"To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live."
Hans Christian Andersen
I have had a few days at home, so some thoughts in addition to more photos(apologies if there are repeat photos). I am just beginning to sort through the thousands of photos, notes, and documents and will continue to reflect and create.
Many thanks to the Fulbright Commission of Iceland and the US Department of Education for this immersive, experiential learning experience. It is really difficult to put into words how incredible this journey has been, and yet it is not over in many ways. I am inspired and energized to carry this forward and excited for what comes next.
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A quick post before I have to finish packing and head to the airport. The presentations were exhilarating as even though I have had conversations with the other educators about their projects it was inspiring to hear what everyone is doing and gave me more ideas of ways to use this experience. What a dedicated and dynamic group. After the presentations we had our final meal at Harpa, the concert venue. We had the place to ourselves and ate our dinner on the top floor overlooking the harbor. This morning I had time for my final Iceland run so I took some photos of my favorite spots. Time to finish packing.
We are in the final stretch which is hard to believe, bittersweet in many ways. Yesterday we visited Höfði House. This was the site of the 1986 summit between President Ronald Reagan and Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev. We were given a tour and heard stories about the summit and other events that have been held there. The house had several impressive artworks including work from Icelandic artist Louisa Matthíasdóttir(the sheep and portrait painting).
The rest of the day was spent working on projects, having some free time, and getting our PCR tests for return. Today is our final full day in Iceland. We head to the US Embassy in a few hours to give presentations on our work. Our curriculum projects are a work in progress that will be finished within a couple of months of our return so we will just give an overview of what we have done so far. My project is still based on how art is shaped by land, but I have so many ideas and things that I want to incorporate. It will take time to process all of this information that I have learned over the past few weeks to make sure that I have a quality product(s). After presentations at the Embassy we have a final dinner together. Again it is a bittersweet day as I have gained so much from the places and experiences and people. It has been a real pleasure going on this journey and I feel so very fortunate. I'm hoping to post some final reflections, plus I have many, many more photos, but it may take a few days. Off to get ready for the day. Continuing with more about yesterday's drive back to Reykjavik, after visiting the waterfalls and geyser we stop by Friðheimar greenhouse. At the greenhouse they grow mainly tomatoes using natural resources to optimize sustainability. They took us for a mini tour and we got to see the operations and one of the boxes of bees they use for pollination. In addition to the greenhouse and a horse farm they also have a restaurant where they use the slightly "damaged" tomatoes to make delicious food. We ate some of their tomato soup and homemade bread while sitting in the greenhouse.
After lunch we went for our final excursion of the day to visit Fagradalsfjall Volcano, which began erupting March 19, 2021. We have been extremely fortunate to have excellent weather throughout our whole trip so far, but it was fairly rainy and windy yesterday afternoon, so visibility was low. We put on our rain gear and met Dr Christopher Hamilton our expert guide who took us on a hike to see the lava flow. After a 20-30 minute hike through the rain and winds we reached the front edge of the flow. You could actually smell the lava before you could see it as it was fairly strong. Once we reached the front edge Dr Hamilton explained more about the eruption and the pattern of the lava. We were not able to see the vent because of the foggy weather and rain. We were able to go down to the edge of the flow as it was not actively flowing in that area and not hot just a bit warm to the touch. There were areas further away where you could see steam rising especially as the cool rain hit the surface. Yet again a truly remarkable experience. We spent the day in Reykjavik today doing a mini excursion which I'll try to post about tomorrow and working on our projects. More later, but I must get some rest tonight. Struggling with photo uploads and WiFi tonight, so I will need to finish the second part of this post later. We made our way back to Reykjavik tonight stopping by some truly unforgettable places. The first stop was Gullfoss waterfalls and although I still need to go back and review everything, I think these may have been my favorite waterfalls. The waterfalls were very large and the movements were interesting going through several rock formations. Then we saw a Geyser hot spring area with several mini pools and one large geyser that erupted every 5-8 minutes. The colors in the geyser were an iridescent blue and reminded me a lot of visiting Yellowstone National Park. It was a great start to the day and hard to believe it got even more exciting, but I will need to save the tomatoes and volcano until tomorrow with hopefully better WiFi.
