If a picture is worth a thousand words, I could write a novel of gargantuan proportions when it comes to Iceland. Eat your heart out Tolstoy.
I was like a kid in a candy shop, each vista of this tiny Mid-Atlantic island floating just below the Arctic Circle better than the last digital morsel I'd savored seconds earlier via my Nikon. Where else are the lagoons a mystic blue and the waterfalls a dime a dozen; where ancient lava fields are covered in rich green moss; where tiny red-roofed houses are set against majestic volcanic ridges?
I was like a kid in a candy shop, each vista of this tiny Mid-Atlantic island floating just below the Arctic Circle better than the last digital morsel I'd savored seconds earlier via my Nikon. Where else are the lagoons a mystic blue and the waterfalls a dime a dozen; where ancient lava fields are covered in rich green moss; where tiny red-roofed houses are set against majestic volcanic ridges?
And of course with 22 hours of daylight to work with every day of our 7-day Ringroad tour this past June, is it any wonder I walked away with my pockets loaded with 4000 plus digital images? I'm not very good at packing light either. I was virtually comatose by the end of each day from the visual overload.
Put on your best costume friends, or at least your favorite mask (mine is oatmeal), because it's gonna feel like Halloween when I get done treating you to my delectable digital delights from the land of fire and ice. The rugged landscapes are the best rock candy known to man and environmentalists. They make great eye candy too.
1. Iceland's Blue Lagoon was voted the best medical spa worldwide by "Conde Nast Traveller"
and hubby Jim.
Put on your best costume friends, or at least your favorite mask (mine is oatmeal), because it's gonna feel like Halloween when I get done treating you to my delectable digital delights from the land of fire and ice. The rugged landscapes are the best rock candy known to man and environmentalists. They make great eye candy too.
1. Iceland's Blue Lagoon was voted the best medical spa worldwide by "Conde Nast Traveller"
and hubby Jim.
2. This quaint New England town look alike is Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Sixty percent
of the 320,000 people living in Iceland are residents of Reykjavik; 99% of the population of
Iceland live in urban areas.
of the 320,000 people living in Iceland are residents of Reykjavik; 99% of the population of
Iceland live in urban areas.
3. The landscape of Krafla in the highland desert region of Iceland is both harsh and
beautiful. The terrain throughout Iceland is too rugged for railroads.
beautiful. The terrain throughout Iceland is too rugged for railroads.
4. The East Fjords, one of the oldest geological areas in Iceland are bounded by a magnificent
mountain range that provides one of the most diverse collection of rocks and minerals in
Iceland. Two lane roads are the norm for most of Iceland, many of which are dirt roads.
mountain range that provides one of the most diverse collection of rocks and minerals in
Iceland. Two lane roads are the norm for most of Iceland, many of which are dirt roads.
5. Runoff from nearby glaciers is the source for many of Iceland's mighty waterfalls, including
Skogafoss in southern Iceland. That's some shower head.
Skogafoss in southern Iceland. That's some shower head.
6. Rustic churches punctuate the magnificent beauty of Iceland with an exclamation mark of
simplicity.
simplicity.
7. Glaciers are the bread and butter of Iceland's beauty and splendor, including Vatnajokull
Glacier in southeast Iceland. Glaciers cover more land in Iceland than in all of Europe.
Glacier in southeast Iceland. Glaciers cover more land in Iceland than in all of Europe.
8. An empty vastness surrounds the highland desert plateau Moorudalsoraefi.
9. Purebred seems the order of the day at this horse farm outside Skagafjordur.
10. It's a losing battle for ground as powerful forces beneath the surface of Iceland separate
the American and Eurasian tectonic plates. In the middle, no man's land.
the American and Eurasian tectonic plates. In the middle, no man's land.
11. This crater in south Iceland, called Kerid, erupted somewhere between 5000-6000 years
ago. Talk about feeling as old as the hills; or craters, as the case may be.
ago. Talk about feeling as old as the hills; or craters, as the case may be.
12. This chunk of ice is just one of many that are part of Jokulsarion Glacier Lagoon. The area
is privately owned and has been the backdrop for numerous movies, including Tomb
Raider, Batman Begins and two James Bond movies, A View to Kill and Die Another
Day.
is privately owned and has been the backdrop for numerous movies, including Tomb
Raider, Batman Begins and two James Bond movies, A View to Kill and Die Another
Day.
A little trivia about Iceland for cocktail parties, around the office cooler and for those awkward lulls in the conversation with in-laws and first dates. Enjoy.
- We have our ghosts and a trendy fascination with vampires that covers everything from paranormal activity to blood thirsty animals. Icelanders have their elves and trolls. Some roads in Iceland have actually been diverted during construction to avoid disturbing areas where elves and trolls are believed to live.
- Gender equality in Iceland makes it the best place in the world for women to live; which is probably why the first female president in the world recently took office in Iceland.
- The literacy rate in Iceland is 99%. They have more books per capital than any other country. I just want to know who the slouch is.
- At birth, an Icelander automatically becomes a member of the Lutheran Church, the official church of Iceland.
- Life expectancy in Iceland is one of the highest in the world - 81.2 years for women and 76.4 years for men. Look what braving the elements will do for overall health.
- According to an international study in 2006, Iceland is the 4th "Happiest Nation" in the world.
- Iceland has twice as many sheep as people.
- More Coco Cola per capita is consumed in Iceland than any other place in the world. That's one concession that paid off big time!
- There are more internet connections in Iceland per capital than any other place in the world.
- Because of Iceland's close proximity to the Arctic Circle, summer days and winter nights are almost 24 hours long.
- Names are listed in Iceland's phone book by first names only. Most Icelanders do not have a family name. Children have a given name, followed by their father's name and either the word son or daughter. So my Icelandic name would be Sherry Albertsdottir. My brother's Icelandic name would be Chris Albertsson.
- Iceland is one of only two places in the world (the other is in Africa) where you can stand on the American and Eurasian continents at the same time.
Tomorrow, the Blue Lagoon.
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