World's Smallest Airport?

Grimsey Airport

In flying to Grimsey Island, I believe I have found the world's smallest airport with regularly scheduled commercial air service.  It's certainly the friendliest.  It's basically a one room building next to the tarmac.  There is no baggage carousel or jetway.  Just walk out the door.  

Mom and Mona walking to the airport --
with mainland Iceland in the background

You can actually walk there which is what we did -- and a promise that the plane wouldn't leave without us.  As our host told us, "If you're not here when the plane is supposed to leave, I'll come get you."  Now that's great service.

Reykjavik

How to describe Reykjavik?  European.  Modern.  Capital.  Friendly.  Small-town feel.  Young.  Fit.  Casual.  Accepting.

Down at the harbor

There are numerous words that could be used to describe Reykjavik, or for any city in the world I suppose.  There are the straight-forward factual statements like "Reykjavik is the northern-most capital in the world," which it is, but that doesn't really say much.  Then there are words like those I listed above.  All of these are great descriptors, but they only describe one small aspect of the City.  Yet they don't really capture the totality of Reykjavik.

What is one word I would use to describe Reykjavik?  Fresh.

Part of Reykjavik as seen from
the Pearl.

Fresh Air, Fresh Food, Fresh Faces, Fresh Architecture, Fresh Perspective.  For those who have been to Europe, you can definitely feel and see the European influence -- in the clothes, in the architecture, a little more formal but warm and inviting.  The food has been fantastic and it is extremely fresh.  Iceland grows a lot of vegetables and other foods in greenhouses, and we were very impressed with the selection and presentation.

As with most of Europe, there is excellent public transportation and we could take the bus to all the places we needed to go.  Walking and biking trails are everywhere, and Icelanders are out at all times of the day running or biking.  Even though it's cold outside, parents are strolling with their small children and pushing baby carriages with their infants all bundled up.  You don't see plus-sized clothes in the stores because everyone here is very fit.  There are lots of young people in Reykjavik which seems to contribute to its vibrancy.

Hallgrimskirkja

There have been people in Iceland for over a thousand years, but there isn't the typical grand old architecture from the Renaissance that you find in other European capitals like London, Paris, or Rome.    You see much more modern lines and styles with many of the buildings in Reykjavik.

The people we've encountered have been extremely friendly and very welcoming.  English is spoken by most, so the language barrier is minimal.  They are also very accepting of others unlike some other places we've visited.

So many different descriptors come to mind in trying to capture the essence of Reykjavik and our visit here, but to sum up our visit in one word, I'd have to say reFRESHing.

Old Town Reykjavik as seen across the
pond from City Hall.

Searching for Bobby Fischer

A photograph from 1972 taken
during the match.

Summer 1972 -- Reykjavik hosted the match of all time.  USSR versus USA.  Mano a Mano.  Of course, I'm talking about the World Chess Championship between Boris Spassky of the USSR and American Bobby Fischer.  Bobby Fischer would win the title and have a non-Russian champion for the first time in a quarter century.  Why is this important?  As it turns out, Bobby Fischer stayed at our hotel  during those matches (it was called the Hotel Loftleider at the time).  Now known as the Hotel Natura, there is an exhibit in the hotel commemorating this historic match including

The real chessboard seen in the
1972 photo.

one of the chessboards specially made for the match.  It is signed by both Spassky and Fischer.  A neat bit of Americana here in Iceland.

Pingvellir and Politics

One of the historic sites in Pingvellir National Park is the site of Iceland's first parliament in AD 930.  This was the gathering place of the chieftains and all 60,000 residents for the Alping (General Assembly) to hear a recitation of the laws and to settle disputes.  The white flagpole in the picture is of Logberg (Law Rock) where speakers would stand with their backs to the crowds and yell towards to rock face so that everyone could hear.  Nature's megaphone.  How do you think our politicians would act today if they had to speak with their backs to the crowds and television cameras?  Maybe the Icelanders were on to something.

