midnight run. They even cleaned a room so we could check in early. We almost fell asleep in the lobby while we waited, but within 90 minutes, we had a room.

The hotel room was small by US standards, but we didn't need/expect more. It was functional and comfortable. The only noise was from the mini frig. The geothermal heat made no noise, but it always radiated some heat - even when turned to the lowest setting. We kept the window open all day and even into the night a few times. Bus loads of tour groups (mainly retired Germans) packed the lobby and breakfast room during this busy season.

The entire exterior wall (facing north) was window. The views were tremendous. We would sit at the end of the day, relax and enjoy watching the Iceland world go by. Even watching the ever changing clouds was fun. We called it our big-screen TV.

The view of the “setting” and “rising” sun (of course it never fully went below the horizon) was a unique treat. Watching the sun while looking north, though, was disorienting – the sun is never to the north in the US.

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The path along the shoreline was the perfect way to begin our exploration. The path is paved with rocks stacked as a break wall. During our stay, there were no breaking waves within the protected bay. We could see the tide rolling in, though.This view is toward the city center.

By the way – if you are viewing these in softcopy, you can expand the size of pictures for a closer look.

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View opposite from city center; towards the channel used by cruise and container ships – which we could watch from our room.

Another view from our top floor window.

The breakfast room was also on the top floor - offering views toward the city (no pictures). Breakfast was a good change from an American "normal" breakfast routine. Nothing fried or even hot. Cheese, fruits, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, Icelandic yogurt, hard boiled eggs, cold cuts, breads and pastries. Only negative - the juices were watered down and we believe the orange juice was Tang-based.

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018 020In the distance, you can make out mountains on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

View closer to the city center.

026 027Much photographed sculpture of a Viking ship.

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Harbor at the city center (no longer the main port). The boat "Christina" offers bird watching and fishing excursions. We didn't go on the excursion, just took the picture.

We ate at a small Mediterranean restaurant this first full day (most restaurants are small). The waitress/hostess was actually from Bulgaria and had only been in Iceland 10 days. She did not seem thrilled to be there - "It's cold, much warmer back home".

"Vik" (as in Reykjavik) means bay. Therefore, Viking refers to people of the bay.

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June 20, 2012, Quarter till midnight (2345 using Iceland’s 24 hour clock) - Setting sun over the water.

030 031Five minutes till midnight (2355) - Sun is a bit lower and dipping between distant mountains.

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Midnight - Sun remains above the horizon behind distant mountains.

Ten minutes after midnight (0010) - Sun is starting back up in the sky.

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Color of rising sun reflecting on clouds. This picture (since it is not pointed directly at the sun) shows how light it is (you could read a book by the light). This is the darkest it gets this time of year. Of course, this also shows the most amount of light there will be six months from now.

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055Closer view of Askirkja Church.

054Another view of the sports complex. Note the sponsor sign of Coca-Cola. The major US chains included Subway, Dominos Pizza, and KFC, but no burger joints (although they had their own drive through brand).

The Askirkja Church is on the hill - one of many architectural churches in Reykjavik.

Most of the "Run with the Midnight Sun" race wound through the park. The 5K started at 10:30 pm (2230) with plenty of daylight; there was no need for lights. After a warm (not at all hot) and relaxing time in the thermal pool we walked back to the hotel with the daylight offered by the midnight sun. A very unique experience (as was the entire trip).

The sports complex and recreation area occupies a large tract of land in a valley in the eastern part of Reykjavik. There are open park land, trails, gardens, farm exhibit, children's play areas and rides, sports fields (indoor and outdoor), skating rink, hot spring pool, etc. - and trees. It was in full use - many families.

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Site of super-powers peace summit that led to the end of the Cold War (as it existed before). The picture is from the shoreline path, so obviously the house offered the leaders a tremendous view of the bay. When the summit occurred, there were no other buildings around.Our guide (and the markers) referred to the Peace Summit between President Reagan and Secretary General Gorbachev as the most significant global event in Iceland's history. It demonstrated that Iceland was all about peace, offered a safe and carefree setting, and reflected their concern for the well-being of all people. The actual name of the Peace House is the Hofdi House (Icelandic rune letters would require a different keyboard - which Heather experienced while sending messages from the hotel lobby). It is now used for small conferences receptions or events (can't walk in to look around).

