travel adventures iceland (hunter travel guides)

swim-Obviously, we’re talking about Iceland, one of the most excitingcountries in the world – yet a country that was virtuallyunknown to tourists prior to World War II.. Yet, in 2006, th

n The spectacular glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, birdlife, pony

trekking, river rafting, skiing – this guide tells you how to see

and do it all, from Reykjavik’s nightlife to the dramatic

West-ern Fjords and table-top mountains to the rich bird life of Lake

Myvatn.

n For every town and village, there are reviews of the best places to

stay, eat and drink, both on and off the beaten track.

n The authors have been visiting here for years and know how to

travel on a budget They share important inside tips

n All about local heritage festivals; traditional crafts still practiced;

farming vacations; wildlife watching and the famed Northern

Lights

n Iceland is the world’s best place to live, according to the latest

UN ranking of 175 nations Life expectancy, education levels,

cul-tural attractions and real per capita income are extraordinary

Reykjavik is among the cleanest and safest cities in the world.

The environment is pollution-free – even the rivers and streams

are safe to drink from and foods are free of hormones and pesticides

Your journey, your dream, your life –

let Hunter be your guide!

Hunter Publishing, Inc

Festivals & Nightlife

Food & Drink Hiking & Biking Shopping

HUNTER

H U N T E R

TRAVEL GUIDES

Iceland

Don & Marjorie Young

THE BEST PLACES TO STAY & EAT WHERE TO PLAY, PARTY & SHOP WHALE-WATCHING, FISHING, ECO-TOURS, HIKING & BOATING

n n

n n

THE BEST PLACES TO STAY & EAT WHERE TO PLAY, PARTY & SHOP WHALE-WATCHING, FISHING, ECO-TOURS, HIKING & BOATING

n n n n

ravel Adventures

9 781588 436726 5 2 9

dventures Travel

Iceland

Don & Marjorie Young

% 800-255-0343 / fax 732-417-1744

www.hunterpublishing.com

E-mail comments@hunterpublishing.com

IN CANADA:

Ulysses Travel Publications

4176 Saint-Denis, Montréal, Québec, Canada H2W 2M5

% 514-843-9882 ext 2232 / fax 514-843-9448

IN THE UNITED KINGDOM:

Windsor Books International

5, Castle End Park, Castle End Rd, Ruscombe

ISBN 978-1-58843-672-6

© 2008 Hunter Publishing, Inc.

Cover photo: Icelandic horses (Alberto Roseo)

Maps on pages 116, 164, 212, 214, 243, 262, 281, 286, 332, 348, 353,

372, 377, 382, 407, 412, 449, 451, 476, 478 courtesy of Nordic

Adven-ture Travel (www.nat.is).

Index by Nancy Wolff

All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other-wise, without the written permission of the publisher

This guide focuses on recreational activities As all such activitiescontain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individualsand companies disclaim any responsibility for any injury, harm, or ill-ness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information

in this book Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of tion in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, andhereby disclaim, any liability for loss or damage caused by errors,omissions, misleading information or potential travel problemscaused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from neg-ligence, accident or any other cause

Reykjavik – The City of Surprises 55

Where in the world can you find fantastic scenery

that includes 3,100 miles of gorgeous coastline, ahost of lakes and rivers, geysers, numerous waterfalls, roughly

100 volcanoes, and the largest glacier in all of Europe? Wherecould you find a country that enjoys some of the purest water andcleanest air in all the world? A country that features unparalleledopportunities to enjoy birdwatching, riding among the whales on

a ferry, biking, hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, golfing, ming, touring the mountains in a Jeep, pony trekking, river raft-ing and then where you can end your day with a wonderfuldinner, followed by some of the most unbelievable nightlife onearth?

swim-Obviously, we’re talking about Iceland, one of the most excitingcountries in the world – yet a country that was virtuallyunknown to tourists prior to World War II Consider the amazinghistory of this fabulous country, settled by the Vikings more than1,100 years ago Erik the Red, one of the early Viking settlers,later discovered Greenland, and his son Leifur (better known asLeif) Eriksson, went on to discover North America 500 yearsbefore the arrival of Christopher Columbus

Healthy, Wealthy & Wise

As descendants of the Vikings and the Celts, Icelandic men andwomen are among the healthiest, most attractive people onearth They tend to be tall, blond-haired, and blue-eyed In its

March 2000 issue, Vogue magazine announced that “the women

look like either Uma Thurman or Patsy Kensit, and every thirdman resembles Brad Pitt.” During the 1980s, two Icelandicwomen were selected as Miss World just three years apart

Iceland established the world’s first democratic government, andsubsequently became the first nation ever to select a female Pres-ident by means of a general election The Icelandic people alsohave one of the highest rates of literacy in the world – well abovethat of the United States – and they are among the world’s mostculture-conscious people It was their early ancestors who pro-duced the sagas, which were among the first pieces of literature

on earth, and they continue to have a deep affection for reading,art, chess, and other forms of intellectual pursuit

In 1955, Halldor Laxness, an Icelandic novelist, received the

Nobel Prize for Literature In 1972, Reykjavik hosted the world

chess championship between Bobby Fischer and Boris

Spassky In 1989, Iceland’s handball team downed Poland to

win the World Men’s Championship, and in 1991, Iceland’sbridge team won the World Team Championship

Entrepreneur Bjorgolfur Thor Bjorgolfsson recently became

Iceland’s first billionaire In the field of music, the rock band

Sugarcubes, singer Bjork, the rap group Quarashi, the

post-rock band Sigur Ros, and the electronic/acoustic folk musician

Emiliana Torrini are currently popular throughout the world.

