Iceland - Information.

April 2000, 2004 - Separate day trips from Teesside Airport to the Blue Lagoon via the lava fields and briefly Reykjavik.   The second trip was to go whale watching.

Strange happenings: Paying the equivalent of £3.50 for the equivalent of about half a pint of beer.   That's two and a half times as expensive as a full pint of beer back home ...

Travel Advice and Information: Iceland is an expensive place to visit, because apart from a few crops, some animal farming and an abundance of fish, most of the goods that Iceland needs, have to be imported from elsewhere (still doesn't fully explain why the beer was so expensive - I'm not annoyed at being ripped off, I don't know what give you that impression).   Get used to fish in your diet, as there's lots of it (best not consumed with expensive beer).

Tourism is increasingly important, with opportunities for a range of activities.   The Icelandic volcanoes, glaciers (Skatafell National Park on the South Coast is the most convenient place to see glaciers), boiling mud, icecaps, geysers (varying from a few centimetres to between twenty to forty metres - the word 'geyser' comes from Iceland, named after a geyser called strangely enough, 'Geysir' - though apparently Strokkur is more spectacular) give Iceland it's wide scenic variety which are a major attraction to visitors.   For the more adventurous, there is skiing, skiddooing (on Iceland's icecaps), white water rafting,  walking / trekking (not recommended is trying to walk through some of the lava fields), cycling and horse riding.   With only one day there on both occasions, none of these were an option.   I would especially have liked to visit the Gullfoss Waterfalls - as to why I didn't second time around, the whale watching that was on offer was far too enticing.

Those who want to relax for a while can go swimming or just laze about in one of Iceland's thermally heated swimming pools, many of which are open air.   In both visits, I got to visit the Blue Lagoon which is the best known and was used for the filming of a Guinness advert back in the 1980's.   However, the area set aside for public bathing has been moved away from it's original site at the geothermal power station, to a purpose built site further along the adjacent lake.   The power station itself is not so visible, but there is a feeling of loss of the original character of the setting.   That said, it is still a worth while experience.

The colour and taste of the water (don't make a point of drinking it - though it is cheaper than the beer, hmm) are due to the high level of minerals dissolved and the water has apparent therapeutic properties for people with skin complaints and other disorders.   There's a bit of a smell of sulphur, but this is not noticeable after a while.

Iceland is on the whole a very bleak looking place, with most of the island dominated by the volcanically formed mountains, some snowcapped, which on a clear day can be quite spectacular.   The terrain varies quite considerably, from the icecaps in the interior (15% of Iceland is apparently covered by glaciers - that's a lot of ice...) through mainly grasses and a few small shrubs to some woodlands (mainly in the north of Iceland) and richer vegetation around some of the coasts.   We were told when we were there, that if we got lost in one of Iceland's woodlands, all we had to do to be found was to "stand up" - the trees for the most part were dwarf conifers.

Also of note are the vast lava fields, notably in the south west peninsula, where large areas are made up of noting else but solidified lava.   These are instantly recognisable, due to the extremely rough, jagged nature of the rocks which are almost impenetrable for people on foot.   Nothing yet lives on the more recent lava flows, apart from a few mosses, lichens and some small patches of grass.

Iceland also has a reasonable range of animal and bird life, with puffins, guillemots, gannets, terns, eider ducks and a few gyr falcons and white tailed eagles, to name a few - the best bird watching is during the summer months, during the breeding season.   There aren't that many species of bird on Iceland because of it's location, but this is made up for by the large quantities of birds that live and breed there.   As regards other animals, seals use the coastlines to breed.   Also foxes (the Arctic Fox is the only native mammal to the country - got there during the Ice Age) and mink (one ran in front of our bus into Reykjavik whilst we were passing through the lava fields) have appeared, due to the escape of these animals from captivity in Iceland's fur farms (which Beefy is against).   Whale watching is also an option, with Minkie Whales and Dolphins visible most times of year.   However, the summer months (May onwards) sees the arrival of the big whales, including the Humpback and even the odd Blue Whale.