There are many artists in Iceland - writers, musicians, painters and sculptors. There are many small art museums in Reykjavik. These are sculptures by Asmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982).

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065 068Old cemetery on a hill above the Tjornin Pond. The procession (referred to as the parade) after the National Day ceremony stopped here to respect those who came before independence.

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View across Austuuvollur Square. The building with the flag is the Althingi (House of Parliament). Iceland’s Parliament is still small enough to conduct official business here.

Statue of Jon Sigurdsson on the square by the Parliament building. He argued long and hard for Iceland's freedom from Denmark. In 1874, Denmark allowed Iceland to establish a constitution; giving them authority to govern themselves (to a degree - trade was still controlled by Denmark). Independence occurred in 1944 when Nazi Germany over ran Denmark. Iceland took the stance that the previous agreement was with the Denmark Monarchy - which became void when the Nazi's dissolved the Monarchy. The Allied nations backed their claim. Independence Day was established on June 17, Jon Sigurdsson's birthday.

Statue of Ingolfur Arnarson - recognized as the first "permanent” settler of Iceland.

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As we walked around on the 17th (our first full day of sightseeing) we stood against a rope and watched while some youth practiced marching with Icelandic flags. Then the honor guard marched in and lined up (we are not sure who makes up the honor guard (our term) since there is no military service. Maybe police or members of the Coast Guard?).Next thing we knew, a few security personnel took positions along the rope, the Church bells rang, and out came the President and Prime Minister; followed by diplomats and special guests. We found ourselves with a front row view of the official National Day ceremony.

The President and Prime Minister laid a wreath at Jon Sigurdsson's statue - and we were just yards away from these leaders.

When Heather met with the Reykjavik Public Librarians, she mentioned her amazement of how close the public was during such an official ceremony. One Librarian got an aggravated look on her face and stated that two years ago there was no rope and you could sit where you wanted. Last year she was told she had to sit in the back so she didn't bother attending this year because of how things had changed. We were amazed by the access; she was disappointed by the “control”.

Youth choir signing national songs during the procession of the President and Prime Minister. Icelanders who had attended the official the church service started gathering around the rope, so we left to give them room – it was their special day.

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Downtown sculpture reflecting the geothermal activity of the island.

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Oldest standing building in Reykjavik (1762). There were a lot of fires in Reykjavik during the 1970s and 1980s so they banned wood framed buildings. This one survived.

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View across Tjornin, the large pond in Reykjavik. The building at the left is the City Government Building. The "person" on the bench is another sculpture. The far side of the pond was filled with booths and entertainment for the National Day festival; which included music, rides, a puppet show with a huge crowd of children, a vintage car show featuring many American models, and a strong man competition.

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View of the city's beautiful architecture. Love the mountain in the background. The architecture isn't very old by European (or even American) standards. Iceland was extremely poor for much of it's history, so there were not many show-case homes built by "the wealthy". The 1990s and early 2000s brought increased prosperity. As with many other countries, they over extended the building boom and international credit holdings grew beyond control. The bust hit hard. Tourism (not a major industry prior to then) has helped their recovery – which a guide thanked us for.

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The National Museum was very good (and free on National Day). Settlement of the island is a recent event historically speaking. There were no-pre-history peoples. Extensive use of sod and wood for early buildings results in few ruins. Churches were the most long lasting structures from which historians could build an understanding of early settlements. Displays also show recent (within our lifetime) aspects of society, including a collection of photographs from ordinary citizens. There is also a display on the 1972 Fischer / Spassky World Chess Championship held in Iceland.

Note that the sign includes English as well as Icelandic. Displays (in all museums) were in Icelandic and English. Most of our fellow tourists were from Europe, but English is the default language for non-Icelandic speakers. While the tourist excursions were in English this didn't mean they were catering to the American and British tourists which were in the minority. The exception was the number of German speaking tours offered (again, they came by the busloads).Also note that "Iceland" is "Island" in Icelandic.We also toured the City Settlement Museum (no picture) - an archeological excavation of an early home.