Prominent celebrities have been so impressed with what Icelandhas to offer that the likes of Winston Churchill, Pope John Paul

II, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mick Jagger, Elton John,Kevin Kostner, Helen Mirren, Jack Nicklaus, Ed Bradley, PaulMcCartney, and Jerry Seinfeld have all stopped in for a visit.Virtually everyone in Iceland speaks English, and tends to bevery friendly The people are extremely hard-working and consci-entious, and even the children are expected to work during theirsummer break Yet, in 2006, the Icelandic people were ranked

“the fourth happiest people in the world.”

It is hard to believe that a small mid-Atlantic island no largerthan the State of Ohio and populated by fewer than 300,000 peo-ple could offer so much, but Iceland does Indeed, it is a place thatpeople must see for themselves We did and we loved it

Marjorie and Don Young

Land of Fire & Ice

Iceland is the second-largest

island in Europe, out-ranked

only by Great Britain Some 4,603

square miles, or 11% of the

island’s total area, is covered by

glaciers Another 1,065 square

miles is covered with lakes, while

3% is covered with lava A mere

1% of the land is used for growing

crops

Measuring 185 miles from north to south and 305 miles from east

to west, the country has 3,700 miles of rugged coastline It dles a submarine ridge that connects Scotland and Greenland, aswell as the Mid-Atlantic Rift, one of the planet’s major geologicalfaults

strad-Roughly half of the island belongs in Europe and the other half inNorth America The tiny island of Grimsey, off the north coast,sits directly atop the Arctic Circle

Iceland rises to an

a v e r a g e h e i g h t o f1,640 feet, but its high-

est point,

Hvanna-d a l s h n j u k u r, i s a

6,925-foot mountain.Beneath the mountain

is Vatnajokull, the

largest glacier in all ofEurope

Geologically, Iceland isone of the youngestbodies of land in theworld

Iceland from space

Fire and ice Therecould not be a betterdescription of Iceland.Smoke and fire shoot-ing high into the airduring a volcanic erup-tion Massive frozenglaciers that can befound throughout theinterior of the country.For many years, Scan-

d i n a v i a n s e a m e nworked the Icelandic

w a t e r s , w h i c h a r e

a m o n g t h e w o r l d ’ smost prolific fishinggrounds, and there isevidence that Irishmonks settled on theisland prior to 874 AD,making their homes inthe many caves alongthe eastern and south-ern coastlines

It was about that timethat the word Vikingfirst came into being Itreferred to a group of Norsemen whose base of operations wasVik, a bay located between Cape Lindesnes in Norway and theGota River in Sweden The Vikings were seafaring traders, war-riors and pirates who raided and colonized much of Europebetween the eighth and 11th centuries Their territory extended

as far east as Constantinople, now known as Istanbul

The years between 800 and 1050 became known in Scandinavian

history as the Viking Age Viking chieftains gained a

consider-able amount of power, particularly in Norway which, at thattime, consisted of a number of petty kingdoms

For a time, the Viking Age became one of unification and sion But it was only a matter of time before many of the other

expan-Viking ship, Gokstad, Norway

Scandinavian

lead-ers, including King

Harald (AFair-Haired@

) Haarfagri of

Nor-way, became envious

of the Vikings and

pagans who believed

in giants, trolls, elves,

A Fresh Start in a New Land

The first Viking to settle on Iceland is said to have been Ingolfur

Arnarson, who arrived in 874 and settled near the site where

the city of Reykjavik stands today Others soon followed, oftenstopping in Ireland along the way to pick up some slaves andsome wives

Did You Know?Many of Iceland’s earliest dents were from Ireland, some brought over by the Vi-kings as wives and/or slaves Even today, Icelanderscontinue to celebrate St Patrick’s Day

resi-Housing was the settlers’ immediate problem Much of Iceland’snative forest consisted of birch trees, and birch timber is not verystrong As a result, the Vikings came up with an alternative – theIcelandic turf house

History n 3

Viking longswords

Large, flat stones were used to create a foundation On top of thefoundation, a wooden frame was erected and, around the frame,turf would be stacked in large blocks Often, a second layer of turfwould be added for extra strength The only wood that was used

on the outside of the house was that which framed a doorwayleading into the hall

The turf house had another unusual feature: an attached toilet.These were communal toilets, and the process of going to thebathroom was often done in large groups

Erik the Red & His Son, Leif

Among the other Viking chieftainswho sought a new home in Icelandwas the famous Erik the Red (sonamed for his red hair) Erik landed

in Iceland in 960, after being forcedout of Norway for taking part inseveral murders He married into awealthy family, acquired a largefarm near Breidafjordur, andbecame a father to Leif in 970.However, around 982, Erik was con-victed of committing two additionalmurders and was forced to leaveIceland He convinced 25 otherships to follow him and he headedwest once more After traveling 180miles, he came upon another island,much larger than Iceland, which hecalled Greenland Unfortunately,only 14 other ships survived the tripand were able to settle in Greenlandwith Erik and his family

FAMILY NAMES

Following the Viking tradition, children in Iceland arenamed after their father When Erik the Red had a sonand named him Leif, the son became Leif Eriksson(Leif, Erik’s son) Leif later had a sister named Freydis;her full name was Freydis Eriksdottir (Freydis, Erik’sdaughter)