Worlds Colliding

During our Golden Circle tour, our first stop was at Pingvellir National Park.  Here is one of the few places you can see worlds colliding -- two of the world's major tectonic plates the North American and Eurasian meet in Iceland.  There is no clear line of demarcation, but it generally runs diagonally from the southwest coast of Iceland through to the northeast.  This is why Iceland has so many earthquakes and why building regulations are so stringent.  In fact, while in Akureyri, there was a 5.3 magnitude earthquake about 1:00 AM that many locals were talking about the next day.   We all slept right through it.

In this picture, there is a rift between the rocks which has occurred over thousands of years.  It widens by about 2 centimeters per year.  The North American Plate is on the left and the Eurasian Plate is on the right.  If you could lift up the rocks on the right they would match perfectly with those on the left -- much like putting together puzzle pieces.  The shifting of the tectonic plates causes this pulling apart and such a dramatic change in elevation from one plate to the other.

This shifting and colliding of plates is what causes all of the seismic and volcanic activity.  We drove past many volcanoes during our tour.  Eyjafjallajökul was the volcano that erupted in 2010 that everyone remembers but no one can pronounce.  We could see that in the distance.  Hekla was the volcano we drove closest to and could see quite well.  It last erupted in 2000.

About two days before we left for our trip, there was a noticeable increase in seismic activity at Hekla which caused the government to raise the alert level and monitor the area more closely.  We sure didn't tell Mom this or else she would have verbalized every inconceivable doomsday scenario known to man which would have put a real damper on the fun and excitement we've been having.  She would have had a very difficult time being Little Miss Sunshine -- the name I've given her when we travel as she is not allowed to make these types of negative or pessimistic comments.  I know she'll read this before we leave to come home, but since our time in Iceland is drawing to a close, it's probably safe to risk it.

Gullfoss

Gullfoss Waterfall

Breathtaking.  Awe-inspiring.  Hypnotic.  There's something about waterfalls that makes everyone want to see them.  Gullfoss almost disappeared if not for the effort of Sgridur Tomasdottir who in 1902 took developers to court to stop the construction of a hydroelectric dam that would have submerged Gullfoss forever.  She actually lost her case, but public opinion was so strong in her favor that the project was abandoned.  The land was later donated to the Icelandic government as a special preserve.  I for one am glad to have had the Gullfoss experience, and I suspect so are the millions who have seen it in the last 110+ years.

Fire and Ice

Today was a day of contrasts.  Iceland is frequently referred to as the land of fire and ice.  Fire because of all of the volcanic and geothermal activity and ice because of all of the glaciers, snow, and ice.  It's quite the juxtaposition of extreme weather and terrain, and we experienced both today in the span of about two hours.

We took a day trip to what's referred to as the Golden Circle.  This is a popular series of attractions including Pingvellir National Park, Geysir hot spring geothermal area, and the Gullfoss Waterfall.  This is a popular tour that several companies offer that you can take by bus or by what's called a Super Jeep. The Super Jeep is a large SUV type of vehicle (not necessarily a jeep) modified for off road terrain with giant tires.  Think Monster Truck.  Except in our case, think of Monster Truck combined with Ford Econoline Van.  Yes, we had a Monster Van!

Mona sitting in front of Strokkur

Iceland is well-renowned for its geothermal activity.  Virtually all of the country's buildings are heated with geothermal energy.  They even pipe hot and cold water separately.  There are also five geothermal energy plants that produce approximately 25% of Iceland's electricity.  The Geysir hot springs area is probably the most well-known, in part because it's the easiest to get to.  The generic word geyser that we use in the English language originates from here.  The actual hot spring that is named Geysir rarely erupts any more.  However, about 50 yards away is the geyser named Strokkur.  Strokkur is the largest continually active geyser in Iceland and will erupt every five to ten minutes.  Several other springs and boiling pools of water were also present, as steam continually wafted through the air.  Omnipresent signs constantly reminded you the water temperature was between 80 and 100 degrees Celsius which would easily burn you should you choose to touch it.