One of the major influences in Icelandic tradition are the 'sagas', stories that came about from Iceland's past and it's Nordic traditions.   These stories came about due to the constant bickering and feuding between the various clans and chieftains in early Icelandic society.   Not all sagas were the result of disputes, as the Vinland Sagas are about Viking adventures in North America, after Eric the Red's son Leif Eriksson landed there five hundred years before Columbus.   There is a monument to this next to Reykjavik's main Cathedral.

Some shortened versions were sung, while we were eating some 'haddock' in an Icelandic bar (selling 'very expensive' beer - no, I'm not annoyed about the beer prices).   One was about a woman, who in the first verse of the song had fallen in love with a man.   In the second verse, she saw a lot less of him, with him being away from home so much (whatever Vikings do while they're away from home).   By the time the song reaches the third verse, she is saying 'to hell with him'.   I think a lot of people can relate to this song.

As for Reykjavik, if you want to get a panorama view of the city, pay a visit to a modern looking building known locally as the 'Pearl'.   Sat on top of a hill overlooking Reykjavik, you get views of the whole of the city, plus the mountains (sometimes snow capped) behind it.   It is quite a spectacular view, which will use up a good bit of film in your camera.   There's also an artificial geyser inside (timed to go off every few minutes) and you can get some beautiful ice cream there.   Try the three flavour ones, though don't blame me if you can't eat it all.

Iceland, now an independent country, has previously been ruled by Norway, then Denmark, gaining full independence on 17th June 1944, when Denmark was under German occupation - Iceland was occupied by British and later American troops to prevent German occupation of the country.   The Icelandic Althing (Parliament - in existence on and off since just after the Viking settlement of Iceland) at this time, with the German occupation of Denmark, regarded Danish sovereignty as null and void.   The 'Althing' building can be found near Mac Donald's in the centre of the capital and is easily recognisable as it is one of the few old fashioned looking stone buildings in Reykjavik.

Iceland also had some diplomatic difficulties with Britain in the early 1970's (the so called 'cod wars'), over the rights to fish certain waters - fish accounts for 70% of Iceland's exports.

As for rip offs, well what can I say.   Simple, the cost of that beer...

Weather: As well as volcanic activity, the wide variation can also be put down to the effects of the Gulf Stream, which make Iceland a less extreme environment than expected, despite it sitting on the Arctic circle.   However, visitors should beware of the weather, as what can turn out to be a pleasantly warm morning, a few hours later can be followed by bitter winds and rain.   And Iceland can get lots of rain, lasting for days on end and in winter especially, an abundance of snow, with some days of below freezing temperatures.   That said, summer temperatures can exceed 25°C or 77°F, but this should be regarded as the exception rather than the rule.   If in remote areas, warm clothing is advised in case the weather changes.

Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Iceland's volcanic activity can be put down to it's position over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.   Here, the European and North American landmasses are separating by a few centimetres a year.   Magma pushing up from between the Earth's crust essentially fills the gap left behind and accounts for Iceland's volcanoes and (to keep it simple) through geothermal activity, heats up subterranean water, which emerges at the surface in the form of boiling mud pools, geysers and the heated water that provides much of Iceland's electricity and fills it's thermally heated swimming pools.

Travel Companies: A wide range of companies are now offering holidays in Iceland, varying from short breaks of a few days to a week or longer.   Best advice is to ask at your local travel agent.   Independent travel is an option that can allow the visitor the time to do things at their own pace, say hire a car and go to the places that they want to go.

Currency: Króna.

Beer and Beverages: No mention of price here (...huh).   What I tasted was actually okay, but the brand?   All I can tell you is that it was a lager beer and was one of the local brews, Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrimsson, Brugg or Sanitas (sounds like a disinfectant, though I'm probably being unkind).

Language: Icelandic, derived from Old Norse as spoken by the original Viking Settlers (who first settled here in 870, apparently).

Religion: Primarily Evangelical Lutheran Church.   Free Lutherans, Protestant and Roman Catholic Minorities.   Still a few who follow the old Norse religion.