Erik the Red

When Freydis married, she did not assume her

hus-band’s surname but retained her own, Eriksdottir – the

name she would carry with her for the rest of her life

Similarly, when Leif married, his children did not

as-sume Leif’s surname of Eriksson, but bore the last

name of Leifsson (for a boy) or Leifsdottir (for a girl)

Roughly 18 years after his family moved from Iceland to land, Leif Eriksson (sometimes called Leif the Lucky) continued

Green-to sail west until he eventually discovered North America –nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus arrived inAtheNew World.@ Leif had just turned 30 years of age

Records indicate that Leif’s ship first reached Baffin Island,which he named Helluland (Land of the Flat Stones) and thenLabrador, which he named Markland (Woodland) He then estab-lished the first settlement in North America on the northern tip

of Newfoundland at a place called L’Anse aux Meadows

Leif called the new country Vinland, and records show that aViking woman named Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir bore Leif a sonsoon after settling there The son, Snorri, was the first child ofEuropean descent to be born in North America

Creating a Government

Being of a determined, self-sufficient nature, the early settlers ofIceland frequently hadAdifferences of opinion.@ By the year 930,thoseAdifferences@ were sufficiently numerous – and sufficientlystrong – that the Icelandic people decided it was time to create aformal government That year, they met at a place called

Thingvellir (TING-va-leer), a natural amphitheater north of Reykjavik, where they established the Althing (ALL-thing) It

was the world’s first true republic

To prevent the government from abusing its power, the creatorsrefused to establish a military that could be used to enforce itswill

Did You Know? To this day, Iceland has nomilitary forces, such as an army, navy, or air force

However, it does have a coast guard

(Land-helgisgaeslan), responsible primarily for protecting

Iceland’s fishermen

Creating a Government n 5

The yearly meetings of the Althing lasted for two weeks gates began to take their families with them to Thingvellir,where they would camp out, visit with friends, and work outsome of their minor differences among themselves They wouldbuy and sell livestock, find wives for their sons and husbands fortheir daughters, sing, dance, and play games It was like anannual vacation and celebration combined.

Dele-First Prosperity, & Then

C h r i s t i a n i t y h a dbeen adopted in Ice-land in the year 1000,

a n d t h e c o u n t r y ’ sAGolden Age@ beganjust 30 years later.Many of Iceland’sfamous sagas werewritten during the

c e n t u r y t h a t f o lowed

l-Unfortunately, goodthings seldom lastforever The country’sGolden Age came to

an end in 1163 with

t h e o n s e t o f t h eSturlung Age (The

A g e o f S t o n e Throwing) Since the

-A l t h i n g h a d n omeans of enforcing itslaws, war broke outbetween rival clans,and in desperationthe Althing agreed to

a treaty that

estab-l i s h e d a u n i o nbetween Iceland andNorway in 1262 Itlater proved to be abad decision

Leif Erikson in front of

Halgrims Kirkja, Reykjavik

Norway’s King Haakon seized control of Iceland and put a tating tax upon the people that resulted in a period of severe pov-erty That situation prevailed for 600 years, and Iceland’sAlthing collapsed.

debili-In 1389, Norway passed a law that prevented Iceland from ing with any other countries Subsequently, Norway and Den-mark united, and Denmark assumed control of Iceland In 1550,the last Catholic bishop in Iceland had been beheaded, and Den-mark’s King Christian III began to impose Lutheranism on all ofhis subjects By 1662, the law that prevented Iceland from trad-ing with other countries had been broadened, and Icelanders alsowere forbidden to trade with other regions of the island itself

trad-In 1627, 3,000 pirates attacked Iceland and kidnaped 242 of itspeople, killing a great many more In 1783, Iceland’s Mount Lakierupted, killing tens of thousands of cattle, horses, and sheep.Soon thereafter, a smallpox epidemic killed one-third of theisland’s population, the climate worsened, and the people began

to make mass emigrations to North America, principally ada

Can-Finally, Things Began to ImproveIceland revived the Althing in 1843, and on February 1, 1904,home rule was put into effect On December 1, 1918, Icelandregained its independence as a sovereign state while remainingunder the control of the Danish crown

When World War II began, Denmark was occupied by Germany

in 1940, and Britain sent some of its militia to Iceland to helpprotect the North Atlantic A year later, that responsibilitypassed to the United States

On June 17, 1944, the present Icelandic republic was foundedand, when the occupation forces left Iceland in 1946, Icelandjoined the United Nations In 1949, it joined NATO, and a yearlater, it became a part of the Council of Europe

In 1951, a defense agreement was signed with the United States.That commitment lasted until September 2006, when the UnitedStates finally withdrew its military forces from Iceland

Finally, Things Began to Improve n 7

The country’s primary political figure is the Prime Minister,

although voters also elect a President The President is elected to

a four-year term and may serve as many terms as he/she wishes,

as long as the Althing approves Although the President doeshave some limited veto powers, he/she plays no role in day-to-daypolitical affairs

Did You Know?In the Icelandic language, theword Aisland@ is pronounced AIceland,@ explainingthe many times a visitor will come across the wordbut fail to understand its Icelandic meaning

Reykjavik has a number of Sister Cities, including Seattle,Washington; Winnipeg, Canada; Kingston Upon Hull, England;and Vilnius, Lithuania

The Economy

Iceland’s economy is heavily dependent upon its fisheries

Sea-food products account for almost 80% of its exports, and 5% of thetotal population works at fishing Another 9½% is engaged in fishprocessing

Other financial factors include the sale of wool, woolen clothing,

and livestock, and several foreign companies have recently structed factories to process wool products

con-Tourism has recently become an important part of the economy,

and over half of the workforce provides some type of service Over90% of the workforce belongs to a labor union A 10-hour workday

is not uncommon, nor is it unusual for people to work at two jobs.There is virtually no unemployment, and wages are high

Iceland is ranked the fifth most productive country in the worldper capita, based on the Gross Domestic Product.