Today began with a run with 2 other women up the hiking trail and then around the fields at the top of the cliff. We did this yesterday as well and it was great to run in a group, plus the weather was beautiful this morning. The first 3 photos were from the top of the cliff this morning on the run. Then we checked out of the hotel and continued south. First stop was Reynisfjara black sand beach which are the next 6 photos(Game of Thrones fans may recognize that north of the wall). We had a little time to explore, but the waves here are very strong and dangerous so it was from a distance. The next stop of the day was Skógafoss waterfall, the next 3 photos. Then Seljalandsfoss waterfall where I had enough time to go on the trail behind the waterfall. The final stop of the day was at the Saga Center in Hvolsvöllur where we heard a brief presentation on Njál's Saga. We have a brief night here in south Iceland before we head back to Reykjavik tomorrow.
Today we visited Lakagígar volcanic craters and Fjarðarárgljúfur canyon. The 10 hour excursion today took us along a 2 hour each way gravel/boulder encrusted road through 4 rivers each way(this is not by bridge but actually the bus driving through the water). It was quite the adventure, but well worth it. We were guided by Dr. Christopher Hamilton who brought his drone to show us aerial perspectives along the way. We made some stops by bus, but also did a 2 hour hike through the area. As always I learned a lot especially about lava from channels to tunnels to cones to craters to pseudo craters and much, much more. Hopefully at some point I will have time for more details, but it is late and we are heading out early tomorrow morning again so I should get some rest.
It was a travel day today, but a much shorter one. We headed to the small town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Along the way we did a few stops. The first stop was at glacial lagoon, a different one from where we went kayaking yesterday. Again the colors were spectacular and each iceberg had a different texture. The second stop was Dverghmrar(Dwarf Cliffs) which are basalt cliffs formed by a specific pattern of lava flow. We did a couple of other brief stops before heading into the town. This is a small town of only around 400 people which is more inland. After a little bit of work time I went on a hike with a few in our group led by our bus driver Leifi who volunteered to take us. He took us up to the top of these waterfalls which are more like a trickle right now as they haven't had much rain in this area. There were beautiful 360 views and Leifi pointed out the tallest tree in Iceland, although I did not get a good photo of it. He also took us over to the singing cave. Leifi has been not only a good driver, but a kind and knowledgable man who goes out of his way to help us in many ways. I have been fortunate to have many wonderful conversations with Leifi especially in the early morning and we are often both waiting for the coffee. Off to sort through photos and get ready for tomorrow.
Today was another powerful day of new experiences and learning. We began the day with kayaking on a glacial lagoon in Vatnajökull National Park. After we suited up in dry suits and received instructions we set off. It was first foggy when we began kayaking navigating the ice. We stopped at an iceberg and got off the kayaks. Then we were able to walk around a little bit. The fog began to lift and the colors changed dramatically. As the sun came out the ice sparkled like crystals. It was yet again a magical experience with this dynamic group of educators and our guides.
After a quick lunch we suited up, this time in snowsuits. We took a 45 minute drive into the park up some steep climbs to the edge of the glacier. After some instructions on use of the snowmobiles we headed out to explore following the guide. We were taken to a few different spots where the guide explained more about the formation of glaciers and glacier melt at one point using Snickers Bars to demonstrate. Not only were the views incredible, but it was interesting to see the crevasses, conditions of the snow and ice, and the various rocks. Often times it is a challenge for me to find the words to express what I am thinking and feeling, but know that these experiences here in Iceland have had a great impact and I will do my best to spread that impact far and wide. Today we spent the day in Höfn. First was the second part of our Arctic Seminar with 3 presentations. We heard from the Director of the South Iceland Nature Research Center, a Park Manager at the Vatnajökull National Park, and a member of the Icelandic search and rescue team who is also a glacier and mountain guide. We saw the retreating and thinning of the glaciers through powerful photos from the past 10 years. We heard how they were trying to protect the area, promote sustainable development, and manage the influx of tourism. After the seminar we got a tour from the Mayor of Höfn, Matthildur Asmundardóttir. She talked about some challenges the area is facing and took us to an art exhibit at the local museum. Finally we got to talk to some local teachers. The teacher at my table is a 1st-3rd grade teacher who loops with her students. We talked about so many things from her schedule, curriculum, resources, recess, and much more. She patiently answered our many questions. She said the biggest challenge or thing she would like to see changed is to have more team teaching or co-teaching. It was another full day of learning and new experiences. We have a big day ahead tomorrow as we head to Vatnajökull National Park.
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