Einer Jonsson sculpture along the Tjornin Pond. More on this artist later.

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120View of what has become the "upscale" shopping street - Skolavoroustigur. It leads up to Hallgrimskirkja Church which dominates most views of the city.

121View from Hallgrimskirkja Church down Skolavoroustigur.

122Architecture is based on columns of volcanic basalt rock. Statue is of Leifur Eiriksson.

123Guides pointed out with pride how Eiriksson discovered North American long before Columbus.

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View inside Hallgrimskirkja Church . Simplistic (vice ornate) but grand.

The pipe organ is huge and beautiful. The church hosts many recitals and concerts. The backs of the pews easily switch positions so people can sit facing the organ.

Beautiful Baptismal Font. Every Icelandic birth is registered with the Lutheran Church. People can change their registration but many don't bother. As a result over 84% of the Icelandic people are Lutheran (according to the registry).

Stained glass window in the Church.

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Hallgrimskirkja Pulpit.

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City view from the Hallgrimskirkja Church bell tower. Looking toward downtown and the original harbor. The ridge along the horizon to the right is the same one we view from our hotel.

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The dome structure just right of center is the Perlan (referred to as the "Pearl"). It is a museum, restaurant and observation point built on top of huge tanks used to store hot water for Reykjavik. Pictures from that location appear later.

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View of the shoreline and the path we used to get back to our hotel.

We happened to be in the tower when noon chimed. We could feel the reverberation.

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Loved the "stack 'em where you can" used book store. Icelandic people love to read - and write (one in ten will be published). This is a store you could spend days in - if you could read Icelandic.

We think this must be the shop Heather's brother Greg visited and struck up a sitar jam session with the owner. We'll find out for sure.

173Reykjavik is famous for its lamb and beef hotdogs. Somehow we didn't get around to eating here, even though we planned to. More than one guide told the story that Bill Clinton ate hot dogs at this stand, and had his heart attach a month later. They love that story - the Icelandic sense of humor was clearly evident throughout our trip.

174Picture opportunity along the longest shopping/dining street - Laugavegur. Icelandic mythology is filled with Trolls, Elves and Hidden People who live farm and raise families among the rocks. Planned roads are willingly (matter-of factly) re-routed if they come across rocks recognized as places where hidden people live.

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177Harpa Concert Hall - a unique architecture with prism-shaped glass; again inspired by volcanic basalt rock formations. The building reflects light in multiple ways and colors. We mentioned it positively to one guide who disagreed. Many see it as an intrusion of the shoreline. It is seen as an example of Reykjavik trying to become cosmopolitan which was out of character. It is also one of the reminders of the building boom that contributed to the financial crisis. The people we met were more than willing to share their perspectives - which was a good way to understand their society in a personal manner.

182Inside the City Government Building (which is bigger than the Parliament Building) is a large relief map of the island. Of course the old cartographer Dave loved it.A partial view of the building from across the pond was on picture 108 (page 9).

186During Heather's meeting with the Librarians, she learned about one of their intercultural programs – Women's Story Circle. They created this “map” of the Reyjkavik area. It was on display in the City Government Building.

191Hateigskirkja Church - another architecturally unique church within Reykjavik. There are many bells in the towers.

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200Some of the colorful homes throughout the city.

202Another bright and colorful building. We wondered what WOW Air was (ventilation systems?, radio station?). We found it was an actual airline when we saw ticket counters at the airport. Fly WOW!

205This intricate mosaic is made from many small pieces of tile. It covers an entire side of a building.

206Heather is standing in front of another section of the mosaic. Beautiful!

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210Einar Jonsson (1874-1954) was Iceland's first famous sculptor. Many of his works are throughout the city. He built this home and workshop on top of a hill outside of town when there was nothing else around - but this has changed over the years. This picture is taken from the grounds of the Hallgrimskirkja Church. The building houses many of his works. A sculpture garden is in the back.

211View from the sculpture garden. Jonsson and his wife lived on the small top floor, the middle floor was a display area, and the massive ground floor was his workshop.

