Reykjavik

May 18

Amazing how some things just never change no matter where you may be.  Feeling very much at home as got flipped the bird!  

Great morning, sun shining with a few clouds.  Nice after all the cloud and rain.  Nice for drive through a valley.

Visited a breeder of Icelandic horses, Varmilaekur, Skagafirdi, which have 5 gaits, standard horses only have 3.  This breeder has bred and trained 2 world champions.  Very impressive display of the horses.  Video of it but too big to post!  Interesting as if a horse leaves the country it is not allowed to return.  No horse or horse gear is allowed into the country for fear of disease.  A top horse can be 40 million kroner, $320,000

Drove by a private business boarding school.  Ironic that the company that they lease the property from went bankrupt and the school now leases from the bank.

Stopped at yet another geyser, remember it is the land of Fire and Ice!!!!  This the most powerful hot spring in iceland and Europe, with the surrounding lava fields dating back to 800 AD, just around the time of the first settlers.

Another waterfall!  Ah but this one is different!  The water seems to come out of the lava rock, and has the colour of glacial water, a blue. 

Visit to  a community that was developed around Snorri, 1100/1200 AD.  He was a rich man with his own hot tub, with a private tunnel to it from his house.  They have restored the area, right down to the wooden pegs in the door!

Last night as a group, so in the bar with Marena, Jonathon, Danny for drinks after dinner.  Mostly beer but did go for the local vodka shot, Reyka!

May 19

The last day!

Into end of a fjord where in WWII the British navy hid out.  Barracks are being restored.  This is situated near the old whaling station.

Then off to large lake!  Which is near the meeting of the 2 tectonic plates, NA and Eurasian.  This site is also the first meeting place of parliment, beheadings, and drownings, rituals and festivals. A very busy spot.  This picture of the split in plates.

Celebrated 1000 years of Christianity in 2000.

There is another geothermal plant near the lake with supplies Reykjavik with hot water and power.  The water is piped about 30 km.

Then off to the Blue Lagoon, a 45 minute bus ride away.  This is the byproduct of the a different geothermal plant.  6300 kroner, $50.  Had a 2 hour soak.  Water is a milky colour blue, very nice.  They have buckets of silica sand all around which is used on the face!  Now I look at least 20 years younger!  At least that is what we told each other!  And of course that is true!

May 20

Able to get another night at hotel since I missed at the start!  Island Travel has been very accommodating.

Breakfast with a few from the group and some goodbyes as some head off.

Walked to the Perlan, just above the hotel, which has a Viking Museum.  Display was great showing an excellent history of the settling of Iceland.

A day of cultural experiences today!!!!!  I think this will cover me for the rest of the trip!

Went to the Reykjavik Art Museum. 2 exhibitions, a US nude photographer and a Icelandic artist.  Very colourful oils of famous people. (Erro).  An amazing complex, and no entry fee and no place for donations

The to Maritime Museum.  This is on the pier in a building about 5 years old.  Looks almost new and is huge!  They have the Odnin, an Icelandic Search and Rescue boat.  This boat was active in the Cod Wars, 3 of them, mostly with Britian over the fishable areas.  They now have a 200 mile perimeter.  Got an almost private tour of facility.  4 people and 3 guides.  One was a 2nd year Univ of Iceland history student.  Was interesting.

Then needed a coffee but on the way found the City library which had an exhibition of 2 Icelandic photographers.  Thomsen and Thomsen.  They took mostly family pictures as well as the changing landscape of Iceland.