As in many other countries throughout the world, gambling has

become a profitable enterprise Each week, more than a millionlottery tickets are purchased for the televised Saturday-eveningdraw – the highest proportion experienced in any of the Euro-pean countries involved in Lotto 5/32 Tickets cost 65 cents andare sold at hundreds of local newsstands and kiosks Participantsare required to choose five numbers between one and 32, and ifthree or more numbers that are drawn match those five, the par-ticipant can win up to $150,000 Of the total weekly sales, 40% ofthe lottery money is used as prize money, and the remainder goes

to support organizations that serve the youth, sports, and thehandicapped

Renewable energy provides over 70% of the nation’s primary

energy, while geothermal energy and hydropower provide over99% of its electricity

The Krona & the Aurar

Iceland’s currency is called the

krona (ISK), which consists of

100 aurar, just as our dollar

consists of 100 cents Its notes

(bills) come in denominations

depending on the current

world economy Credit cards

and travelers checks are

widely used, as are most types

of foreign currency

The euro is commonly used in

Iceland, particularly in the

eastern part of the country The euro is worth approximately $1

40 in American currency The bills come in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200,and 500 euro denominations, and the coins in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and

The Krona & the Aurar n 9

Icelandic Krona coins

50 eurocent denominations, as well as 1 and 2 euro tions, similar to our silver dollar.

denomina-The Land, Flora & Fauna

When the Vikings first arrived in Iceland, 25 to 40% ofthe land was covered with forests and other types of veg-etation That changed rapidly as the residents began touse the timber to build and heat their homes and to repair theirships Additional trees disappeared as they began to clear theland for cultivation As a result, by the early 1900s the land hadbeen severely stripped

Today, the people are desperately striving to restore their forests

Commonly seen are the birch (Betula pubescens), which varies in

size from a scrubby bush to a 10- to 12-foot tree, and the rowan

(Sorbus aucuparia), which can reach 30 feet in height It is found

in birch woods and gardens

The entire center of Iceland, commonly known as The Highlands,

is uninhabited Some of that region is devoted to national parksand the lower elevations are often used for the grazing of domes-

tic animals Hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, biking, and Jeep toursare common.

There are some 200 volcanoes throughout Iceland

Vegetation

Apart from the trees being reinstated to the forests, Iceland’splant life can be classified as basically European in nature But-tercups, saxifrages, roses,

and daisies are found almost

everywhere Also quite

com-mon across the country are

the Arctic fireweed or

river beauty (Epiloblum

latifolium), which has large

purple flowers and commonly

grows on gravelly riverbanks,

in dry riverbeds, and in river

gorges, particularly inland;

the broad-leaved willow

(Saux callicarpaea), a

vari-able scrub; and the angelica

( A n g e l i c a a r c h a n g e l i c a ) ,

growing to a height of three to

four feet along herb-filled

slopes, on moist rock ledges,

along rivers and streams, and

on bird cliffs

Also found on herb-filled

slopes, in the woods, and in

the scrublands is the wood

c r a n e ’ s b i l l ( G e r a n i u m

sylvaticum), with its

beauti-ful blue flowers, while the pink-flowered thrift (Armeria

mari-time) is most common in gravelly and sandy areas.

From middle to late summer, visitors look for the blue-flowered

harebell (Campanula rotundifolla).

In the wet areas, look for the lyngbye’s sedge (Carex lyngbyei),

a tall, beautiful plant with brownish upright male spikes anddark brown pendulous female spikes that grows in very dense

bunches The marsh felwort (Lomatogonium rotatum), which

Vegetation n 11

Silene vulgaris (bladder campion), often seen in Iceland

h a s b l u e f l o w e r s ,tends to grow in bogs,and is most commonlyfound in the North,

Also in the northernpart of Iceland, look

f o r t h e f o l i o l o s e

saxifrage (Saxifraga foliolosa), the mountain heath (Phyliodoce coerulea), and the upright primrose (Primula stricta).

In the South, watch for

the ragged robin

Some plants do quite well

in the warm soils and

water commonly found in

I c e l a n d ’ s g e o t h e r m a l

areas Among them are

adder’s tongue

(Ophio-glossum azoricum), red

shank (Polygonum

per-sicaria), marsh

penny-w o r t ( H y d r o c o t y l e

vulgaris), water

speed-well (Veronica

anagallis-aquatica), and marsh

cudweed (Gnaphalium

uliginosum).