232We are now inside the Perlan (see picture 158, page 13).The ground floor of the "Pearl" displays many works of art (plus a small museum and gift shop). We believe the palm trees reflect more of the Icelandic sense of humor. The rounded walls are actually sides of the water tanks the observation tower is built on.

235View of the dining area with the observation level on top. There is a view from inside, or you can walk around the outside of the dome. It was a windy and misty day but we walked all around the observation deck.

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View from the Perlan - of Reykjavik and surrounding mountains.

The clouds cleared over this mountain. To the left you can see the bell towers of Hateigskirkja Church (see picture 191, page 15).We reference other pictures to make the point of how close (relatively) everything is. We could easily walk most places (although this location was a stop on the Reykjavik bus tour we took).

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View toward Hallgrimskirkja Church.

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245Zoomed-in view from Perlan across the Reykjavik Airport (regional flights to other parts of the island only). The buildings in the distance (red roofs) are the President's home.

250The excursion van took us through surrounding suburbs (seven towns grew together to make up the Reykjavik metropolitan area). 80% of Iceland's 320,000 population (320,034 according to one sign in a restaurant - more of their sense of humor?) lives in this metropolitan area.We came to an old farmstead near the end of a peninsula. This is where the President lives. The Icelandic flag was raised - meaning the President was there. We were asked, out of respect, to not go beyond the Church building. That was it - in terms of security. No gate, no fence, no guards, no snipers stationed on the roof. Another unique experience.

251Many large farm complexes of the early territorial leaders included churches. These were symbols of power and sources of income (they got a portion of the tithes). When the economy crisis hit a few years ago, people were mad that the Parliament was discussing minor issues rather than addressing the crisis. They started banging on pots and pans outside of the Parliament Building. Many of the members were forced to resign by this "pots and pans" revolution. The guide told that some protesters came to the President's home. It was cold out, so he came out and invited them in for coffee and hot chocolate.

253View from the grounds of the President's home looking back towards Reykjavik. We started talking to a journalist who was riding with the tour. He mentioned that the next Presidential election was 30 June, and the leading challenger (Ms. Thora Arnorsdottir) was the wife of a long-time friend. Heather voiced surprise that there was no indication that a major election was less than two weeks away. He mentioned that his friend had just put up some posters at bus stops. Debates were held, but advertisement-type techniques are not how they do things. When Heather mentioned to one of the librarians that we met someone who knew Ms. Thora, she replied - "Oh yes, I had lunch with her yesterday". It is a small country.By the way, the incumbent was re-elected.

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301Our first excursion outside of Reykjavik was north to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula (Mon. 18 June). The bus took us through rugged landscape with numerous old lava fields. We saw many small farms with free-range grazing sheep (not in flocks), horses and a few cattle. Hay is harvested where ever it can be to help feed the animals through the long winters. This picture shows a few remnants of ancient volcanoes.

303Our first stop was at Gerouberg Cliff a long cliff formation of volcanic basalt (the inspiration of artwork and architecture).

305The climb to the exposed rock was fairly steep and the cliff was tall.

308View from the cliff across the vast landscape (ancient volcano in the distance).

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314The shoreline at Arnarstapi, along the southern coast of the peninsula, was extremely rugged. The very hard volcanic rocks form vertical cliffs and tall standing rock formations.

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Many seagulls nest on the steep cliffs.

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We visited at low tide, which exposed more of the rock.

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More rock formations. A few feet from where Dave is squatting is a sheer drop to rocks below. There are few safety measures at the parks in Iceland. As with most countries, there liability laws are different than what exists in the US.

323Looking inland from the coastline.

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Monument to the local protective entity.

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335Black sand beach near the end of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Walking through the smooth oval pebbles along the shore was cool - and a challenge. The rust colored items are metal debris from a ship wreck. It is left in place out of respect for those who lost their lives.

337The pebbles got smaller as we neared the coast.

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It is taking Mother Nature a long time to turn this rock into black sand.

340Unfortunately, our time at the black sand beach was short. We hiked a whirlwind circuit, but would have loved to spend more time here.