From Gesysir, we drove to Langjokull, the second largest glacier in Iceland for an hour of snowmobiling on the glacier.  This is where the Super Jeep tour has its advantages.  In order to access the glacier, you are driving through very rugged, desert-like, rocky terrain.  A tour bus is simply not an option.  At one point, we had to stop and let air out of the tires in order to have sufficient traction and to better distribute the weight as we traveled up to the glacier.  We reinflated the tires on the return trip -- the tour companies equip the vehicles with air compressors for this very purpose.

Snowmobiling was awesome!  We had never done it before, so it was a real treat to try something new.  Snowmobiles are very easy to operate, much like a jet ski or wave runner.  We rode two to a snowmobile and took turns driving.  The scenery was magnificent.  All you could see was a sea of white with the occasional mountain peaking through.  We were only about an hour's drive away from the geysers, yet it seemed as though we were in another world.  Even Mom drove the snowmobile and seemed to love it, although Pop was later complaining about a sore back.  I'm sure the two were totally unrelated.

Iceland can appear to be a land of extremes.  Fire and Ice is an apt description and one we witnessed first-hand today.  However, it is a country of rugged beauty and fabulous people, and a place we are thoroughly enjoying.                                                                                                                                                      

On top of Langjokull Glacier

A sea of white in all directions while
snowmobiling on the glacier

Northern Lights

When folks heard we were going to Iceland, invariably the first question was "Why Iceland?"  One of our main reasons for coming was a chance to see the Northern Lights.  Now I realize there are other places you can go to see the lights, but we've heard cool things about Iceland and wanted to come visit anyway.  The fact that Icelandair put together a great package billed as a Northern Lights trip had us packing our bags.  Because seeing the lights is so weather dependent, we weren't certain that we would even get to see them during the trip.

Our Northern Lights tour started on Monday night at 10:00 PM.  About 25 hardy souls boarded a bus to drive out into the countryside away from the lights of Akureyri to try and get a glimpse.  Cold weather and clear skies are required, but needed most of all is luck.  In short, we didn't have any and spent a lot of time driving and then standing around outside in the cold.  We were disappointed, but they did give us a voucher to try again on Tuesday since we were still in town.

We repeated the same drill the next night with the same tour guide, but this time drove in a different direction outside of town.  Even as we were driving out of town with Akureyri still in our sights, we could see an unmistakable green hue streaking across the sky.  Everyone was excited and we raced off the bus once the driver stopped to gaze up at the stars.  As I'm working to get my camera ready, what should happen but one of the legs on my tripod broke.  Although I'm still very much an amateur at night-photography, I do know that a tripod is essential and you're not going to get very good shots without one.  I totally missed the opportunity as the lights dissipated and it was back on the bus in search of them again.

The only way I was going to get any pictures was to use the tripod on it's lowest setting without the legs extended, and rotate the camera upwards.  All we could do is hope the lights would reappear.  We traveled over the mountain from Akureyri and promptly drove into a fog bank.  Our guide seemed just as disappointed as we were even though he sees the lights all the time.

Finally, as we were driving back to Akureyri the sky began to light up.  We bounded off the bus into the snow to catch the lights.  I set up my camera and tripod low on the ground and began taking long exposure shots of the sky.  I experimented with leaving the shutter open for various lengths of time.  A lot of folks were using their flash which was of absolutely no benefit to them but detrimental to me.  In addition, the occasional car headlights would come down the road and mess me up.  I did end up with a few good pictures.

Seeing the Northern Lights was spectacular.  Although it's never the same each time they appear, we were treated to the lights dancing through the sky.  They would almost fade away and then come back even stronger.  At one point, it seemed as though the lights stretched from one end of the horizon to the other as far as the eye could see.  But they can disappear just as fast as they appear.  After last night's experience of not seeing the lights, we recognize how lucky we were to experience Mother Nature at her finest.

