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Published: August 12th 2007
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As some of you probably figured out, Travelblog was down for almost the entire time I was in Iceland. All my entries were lost, though some have since been recovered. Now I am in Greeland, with only rare access to the internet and no ability to upload photos. So I am pasting a few blurbs for entries I had intended to post about Iceland. I will write about Greenland after I return stateside (for now know that it surreally beautiful and beautifully surreal). I will likely put together some photo slide shows of the trip. If you are interested in or all of them, just let me know.
1. Strange and beguiling Reykjavik
It is rare that I have to warm to a place - usually I know very quickly whether or not I like a city when I arrive. If I don´t have an immediate, positive response, I am unlikely to develop one. But Reykjavik was a surprise, slowly seducing me rather than making a fast move. I have to admit that I was, at first, a little surprised by how drab much of the the city is architecturally, at least much of the earlier homes and housing
blocks which are often dark gray stucco. Then there was the gritty feel of the graffiti on many walls. Even now, after having a chance to see the more cutting edge parts of the city, or the prettier leafy environs of the lake Tjörnin, I would not classify Reykjavik as one of the lovelier European cities I have seen (dramatic, gorgeous setting, yes; as a city, no). But Reykjavik is a city of often hidden charms, where behind that gray stucco exterior one will find a bright, cheerful interior. It is a city where hip Icelanders drink in cozy cafes or chic bars. Where some of the best modern art I have seen of late is displayed in abundance. Where the museums are as high tech as I have experienced. Where people hang out in "hot pots" and geothermal pools on a regular basis. There is a vibe to this city unlike any other. And I am thoroughly hooked.
We spent our first couple of days getting acquainted with all that Reykjavik has to offer (after the Faroes, Reykjavik at 115,000 seemed a veritable metropolis - and it does have more restaurtants and cultural institutions per capita than almost any
city of comparable size). Of course, since my trip is Viking themed, the very first thing I did after we settled in to our hostel was to visit the Þjóðmenningarhúsið (Culture House) to see the dimmly lit saga manuscripts that are, without a doubt, the "crown jewels" of Iceland. I have been reading many of the sagas as I have traveled, providing both a literary and historical texture to the landscapes I see. I was strangely humbled to see these products of the early Christian era of Iceland, books written by monks, often about the often brutal days of the settlement - and writing them in Old Norse, not in Latin. They were the first major corpus of vernacular prose literature produced in "Europe". We also saw the excellent Reykjavik 871+/-2 Settlement Exhibition, an innovative, interactive museum built around a Viking long house discovered beneath the city.
Outside of our more high-brow endeavors, both Meghan and I became hooked on the geothermal baths dotted around the city. We actually had one of the biggest right next door to our hostel. Since arriving in Iceland, we have not missed a day soaking and relaxing at least once in a "hot pot".
I have definitely been seduced by Reykjavik and Iceland.
2. Our Own Golden Triangle
Having tasted the freedom of our own set of wheels in the Faroes, we rented a car to see some of the country outside of Reykjavik. The classic day trip tour is called the Golden Triangle, the three points of which are: Þingvellir National Park, Geysir (which obviously gives us the word "geysir"), and Gulfoss (major waterfall). We put these on our itinerary but in our own order and at our own pace - and with a couple extras thrown in. On the way to Þingvellir, there is a museum in honor of the most famous of Icelandic authors, Hálldor Laxness, this small country´s Nobel Prize winning writer. Admittedly, he was not on my radar before I began planning this trip, but once I read _Independent People_ I was hooked. So I wanted to make this pilgrimage, to see the house he called home for much of his life (right across from the farm on which he grew up). Meghan and I had the tour to ourselves, which allowed us to savor the fascinating tale of this man - and of his
oh-so patient wife. I recommend his work to anyone.
Þingvellir was another pilgrimage site for me, as this is where the original Icelandic Alþing, or "parliament" was gathered from the earliest days of the settlement of the island. It is enormously important, symbolically, to Icelanders, as for them it is a sign of their independence and early "democratic" Viking society - before Christianity stole some of the fire and before the Norwegian, then Danish, monarchies imposed their rule. The place itself is also quite beautiful, and provides one of the clearest signs of the continental divide one can see. The rift forms a narrow canyon, the sides of which are moving in opposite directions.
Gulfoss and Geysir provided even more natural beauty, enhanced by the stunningly sunny, warm weather (it was, at times, even comfortable to wear short sleeves). Gulfoss is a roaring glacier fed waterfall, resplendent with dazzling rainbows. An enormous icefield can be seen in the distance. Geysir brought out the kid in us, as we watched the regular eruption of one and turned our noses at the eggy smell of sulpher permeating the air.
We rounded off the day with one more pilgrimage, a visit
to the former seat of the church in Iceland, Skáholt. Although the present church is twentieth-century, there has been a church on the site for almost a thousand years. It is hard to imagine the importance it once held, not only religiously but politically, for this island country. Then on to a hot pot!
3. Journey to the Center of the Earth
Although he never visited the place, Jules Verne chose the glacier topped Snæfell Volcano as the gateway to the center of the earth - an apt choice if there ever was.
Since I left Meghan at the airport on Saturday (after a quite relaxing few hours in the famous/infamous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, set in a lunar like lava-scape), I have officially returned to my solo travels. (I miss her already!) With the several days I had left in Iceland, before moving on to Greenland, I chose to concentrate on Snæfellsness, the peninsula on which the eponymous volcano resides. It is an otherwordly place, where the sea meets the mountains, where dark volcanic fields give way to gentle farmland, where ice intermingles with luxurious green grass, where there is easy solitude to be found just down a
hidden dirt road. With my own wheels, I was able to explore at my own pace and cover considerable ground. I was able to hike along the black sand beaches, to drive up to the glacier and touch the ice, to find a tucked away cafe serving heavenly seafood soup with a dollap of fresh cream, to discover Viking era monuments (see below), to take a whale-watching tour (the sight of a humpback whale brought out all my childhood enthusiasm for these marine mammals), and to simply soak up the particular peace of this corner of Iceland. Somehow being in Snæfellsnes emphasized the aspects of Iceland´s nature I have come to adore most - the absolute freshness of the air and water (tap water is pure spring water, brought from real springs) and the unique intensity of the long-lasting sunlight that brings out all the rich colors of the mostly treeless landscapes. It is wild, yet civilized.
As I have already said, much of my journey has been shaped by the Icelandic sagas. One of the most intriguing figures of that corpus is Gudridur Thorbjornsdottir, a woman born in the shadow of Snæfell but who went on to live in
Skalholt
Ancient seat of Christianity in Iceland. Greeland, give birth to the first white child in North America (in "Vinland"), and then in latter years, as a nun (widowed, of course), venturing on a pilgrimage to Rome -- and ending her days back in Iceland. It is often claimed she was the most widely traveled Icelandic woman until the twentieth-century, and I doubt there would be few women, or men, anywhere who could have competed with her during her lifetime. I made sure to stop at the monument at her birthplace during my tour of the national park on Snæfellsnes.
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Meghan
non-member comment
I told you you'd miss me! Haha. Glad to hear you're having a good time. Sad about your entries, but hopefully they'll all turn up. Can't wait to hear the stories when you're back!