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342View of the Snaefellsjokull Glacier at the end of the peninsula. When the sky was clear, we could see this feature from our hotel room (see picture 018, page 3 – this is the distant mountain at the far left on that picture).

351Visit to Stykkisholmur Village; a small, but still active, fishing village. The harbor is well protected by the massive rock. A quota system and regulations try to maintain the viability of these small fishing operations and communities.

353View from the fishing harbor. There are numerous rocky islands just off the coast.

354Sheer volcanic basalt cliff of the massive rock seen above (picture 351).

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361On Tue. 19 June, our excursion took us along the southern coast to Thorsmork (Thor's Woods) National Park. We drove through vast flat "fertile" (by Icelandic standards) agricultural areas We could have been in Nebraska (minus the grain crops).

This picture is of the volcano that erupted in 2010 - disrupting air travel over much of Europe. We were expecting to see a lot of devastation, but that was not the case – recovery has been rapid.The volcano is Eyjafjallajokull. This rolls easily off the tongue of Icelandic speakers.

363This excursion was heading into rough road and off-road territory within Thorsmork. A bus like this (and an experienced driver) was a must. Some people hire vehicles, like the one next to our bus, for small group excursions.

365View of the rugged valley leading into Thorsmork. Streams meander through the valley carving ever changing paths through the rock and rubble.

366Thorsmork (note: the actual spelling uses a rune-like character similar to a P with the post extending above the loop. Everywhere in this guide where you see "th" for place names or a person's name (i.e. the Presidential candidate), the rune is actually used in the spelling).

View as the bus was fording this stream. Holding a steady camera in the bouncing, rocking and rolling bus was a challenge.

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371Thorsmork National ParkThe guide leads us on a hike through Stakkholtsgja, a valley that narrows progressively into a gorge.

373The hard volcanic rock erodes into huge, sheer and fascinating formations.

375Like the bus, we had to ford our own streams on the hike. The experienced guide bounded right across - then lent a steadying hand to all us tourists.

377The valley narrowed into a gorge along the way. We didn’t follow this branch, but continued to what the guide promised would be a special treat.

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The destination of our Stakkholtsgja hike was this very tall, vertical cut into the rock. A waterfall cascades down the cliff forming a pipe-like cut. We climbed into the crevasse and onto the fallen rocks to be right in the midst of this natural wonder. It was a special treat as promised.

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381Pictures cannot capture this spectacular feature, but here is one attempt. The water is falling along the right side of the "pipe".

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This hike was a highlight of the trip's highlights. Beautiful Awesome

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395Starting a second hike after off-roading deeper into the park's large valley. This location offered camping spaces and basic services for people on days-long hikes. This portion of the park also contains large tracts of Birch trees (the only tree native to the island). Throughout our visit, guides referred to any stand of trees, no matter how small, as a "forest" - probably that is the translation since we were often looking at the results of reforestation projects.

396View across the large rugged valley. There was off-n-on drizzle during this hike.

397Numerous small flowers blossom during the short growing season. Here are a few examples.

400View of our hiking destination - after walking along the narrow ridge at the lower left on the picture. The background shows another view of the valley with meandering rivers and streams.

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401View from the rock formation on the previous picture - looking back at the path we took

403Another view from the rock formation we hiked to. We then finished the loop back to the bus.A young British man and his 80-something (we think) grandmother were on the hike. She hiked along well (an inspiration), but slow. Falling behind on this loop trail, they took a wrong turn and became lost. As we all waited on the bus, the guide made another quick loop but couldn't find them. He started a second loop with the bus driver heading along the valley in case they picked up a different trail and existed elsewhere. While driving, Heather spotted them sliding down the hill to get to the valley. The driver worked the bus over to them, then picked up the guide (who had quite a workout). It was raining steady at that point, so they were wet as well. The grandmother quickly fell asleep - thankfully safe.

413View of a glacier finger extending toward a valley. This looks like a black and white shot, but it is the same camera. With the black rock, white ice, and grey sky, these were the only colors in view. 412The dark streaks are from layers of dust/soil

that accumulates between layers of ice. These are exposed as the ice melts.