Arctic Blast

Today was a surprise adventure for Mom and Pop.  Several times on past trips we have scheduled a tour or activity that they didn't know about in advance, only that it was a surprise.  Mom has been pestering me for weeks to tell her but we held firm.  She had several guesses including a Phallus Museum in Reykjavik (yes, there really is one: click here).  We finally broke down and told her last night so she could be anticipating.  To say she was giddy as a school girl would be a slight understatement.  Our surprise -- visiting the Arctic Circle.

Grimsey Island as seen from our plane

There is only one place in Iceland that is within the Arctic Circle and that is the island of Grimsey off the north coast.  The island is about 5 square kilometers and has a population of about 100 people and 1 million sea birds.  It is a center of cod fishing and the folks who live there are fishermen.  There are two ways to get there -- a 25 minute flight from Akureyri on a Twin Otter turboprop plane that seats 19 people or on a 6 hour ferry from the neighboring town.  I booked the flight which included a tour of the island with one of its residents.

The flight itself was an experience.  You board on pull down stairs at the rear of the plane.  You can't really stand up in the aisle -- even Mona and Mom had to bend over when standing inside.  There were 19 seats, but you couldn't actually say it seats 19 comfortably.  It probably could accommodate 10 comfortably.  There was no cockpit door so I could look and see all of the instruments, watch the pilots at the controls and see out the front windshield.  The cabin was not pressurized, so we flew at a relatively low altitude over the fjord and snow-capped mountains which was quite a treat.  The scenery was incredible.

Standing at the Arctic Circle marker

Our guide was a very nice lady who's family has lived there for generations.  Not only was she our guide, she was also the airport employee who directs the plane where to park, helps with luggage, etc.  Her husband owns one of the fishing companies and we toured that and watched them pack cod for shipment to the mainland.  We strolled around a while and saw the lighthouse, local church, and school house.  Currently, there are 13 children on the island with a 14th on the way.  They are completely self-sufficient, generating their own electricity for the island with a large generator and a community well that provides water to all the residents and buildings.  They have their own school, their own store, and the doctor comes to visit once every three weeks or so.

They say that in a small town everyone knows everyone.  That is certainly true on Grimsey -- no one locks their doors, they leave their keys in the car, etc.  Not your typical small town by any stretch, but one that has a lot of character -- and the views aren't too shabby either.

Tjaldurs

We enjoy seeing wildlife while on our trips, especially animals that are not found in the U.S.  This is a sea bird called a Tjaldur.  For my science geek friends, it's Haematopus ostralegus.  As best I can tell, the English translation of Tjaldur is Tent.  So here's a photo I took of a flock of Tent birds while out and about in Akureyri.

When in Rome......

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

We've now traveled to North Iceland to Akureyri, the country's second largest town -- population less than 20,000.  The entire country only has about 300,000 people and the vast majority live in and around the capital of Reykjavik along the western coast.  Akureyri is located at the end of Eyjafordut, on of the largest fjords in the northern part of the country.  The scenery is spectacular, with snow covered mountains on both sides.

Mom & Mona enjoying the local pool --
notice the area outside covered in snow.

The high temperature today is about 40 degrees with a nice bright sun.  So what do the locals do when it's this cold with snow all around?  They go swimming in the outdoor pool, so of course we did too.  Much of Iceland is heated geothermally, including virtually all of the local swimming pools.  Swimming is very popular in Iceland and with the geothermal pools is a year-round outdoor activity.

The weather doesn't deter folks from outdoor pursuits.  We've seen plenty of folks biking and jogging and sitting outside.  The sun really does warm you up, especially when you're active as we've not felt cold at all with all of the walking and exploring we've done.

The other local favorite past-time we've indulged in -- eating ice cream.  We found the local favorite and did what any good Icelander would do -- sit outside in 40 degrees and enjoy dessert.  Cheers!