Around the gravelly/stony

areas and the lava fields, you probably will see some woolly

Fireweed

Moorland spotted orchid

fringe moss (Rhacomitrium lanuginosum), while in the moors

and lowlands, you will find heather (Calluna vulgaris), which

has pink flowers that burst forth in the late summer; northern

green orchids (Platanthera hyperborean), which have

sweet-scented, greenish-white flowers; and moorland spotted

orchids (Dactylorhiza maculata), whose pink-lilac flowers are

dotted in red and with dark spots on its leaves

Wild Animals

Iceland has little

animal life to boast

The adorable little

Arctic fox is

pres-ent, but seldom

seen Bats

occa-sionally are blown

into the country with the winds, but they are unable to breedhere and soon die off Serpents, snakes, and reptiles also areunable to breed in the rugged northern environment

Other animals that survive in Iceland include the reindeer, thefield mouse, and the American mink

Only the sea life, the birds, and the extraordinary domestic mals that have survived their passage to Iceland have producedmuch interest among tourists, but Iceland is unquestionably out-standing in each of those categories

ani-The island’s river banks and coastal areas are frequently laden

with seals, while boatload upon boatload of tourists regularly venture onto the waters to catch sight of a whale It is said that

90% of them will get their wish

Wild Animals n 13

ICELAND’S ESTIMATED WHALE POPULATION

Blue whale 700-1,000Fin whale 10,000Humpback whale 1,500-1,800Minke whale 50,000-60,000Northern bottlenose whale 40,000Sei whale 10,000Sperm whale 1,200-1,400

Among the whales to be seen around Iceland are:

Blue whale The

largest animal ever

to live on Earth,these amazing ani-mals run about 80feet in length andweigh in the neigh-

b o r h o o d o f 1 5 0tons, but feed onthe smallest livingorganisms in the

o c e a n , p l a n k t o nand krill Between

700 and 1,000

indi-v i d u a l w h a l e s ,roughly one-fourth

of the world’s total population, are believed to migrate to Iceland

in the spring, stay there to feed throughout the summer, andreturn to the South in the fall The spouts, their most noticeablefeature, shoot water approximately 25 feet into the air

Fin whale While the whales’ right jaws are white or nearly so,

their left jaws are dark grey or black

Humpback whale These playful creatures have flippers up to

16 feet long, which they occasionally use to slap the water beforerolling over or leaping out of the water They run about 50 feet inlength and weigh around 30 tons, and nearly always raise theirfluke before diving In the summer, they breed in the Caribbean,but later frequent the fjords and bays of Iceland in search of food

Minke whale The smallest of the baleen whales, the Minke

averages 26 feet in length and weighs about nine tons They

spout three or four times before diving, and sometimes leap out ofthe water Although capable of staying underwater for 20 min-utes or so, they usually resurface in four or five minutes A part ofthe most abundant whale species, an estimated 55,000 Minkewhales are thought to frequent Iceland’s waters.

Northern bottlenose whale Some 40,000 of these whales

occupy the waters around Iceland In the winter, they keep to thedeeper waters to the Southeast, but in the summer, they movecloser to shore Running about 26 feet in length and weighingaround seven tons, these brown-colored whales can remain sub-merged for more than an hour, and their spout is low, makingthem less easy to spot

Sei whale About 52 feet in length and 25 tons in weight, this

variety of whale shoots its spout some 10 feet into the air Theywill breathe three or four times before diving, stay submerged forabout five minutes, and then return to the surface Usually seen

in the West of Iceland, they prefer to stay in deep water about 45miles offshore

Sperm whale The largest of the toothed whales, this giant runs

about 50 feet in length and weighs up to 40 tons Its enormoushead can be as much as one-third of its total length and it canstay underwater for as long as two hours – the longest of any ofthe whales Those that are seen around Iceland are bulls (males).The female whales and their mates stayed in their South Seasbreeding grounds and do not migrate to Iceland

Dolphins & Porpoises

Dolphins and porpoises also are considered members of thetoothed whale family In Icelandic waters, you are most likely to

see the harbour porpoise, which averages 14 to 16 feet in

length, is quite shy, and rarely leaps It tends to avoid boats, ferring shallow waters, and is most often seen in fjords, bays, andestuaries

pre-Another possibility is the long-finned pilot whale, actually a

dolphin, which weighs from two to five tons and measuresbetween 15 and 23 feet in length The whales dive to a depth of

100 feet or more, and stay submerged from five to 10 minutes at atime They like to travel in large groups and most frequently areseen off the Southeast, South, and West coasts during the latesummer and fall

Dolphins & Porpoises n 15

A third possibility would be the sided dolphin, a

white-beaked animal with a dark back and flippers, and sides that aredecorated with yellow and white stripes and spots These ani-mals do not stay submerged for long and can swim extremelyfast They travel in large groups and are often seen leaping out ofthe water, especially along Iceland’s South, Southwest, West,and Northwest coasts

T h e o r c a o r

k i l l e r w h a l ealso is a mem-ber of the dol-

p h i n f a m i l y.Orcas have atall dorsal finand a distinc-tive black-and-

w h i t e c o l o r

F a s t s w i mers, they canstay submergedfor as long as 20

m-m i n u t e s , b u tusually surface

in five-minutesegments Orcas stay together in groups called pods and mostoften are found in the rich herring grounds off the East Fjords, offthe South coast, or off the West coast During the summer, theystay closer to shore and may be found in inlets and bays, but inthe winter, they prefer deeper waters

Domestic Animals

When the Vikings left Scandinavia hundreds of years ago, theytook their animals with them Unfortunately, their ships werenot large enough to carry as many of the horses, cattle, sheep,goats, pigs, fowl, and dogs as they might have preferred, but theywere given little choice

Over the centuries, various attempts to import new animalsoften proved disastrous because the existing livestock sometimesbecame infected with diseases, such as pneumonia, causing agreat many of their animals to die The Icelandic people soonlearned that inbreeding was a far better solution As a result, the

government is very strict about refusing outside animalsentrance to their country.

