Iceland: Reykjavick

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We arrived in Iceland at 5 a.m. after an easy flight with WOW Airlines from Pittsburgh. When we landed the scenery let you know immediately you were in parts unknown! For miles around the airport are lava fields, flat, almost barren. Closer inspection reveals that the purple hues are Lupins, stretches of them, planted for conservation reasons and considered by some to be an invasive nuisance. The lava rocks are also coated with green and red lichens and moss, which were are later told is a result of climate change--twenty years ago the rocks were a barren grey. Today, as it is warmer, the ground covering plants are gaining a foothold.



We quickly passed through one of the easiest immigration checks ever--"are you staying in Iceland?" "Yes" "Fine, go ahead", passport stamped. We picked up a rental car and drove the 40 minutes to the home of Thor Gunnersson. Thor had been a graduate student of mine nearly 30 years ago at Ohio University, leaving to go home to Iceland in 1989. He became the president of Akureyri University, the second largest university in the nation after the University of Iceland. We had not seen each other since he left, but we recognized each other immediately when we arrived at his apartment complex where he and his wife, Arthora, welcomed Michael and I in for breakfast. They then took us to the home of Huginn, their son, where we will be staying and let us settle in for a nap.



After a rest we toured a bit of the immediate area and stopped in for a snack--who knew that the favorite fast food in Iceland is the hotdog! Mustard and onions on mine, please. Loving this place already.



But what was next was really special. We had passed a cluster of large white buildings on a spit of land in the sound near us on the way to our lodging and I commented to Michael that it was probably a very nice farm. Nice farm, indeed, it is the home of the President of Iceland. The place has been inhabited since around 900 AD and given to the state in the 1940s for the president's lodging. Perhaps the reason we had no idea it was such an important site was the lack of any police protection--really, nothing. But when Thor turned up the drive to the place he let us know that we were about to be given a personal, private tour of the residence by Friobjorn Moller, the Facility and Security Manager--also known as the president's body guard. His previous position had been working for Thor Athens Akureyri University where he was the manager of facilities; Thor had recommended him for this position.



Friobjorn took us through all the rooms, talking about not only the architecture and the events that went on in the facility, but also about the art work and why the president has selected the various pieces. We went under the house to see the archaeological dig that unearthed objects and bones from the first settlers, the library and president's desk including a Greek vase over 2600 years old and the first Bible translated into Icelandic. We also saw the owl sculpture that Ronald Reagan gave a former president after the Reykjavik summit where he and Gorbachev first met. (The soviets had given him a clock, which sets next to the owl, but which has never worked--can't make a clock work but can interfere with elections? Ah, the irony.) Michael even got to try out a Viking sword. We did not meet the president himself, but we were assured that our thanks for letting us hang around his house would be passed on. (Note: Nothing in the place is behind ropes or monitored with sensors, etc. The only thing, including the vase, that you cannot touch is the old Bible which was put under plexiglass after one of the President's children was observed approaching the large, tempting book with her crayons.)



No first day in Iceland would be complete without a dip in a thermal pool. Throughout the city there are public pools, all heated by thermal spring water piped in from the major reservoir. By the way, that is how all the homes are heated as well, though a series of underground pipes pumping hot water to all buildings. We checked in and soaked in pools of various temperatures, enjoyed the sauna, cooled off on occasion in the chilled pool, and enjoyed long soaks while a gentle rain fell from the grey skies.



Day one ended with dinner at Thor and Arthora's home--the traditional weekend roast of leg of lamb, roast potatoes, salad, and assorted jams and breads. We were joined by their daughter who I had last seen some 29 years ago this week celebrating the 4th of July by running around our home in Amesville with a sparkler trying to get all the way around the house singing the national anthem before the sparkler went out.



On Sunday we toured Reykjavik with Thor and Arthora, including the beautiful conference center on the water, the old streets in the center of town, and the sculpture garden of Einar Jonsson. The garden was beautiful and open free to the public! We are a bit worn out this Sunday afternoon, and so are headed for a nap. But there are rumors of hitting the nightlife of Reykjavik tonight--stay tuned.

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