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420Back near the entrance to the national park is Seljalandsfoss. While not a spectacular falls (according to our guide), this falls is a popular stop because of its proximity to Thorsmork’s entrance (visitors don't have to go off-road to get to it).

423Seljalandsfoss is also popular because you can walk behind the cascading water. We thought it was spectacular (i.e. by Shenandoah standards).

426View from the other side of the falls - the direction the mist was blowing.

429In addition to the Seljalandsfoss, there are many smaller falls emerging over the ridge. The water is only partially from the summer melting of snow. Much of it is precipitation that falls on the island.

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The Golden Circle excursion started along back roads just outside the Reykjavik metropolitan area. We drove through lava fields that do not have much vegetation taking hold. We came to an area where geothermal steam vents reach the surface.Thingvallavatn (the lake), our destination area, can be seen in the distance.

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View of bore holes (the white domes) that tap into the natural source of energy. Pipes carry the hot steam and water to the energy plant (later in the tour).

448The Golden Circle excursion is one of the most popular tours. Cruise ships offer this tour to their passengers. Plus it was a Saturday, so each stop was shared with many people. The white bus is ours - the largest of any excursion we took. The other bus is with the same company (Iceland Excursions - Grey Line) and on the same run; only it was conducted in German.

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Another view of the natural steam vents with Thingvallavatn in the distance. The thick moss that has grown on top of the lava rocks is very soft and cushiony. Our feet sunk down into it.

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Thingvellir National Park is extensive and contains many natural wonders. It is popular with tourists, and also is a vacation spot for Icelandic people. There are numerous summer cottages throughout the area.

The lake is very clear. Excursion companies offer scuba tours (with very warm wet suits) to view the underwater formations and water life.

The Atlantic Ridge that separates the North American teutonic plate and the Eurasia plate runs through this part of Iceland. These two plates (and therefore the island) are pulling apart at about two centimeters a year - leaving a deep and uneven trench in the landscape. Notice the two columns of steam on the side of the mountain in the distance; that was our first stop.

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467Another view of the separating teutonic plates - looking away from the lake.

471Two of the massive number of tourists. There is a large multi-bus parking lot and a visitors center at this site. Pay toilets, though.

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478Althingi is the site of the annual gathering of ancient leaders and their entourages from across the island. They met to rule on official business, form agreements, and govern themselves. This is seen as one of the earliest parliamentary forms of governance in the world. If you remember page 7, the current Parliament Building has the same name (Althingi).The day we visited, the interior part of the island actually reached 23 degrees C (upper 60s - 70 F). Short sleeves in Iceland!

480Example of how clear the water is. This is a view of rocks on the bottom of the stream (not algae floating on top).

482View from the spot where the Icelandic leaders conducted official business. Social and competitive events were also part of this annual gathering.

483View of the surrounding landscape. It was fairly lush along the small rivers that meander through this valley. It could easily support a large gathering of people and their animals.

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More picture at Althingi.Another view or the valley - looking towards the lake (Thingvallavatn).

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View of a large stream that falls from the cliff, then cuts a parallel course along its base.

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The stream then enters the ancient meeting grounds.

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The flag pole marks the spot of the official meeting. The lush streams and vegetation seen on the previous pictures lay in between the near and far rock formations.

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Gulfoss is a crowning jewel on the Golden Circle Tour. Truly awesome display of nature.

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View of the distant mountains that are a source of the water. The vast flat land funnels the water to the falls

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Once the water falls, it takes a 90 degree turn to cut a deep and narrow gorge through the hard volcanic rock. Tremendous amounts of spray chimney up above the gorge.Very unique and awesome.

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More pictures of Gulfoss.Directly above the falling water - looking along the narrow gorge.

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The sound of thundering water was awesome. At the National Gallery of Iceland in Reykjavik, there is a display that encases a series of large panels. When you pull one out, you see a transparent picture of one of Iceland’s prominent falls, and also here a recording of the sound it makes. Of course there is nothing like the real thing.

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A view downstream from the falls.

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A partial and distant view of a large glacier - Langjokull. The ice extends beyond the full length of the picture. This is as close as this excursion came to it.