Perhaps the most

They are strong,

intelligent, loyal, and have a pleasant personality, but their mostdistinctive quality is the fact that they have five gaits while otherhorses have but three or four

The Icelandic sheep

also is highly ded It is one of the old-est and purest breeds

regar-i n t h e w o r l d a n dcomes in a variety ofcolors and patterns.Its wool is strong andwarm, and the factthat it is allowed tofeed on the native Ice-landic grass and herbsthroughout the sum-mer gives its meat aunique and delightful flavor Garments woven of their wool areexceptionally warm and make highly-prized gifts

The Icelandic cow has been protected from outside influences

since about 900 AD It is rather small, comes in many colors, andprovides a great deal of milk, from which a variety of dairy prod-ucts are obtained

Domestic Animals n 17

Icelandic sheep

along the rugged

coastal cliffs Some

the latter half of

May and the first

three weeks in June, although some redwings and redpolls tend to visit in the winter The Iceland gyrfalcon is often seen near the seashore in the winter, and fieldfares, blackbirds, and ravens also are common winter visitors Teals enjoy the

winter season when the ponds and streams are frozen over

Snow buntings and merlins tend to gather in the towns and

villages during bad weather, and widgeons are very commonly

seen around Reykjavik in the wintertime

Turnstones, oystercatchers, and redshanks are common

along the shoreline near Reykjavik in the winter, and such

wad-ers as the snipes, curlews, bar-trailed godwits, knots, and

sanderlings are

com-mon visitors duringthat time of year aswell Winter waders,

such as the purple

sandpiper, are best

seen along the line in the Southwestand Southeast.Among the nesting

shore-species, puffins are

t h e m o s t p o p u l a ramong the tourists,but they must competefor space along the

Ducks in flight

cliffs with the

ful-mars, kittiwakes,

guillemots, and

Brunnich’s

guil-lemots.

Other breeding

spe-cies include

shov-e l shov-e r s , t u f t e d

ducks, pochards,

l e s s e r b l a c k

-backed gulls,

her-ring gulls,

com-mon gulls,

black-h e a d e d g u l l s ,

short-eared owls,

and starlings Lesser black-backed seagulls are true

migrants and leave Iceland during October and November

Seen almost everywhere in Iceland are the mallard, golden

plover, whimbrel, redsnak, black-headed gull, Arctic tern, meadow pipit, and wheatear.

The Weather

Many potential visitors reject the idea of going to land because of its name In point of fact, it would havebeen more accurate to have called Iceland Greenlandand to have called Greenland Iceland The reason: the GulfStream that sweeps northward along America’s Atlantic coastand then swings eastward along the coast of the British Isles,later turns somewhat to the west and sweeps by Iceland, provid-ing it with an exceptionally stable climate, not unlike that in theAleutian Islands, on the Alaskan Peninsula, or in Tierra delFuego

Ice-Not surprisingly, the South coast of Iceland is generally warmerthan the North coast, and the winter snowfall, while not verycommon, is more likely to occur in the North than in the South.Summers rarely exceed 75°, while winters average around 35°,never dropping as low nor climbing as high as the temperatures

in New York City or in Ottawa, Canada

The climate is moderate throughout the summer, although it can

be somewhat unpredictable and subject to rapid change

Sum-Birds n 19

Puffins

mers tend to be damp and cool, and it is not unusual to see snow

as early as October or as late as April But snow is not common inIceland and it rarely stays on the ground for more than a couple

of days

The all-time high temperature in Reykjavik, set in 2004, was just76.6°F, while the record low temperature, set in 1918, was -12.1°– not too bad by most standards

For most travelers, the best time to visit Iceland is from May toNovember

Did You Know?The people of Iceland quote thetemperature in Celsius (Centigrade) To convert Cel-sius to Fahrenheit, multiply the Celsius figure by 1.8and then add 32

Typical Hours of Daylight

January 11:19 am to 3:44 pm 11:32 am to 3:00 pmFebruary 10:09 am to 5:15 pm 10:06 am to 4:46 pmMarch 8:36 am to 6:45 pm 8:25 am to 6:26 pm

April 6:47 am to 8:18 pm 6:38 am to 8:06 pm

May 5:01 am to 9:51 pm 4:34 am to 9:48 pm

June 3:23 am to 11:30 pm 2:35 am to 11:49 pmJuly 3:04 am to 11:57 pm 1:55 am to 12:33 pmAugust 4:33 am to 10:33 pm 4:00 am to 10:35 pmSeptember 6:08 am to 8:45 pm 5:47 am to 8:36 pm

Currently, some 310,000 people reside in the Republic of

Iceland (Lydveldidh Island) Better than half of them

live in Reykjavik, the nation’s capital and its largest city.With a population of 170,000, Reykjavik is just slightly smallerthan Providence, R.I The remainder of the Icelandic population,with few exceptions, lives in small coastal villages The familiesgenerally are interrelated, and most of the inhabitants haveknown each other all their lives

As of 2004, just 20,669 people, or 7% of the total population, hadbeen born abroad and only 10,636 people, or 3.6% of the popula-tion, had foreign citizenship Most non-native Icelanders have

Birds n 21

come from Poland, Denmark, Yugoslavia, The Philippines, andGermany.

