Trips

Wed., 11/13 - Back to Reykjavik

This morning began with a visit to a middle-high school. It was school picture day, the best definition for which is probably "confined chaos." It is interesting that everyone (boys and girls) participates in arts and crafts classes, cooking/sewing classes, and there is even a class devoted to fish filleting. These are in addition to traditional subjects such as math and science.

Moon rising over Vestmannaeyjabær (7AM)	Town from our hotel room
Rock formations	A ladder to reach the trail on Heimaklettur - the Home Rock - a popular hike
After our school visit, the local shuttle driver took us on an informational tour around the island. It was a beautifully clear and sunny day - cold but not too windy. We started at the harbor. There are 50 fishing trawlers working from here. One trawling net costs about $1,000,000 US. The boat returns with 3,500 tons of fish. The trawlers are all so computerized, a captain has little to do The crews of nine to twelve fishermen make $250,000 to $300,000 a year! We passed by the heat plant for the island. There is no geothermal heat here so seawater is piped in, ammonia is added to create a chemical reaction that heats the water. The water is then pumped to houses, cold water is returned and used to clean fish at the fish factories, and then the water is returned to the sea. For nine years after the 1973 eruption, hot lava produced heat for houses.	Trawler at dock in Vestmannaeyjar
Ammonia seawater heat pumps - used for heating buildings on the island - a fascinating sustainability process
We drove past the island’s sports complex - very large and fancy - and the 18-hole golf course. The golf course has been one of the best 100 in Europe. Soccer, swimming, and team handball are the main sports. The sloped mountain west of town provides a natural amphitheater for the annual music festival that has been going on here since 1874. It is held in the Valley of Herjolfur. A replica of a Viking long house was added recently to the site.
Replica of a Viking long house	Golf course
Golf course	Golf course
Natural amphitheater for the annual music	Natural amphitheater for the annual music
We got out on top of the “windiest point in all of Europe.” It was pleasant today. We could see across to the mainland to the two glaciers we visited last week. We had a great view of Eyjafjallajökull the volcano that erupted in 2010 and brought all air traffic in Europe to a halt for six days in April. (You may choose your own pronunciation.)
In the distance (right) is Surtsey, a new island created by a 1963 eruption. Surtsey is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is being protected and preserved for scientists to study the aging and growth on a volcanic rock. For instance, algae appeared after only two years.	Uninhabited islands
Eyjafjallajökull	Eyjafjallajökull
Some farmland	Town scene
Church	Cemetery - it was completely covered by ash and was excavated after the eruption
After lunch on our own, the three of us joined Andres for a walk to the Skansinn“fort” on Heimaey Island. There is only a canon there now, but there is a harbor light, and a reconstructed Norwegian Stave Church. Then we walked up on the lava field to feel again the mighty force of mother nature and the huge amount of ‘a’a lava spewed up in the 5 months of the eruption through a fissure that “split the earth open.” From the top we could see the south coast of Iceland and the large glaciers.
Useful sign	Pick your place
Sheep on the hillside of Heimaklettur - the Home Rock	Sheep on the hillside of Heimaklettur - the Home Rock
Skansinn Fort may date from 1586	Heimaey Stave Church - Replica of a Norwegian stave church
Harbor entrance - the eruption actually improved the harbor	Birds on the cliff
Walking on the lava above the buried houses and streets	Street signs tell which streets lie beneath the lava
Signs throughout the lava flow area commemorate the houses which lie buried below.
Town from above	Town from above
Cute drawings	At 3:45 we left the hotel for the ride to the Vestmannaeyjar airport. A larger two-prop plane flew us to the Reykjavik regional airport along with a women’s team handball team. We got back to the Icelandair Marina Hotel, reunited with our luggage, then walked out to dinner at a local restaurant.
Sunset on the flight to Reykjavik
Best part of dinner	Arrival and Departure Lots of progress at the dry-dock while we were in Iceland - the hotel window was filthy - but they really accomplished a lot of work in less than two weeks.

Thurs. and Fri., 11/14-15/19 - Returning home

We stayed in our rooms as long as we could and then sat in the lobby until our 3 PM trip to the International Airport. The flights left around 5: Nancy and Gale to Philly via Boston. Marge had to spend the night at the JFK Airport Hilton in NYC before flying to Tucson, on Friday, via Salt Lake City (see America!).

On the whole, this was a very interesting trip with nice modern accommodations, good food, friendly locals, and unique landscapes - glaciers, volcanos, lava, geysers - and lots of lamb and fish to eat! It is still always good to be home.