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Geysir is the name of this location - from which our term geyser came from. This is the most popular and accessible site of geothermal pools and geysers. Not nearly as extensive as Yellowstone, but still wonderful.

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We hiked, on our own, up a small ridge flanking the Geysir area and came across this hot spring bubbling to the surface, then flowing down to join the main area of geothermal activity.

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Bubbling hot springs in Geysir. The area is open for people to wonder as they wish. We even saw a camper rinsing a metal pot by dipping it into a spring (not a smart move).

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View of the Geysir area from the ridge we hiked up. Happened to catch the main geyser erupting.

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Another view from the ridge – the upper portion of the hot spring area..

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View of the other side of the ridge; which opened to a lush (relatively speaking) valley.

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Skalkolt – site of the first bishops’ compound on Iceland. This is a reconstructed old church. Archeological digs are discovering numerous structures and providing insight into how they lived and interacted with others in the area.

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Distant view of Hekla, Iceland's most active volcano - erupting about every 10 years. The guide said it was due.

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Our last stop on the Golden Circle excursion was at the Geothermal Energy Plant outside of Reykjavik. Use of geothermal energy sources is why Iceland exists today (in the words of the plant's guide). It supplies reliable and inexpensive heating and hot water to most of the inhabitants. Recently, a contingent of Japanese energy experts visited the plant to learn how they can tap into this source of energy on their island (they had made the nuclear choice years ago, but are rethinking the decision after the tsunami disaster). They commented on the irony of going to Iceland to see how to utilize geothermal power and finding the generators and equipment were manufactured in Japan.

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Some of the generators. Notice the pipes coming over the hill carrying steam and water from sites such as the one the Golden Circle excursion started with.

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591 594The largest brewery in Iceland (Egils brands) is in a suburb adjacent to Reykjavik. The tour was a surprisingly small group (11 of us). When we arrived, a local resident dropped off 5 young English soccer players and arranged for them to joined our group.

This tour was not about the plant and brewing process. The hostess talked about the history and cultural aspects of Icelandic beer. It was all about entertainment (Heather thought the hostess was an actor by trade). The British "Lads" (as the hostess referred to them) added to the entertainment experience (leading the group in a pub song at one point).

A sample of the offerings. Gull is their award winning beer. It flowed freely – which the lads took full advantage of. The other major brewery (Vifilfrll) creates Viking and Thule brands and is in Akureyri in the northern part of the island. The clean Icelandic water does not require chlorination – a reason for the great taste. Unfortunately, we have not found Icelandic beers offered anywhere in the northern VA area.The hostess asked everyone in the group where they were from. There were the British Lads of course, another person from Britain, a couple from Canada, one lady from Australia, and the rest from America. Everyone who signed up for the brewery tour was from an English speaking country - go figure.

596The hostess gathered cameras for group pictures as we toasted "Skal". The Lads are the enthusiastic ones in the back.

The hostess took a second picture with our camera after the posed "Skal". Clearly everyone had fun. Allow us to say "unique" once again.

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610Heather had arranged to meet with the Youth Services librarians at the Reykjavik Public Library to share experiences and information on programs. View of the Library which is located near the Reykjavik harbor.The top floor of the building houses the Museum of Photography; which rotates works by Icelandic artists.

611View from the back of the building. The Reykjavik harbor is behind us.

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There is a colorful and fanciful mural painted along the entire wall of the building (parking lot side). When Heather asked about it, the librarian answered that an American artist offered to paint the mural, which was accepted. They had no real idea of what he had in mind. She was clearly not thrilled with the result. But she accepts it in true Icelandic spirit.

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Heather with an example of the public art thatwas on display throughout the library..

View of the library interior. Dave read magazines while Heather met with the staff. They provide magazines in English as well as Icelandic.

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We close our highlights with this statue – the likeness of a prevalent ancient icon found throughout the island. There are differing opinions of what the icon represents or symbolizes. People don’t agree on what the figure is holding. Icelandic people don’t worry about any of this. They still revere it as part of their heritage (as much as the trolls, elves, and hidden people.)

This trip was more than we could have imagined.Awesome country and awesome people. We returned with more memories than could be captured in this summary.Very unique experience!