Just as Iceland was far ahead of its time when it created theworld’s first democracy, so it also was a pioneer in recognizingwomen’s rights Icelandic women have voted in local electionssince 1882 and in national elections since 1908 In America, itwasn’t until 1920 that women were granted the right to vote.Housing

Most of the houses

in Iceland are made

of cement instead

of wood, brick orstone, and few ofthem have a fur-nace They avoidthe need for a fur-nace by buryinglarge water pipes

in places where canoes will heat thewater, and thenpipe the water intotheir homes so that

vol-i t w vol-i l l h e a t t h erooms Schools andother public buildings are also heated this way

Similarly, hot water is used to warm the many greenhouses thatare used to grow the country’s vegetables Tomatoes, carrots,even bananas, are raised in such greenhouses, which is particu-larly noteworthy because only 1% of Iceland’s landmass is undercultivation and almost all of its farm produce is consumed by res-idents

Education

Nurseries are available for all children between three monthsand six years of age, and all children are required to attendschool until the age of 17 Every child can receive a free educationall the way through college

In the country, children ride buses to school or attend a boardingschool In the most isolated areas, teachers travel from farm tofarm, staying several weeks at each location while the childrenare being taught.

The literacy rate is virtually 100% – far ahead of the UnitedStates and virtually every other country in the world

During the summer school vacation, older children are paid tolook after the younger children Some children tend to the com-munity gardens or to other public facilities in order to earnmoney, keep themselves busy, and help out Icelanders do notrespect idleness A 14-year-old might work a four-hour day, while

a 15-year-old might work a full eight hours Parents believe thatthis regimen will help their children gain self-reliance and self-confidence

Language

The people of Iceland speak a language that their Norseancestors brought with them during the 9th and 10thcenturies It has been relatively unchanged since the12th century, enabling the people to read books that were written1,000 years ago

Icelandic is classified as a West Scandinavian language, likeFaroese and Norwegian Danish and Swedish are classified asEast Scandinavian languages

Among all of the Scandinavian languages – and a number ofother languages throughout the world – a new word is derivedthrough the combination of two previously-existing words For

example, a computer (tolva) was so named by combining the words tala (meaning Adigit@ or Anumber@) and the word volva

(meaningAmagician@) A computer, therefore, is a Anumber cian.@ This combination of two or more words into one is the rea-son why so many Icelandic words are extremely long

magi-The language also seems complicated to many because the accent

is unfamiliar and the visitor is not accustomed to the Icelandic

alphabet, which includes 32 characters There is no c, q, w, or z in

their alphabet In addition, there are three characters that aretotally different from anything in the English alphabet:

The Icelandic people use k exclusively, rather than c, and the ters h, d, and g are never voiced.

let-Many Icelandic words are quite understandable when spokenbecause they sound like English words that have the same mean-ing When in doubt, don’t be afraid to try using an Icelandic word,even if it is one with which you are not familiar Most Icelanderswill be happy to help you and be pleased that you have made aneffort to familiarize yourself with their language

Hello (Godan daginn)

My name is James (Eg heiti James)

Good evening (Gott kvold)

Good night (Goda nott)

Good-bye (Bless)

Yes (Ja)

No (Nei)

Where is the bathroom? (Hvar er salernid?)

I don’t understand (Eg skil ekki)

I don’t know (Eg veit ekki)

Excuse me (Afsakid)

Most Icelandic people speak English, particularly in the largercommunities, and many speak other languages as well, such asNorwegian, Swedish, German, and French

Telling Time

Iceland uses Greenwich Mean Time throughout the yearand, like members of our own military, utilize a 24-hourclock In the morning, 8 o’clock will be 0800, but in theevening, it will be 2000 (8+12) Similarly, noon will be shown as

1200 hours, while midnight will be 2400 hours

What Time Is It?In the summer, when it is noon

in Reykjavik, it is 8 am in New York City, 1 pm in don, 2 pm in Paris and Rome, and 11 pm in Tokyo

Lon-As in many other countries, Icelanders designate the date by ing the day, month, and year in that order For example, Christ-mas falls on 25 December 2008, rather than December 25

list-Crime

Perhaps it is because the people are such workers thatthere is very little crime in Iceland Public officials arenot escorted by bodyguards, and few people even bother

to lock their houses and cars There are few jails, and those that

do exist are very small because there are so few prisoners to putinto them

The streets are safe at all hours of the day and night, and policeofficers are rarely seen

Iceland’s children go about as they please without any thought ofdanger, and are allowed to stay out late at night without concern

It is not uncommon to see an infant left unattended in a carriageoutside a store while its parent is shopping within

Myths & Legends

As a hold-over from the Viking days, many of today’s Icelandersstrongly believe in the supernatural In the minds of most Icelan-

dic people, angels (englar), dwarfs (dvergar), elves (alfar), gnomes (jarvergar), fairies (ljosalfar), dragons, ghouls, ghosts,

trolls, zombies, and similar creatures actually exist

Two out of three Icelanders believe that they actually have hadsome sort of supernatural experience Many will tell you thatthey have had dreams that foretold the future

Telling Time n 25

When the workers constructing the Ring Road (Route 1) how managed to crack a large boulder as it was being moved, it issaid that the trolls who lived inside the rock became annoyed.Soon thereafter, three of the workers suffered an accident As aresult, the stone was left in its place and the road was rerouted in

some-order to ensure that the Hidden People (huldufolk) who lived

inside the boulder would not be further annoyed

The road between Keflavik International Airport and downtownReykjavik is said to be haunted by a nurse who sometimes leapsupon passing cars

Four shepherds are said to have been killed during a storm in theHighlands many years ago, but when the bodies were found, two

of them had disappeared The spirits of the two missing herds and their sheep are still believed to haunt Bone Hill.Others will tell of elves who live on farms, or in flowers

shep-The stories go on and on

WHO ARE “THE HIDDEN PEOPLE”?

