Iceland

John’s office closes from Christmas through the New Year.  We couldn’t decide where we wanted to go for the week.  Not really a week, as we wanted to spend Christmas in Haxey.  Belatedly, we decided to try to go north in an attempt to see the Northern Lights.  It is the height of an 11 year cycle and December is supposed to be to peak of that high.   The only place we could be accommodations and fights to was Iceland, so off we went.

View of lava field from airplane. Ocean in background.

If you have ever been to the big island in Hawaii and seen the lava flows along the north side, add snow and you have Iceland.  The lava outside of town was only covered in snow in the low spots. The rest was blown clear with the snow off into the sea.  There was more snow in the city where the buildings stop its movement. There was ice everywhere.  It was 29 to 32 degrees while we were there with a light to strong breeze at times.  We had sun and some cloud cover but no snow during the day.  

Us along the harbor in Reykjavik about noon.

Sadly to say, we didn’t see any Northern Lights.  The two nights we were scheduled to go out into the hills, the trip was cancelled.  The first night due to high winds, and the second due to cloud cover.






Looking toward downtown. Notice ice on walk and glass building on right.

Glass building downtown. Glass has solar capabilities.
 

Close up of glass building

We spent the first day doing a tour of Reykjavik. We took a city bus to the downtown area, walked the harbor and the main streets. You’d think that an island that uses it geothermal assets to generate all its electricity would also run that hot water under streets and sidewalks to keep them clear at least in the tourist areas. No, it was a sheet of ice everywhere but the main shopping streets.  Reykjavik is not flat it goes up hill fairly steeply from the shore. 

View of harbor and mountains from center of town.

It was a challenge picking a street that was cleared to hike up the hill. While we were walking around the harbor, carefully trying not to fall on the ice and break something, locals would jog by! I was amazed until I was walking next to some of them on cleared sidewalk and heard the studs in their shoes!

Viking ship frame along harbor

While building a hotel in the center of town, the remains of a home from 867 were unearthed.  The site was completely exposed, left in place, made a museum, and the hotel built over it. It was fascinating to see.  We got a good history lesson as to how and who settled Iceland.

House-looking at fire in center and outside wall.

What interior would have looked like. Animal stalls at the far end.

 

What the outside would have looked like. These were sod houses. Walls were layers of sod stacked.

The next day we took a bus into the lava fields to a geothermal hot spot.  Here the hot water is used to generate electricity, but also to heat a 500 sq meter salt water outdoor hot tub.

It was very relaxing.  When you got your face or head wet, the wind with the sub-freezing temperatures made your head ache from the cold. Luckily we only did that just before we got out.

Blue Lagoon Hot Springs

The days started about 11:30 when it got light, and the shops closed at sunset about 3:30.  All day it looked like the sun was about to set.  You got the pretty sunset/sunrise with the pink on hills and in the sky all day. An interesting trip even without the Northern Lights.

Lutheran Cathedral at the top of hill in town center.
 

Cathedral

There were images of thirteen elves all over town.  These elves according to folk lore come at Christmas from the hills and sneak into homes to steal food.  Each elf steals a specific food.  The elf below liked sausages.