Although they are the most literatepeople in the world, Icelanders still re-tain some of the inherited characteris-tics of their Viking ancestors Amongthese are the beliefs associated with

“the hidden people.” Who are those ple?

peo-Alfar - Elves Creatures who look like

people (although many may wearpointy hats), elves are believed to havedescended from the guardian spirits.The light elves live in a splendid place

called Alfheim, but the dark elves are

thought to live in crags and lava caves.Elves reward people generously, but can attack cruelly

Many Icelanders decorate their gardens with alfhols,

tiny wooden elf houses

Disir - Family female spirits They visit the homes of

new-born children to bring good luck

Drangur - Zombie These ghosts of dead people or

“walking undead” are particularly troublesome ghoulswho can be quite mean if awakened, difficult to wipeout, and possessed with superhuman strength If a

drangur can be associated with an actual dead person,

Elf

however, the body can beexhumed and further dis-patched to disable the zom-bie.

Dvergar - Dwarves Wise

and skilled in crafts,dwarves made the treasures

of the gods, such as Thor’shammer They’re also thesource of secret wisdom

They live among the rocksbecause sunlight will causethem to turn to stone

Englar - Angels.

Fetch - Familiar animal companions who are

associ-ated with one person or family Such animals are

thought to have been instilled with special powers by

means of sorcery

Fylgjur - Personal guardian spirits

in the shape of an animal Seeing

one’s own fylgja means that death is

close at hand

Huldufolk - Hidden People These

creatures are believed to be easily

dis-turbed by earth movers and other

construction equipment They look

like normal people wearing

old-fashioned clothes, and can appear

from an opening in a rock to drag

members of the living into their

un-derworld

Jarvergar - Gnomes.

Landvaettir - Spirits upon

whom the prosperity of theland depends They live in at-tractive rocks and boulders Inthe old days, Icelandic law re-quired that approaching shipsshould remove their dragon-head prows so as not tofrighten the landvaettir

Ljosalfar - Fairies.

Ljuflingar - Lovelings The

ghosts of departed loved ones

Myths & Legends n 27

Zombie

Trolls

Tivar - Mountain spirits.

Trolls - Trolls Often giants and

frequently very ugly, they will

return the favor if you help

them They move about only at

night and will turn to stone if

caught in the daylight

Valkyrja - A female warrior On

the battlefield, they choose who

is to live and who is to die

Other “hidden people” believed

to be living among the

Iceland-ers are mermaids and mermen, a bull that drags hisskin behind him, sea monsters, and a hand that canreach up from beneath the ground or out of the sea.Are the people of Iceland serious about such beliefs?The nation’s coat of arms displays its four protectiveghosts – an ox, a vulture, a dragon, and a rock giant

Gay Iceland

Iceland is extremely accepting of the gay and lesbian community.See www.gayice.is Gay marriage was voted into acceptance in1996

Samtokin ’78, 3 Laugarvegur in Reykjavik,% 552-7878, www.samtokin78.is, is the country’s national gay and lesbian organi-zation Established in 1978, it maintains a community center in

Reykjavik FSS is the gay/lesbian/bisexual student organization

at the University of Iceland Similar organizations in Reykjavik

include Gay Pride Reykjavik and MSC, Reykjavik’s Leather

Club

For one full weekend in mid-August, gays and lesbians stage a

Gay Pride Festival in Reykjavik, at which they parade and

party in style Children enjoy the lavish celebrations

Icelanders enjoy

hav-ing a good time As a

result, their special

holidays are almost always a

time for vibrant celebrations

Among their many

exhilarat-ing holidays:

Early Annual Events

Between mid-January and

mid-February, Icelanders

cele-brate Thor, the Norse God of

Thunder, with a midwinter

feast (Thorrablot) This is part

of an ancient Viking tradition

in which the people eat such traditional foods at slatur (an landic version of haggis), svid (half-boiled sheep’s head), seal flip-

Ice-pers, pickled ram’s testicles, and rotten shark meat, washeddown with brennivin (fondly known as Ablack death@) Suchdishes often are available at local restaurants

New Year’s Day is a public holiday in Iceland, as is January 6,

Epiphany (Threttandinn).

January 19 is Husband’s Day (Bondadagur) and February 18 is

Woman’s Day (Konudagur).

March 1 is recognized as Beer Day in recognition of the day in

1989 on which beer was first legalized in Iceland

Easter

Palm Sunday (Palmasunnudagur), Maundy Thursday

(Skirdagur or AChristening Day@) and Good Friday

(Fostudaginn langi orAThe Long Friday@) are all public holidays

in Iceland

Preceding Ash Wednesday, locals celebrate Shrove

Monday (Bolludagur orABuns Day@) by dining out oncream puffs (“buns”) Children love this special day andattempt to get out of bed before their parents If they

succeed, they arm themselves with bolluvondur (bun

wands), which are colorfully-decorated with strips ofpaper and gleaming ribbon They then go to their par-ents’ bedroom andAbeat@ them with their wands untilthey get out of bed Each of the parents is then obligated

to give each of the children one cream puff for everyAblow@ they have received

Holidays n 29

New Year’s Eve in Reykjevik