"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
So I try to go running every morning as it is tough to sleep in, but also typically quiet which I find energizing. This morning's run was magical, it ended up being more of a photo walk rather than run. The sheep did not seem particularly happy about my presence. At one point a group of them ran ahead of me on the road(apparently I am much slower than Icelandic sheep which I suppose is not surprising). I also came across a pasture of horses who began to run as well as I passed by. I wanted to share the photos while I have a little extra time this morning before we head off to the 2nd part of the Arctic Seminar. This is a spectacular place!
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It was a long day of driving today from the North to the East. We left around 8:30am and got in around 8pm. Most of the day was spent on the bus watching the landscape change in every direction. We had 2 stops, one at the Skriðuklaustur Monastery and the other at the Karahnjukar Dam. The Karahnjukar Dam is the largest of its type in Europe and we were guided around by a man who spent time at the University of Iowa.
I took many photos today mainly through the bus window hence the poor quality in some, but it was fascinating to see mountains, plains, wetlands, rivers, and much more. I saw a family of swans on my run this morning and we also saw some reindeer on the drive(not native to Iceland, but feral). Currently we are staying at a Guesthouse and sheep farm near the Vatnajokull glacier which you can see a little bit in the last photo. We will be visiting the glacier in the upcoming days after some more background seminars. More photos later, but its quite late already and I need to get some sleep. As I look out my window it appears like the sheep are already sleeping. Today we traveled about an hour and a half away to a town called Husavik. This town was featured in the 2020 Will Ferrell Rachel McAdams movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. We first had to suit up to go whale and puffin watching. Within 15 minutes from the start we saw our first humpback whale. It was amazing and our boats were able to get up pretty close. We sat it the boats for about an hour watching for whales and were able to see them multiple times. Then we went over to Puffin Island where we watched puffins. The guide described them like hummingbirds as they have to flap their wings quite fast to take off. They are fun birds to watch as they are not the most graceful in take off or landing.
We then went to a local restaurant to have a surprise lunch with author Egill Bjarnason. As the book description states it is "the untold story of how one tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic has shaped the world for centuries." I have not had a chance to read the book yet as I wasn't able to pick up a copy until today but others who have read it said it is a great book. We were also able to wander around Husavik a bit before having to head back. Tomorrow we leave the north and travel to the east. Sad to leave this beautiful area, but excited for new adventures. Happy 4th of July!
I started the day as usual with my early morning run(not sure why I cannot sleep in when I have the day off). I went with a small group of teachers to the Botanical Gardens and the Akureyri Museum of Art. We were able to sit and enjoy some coffee and walk around the beautiful gardens. Then we went on to the museum when I was able to finally figure out the name of the artist who creates the wooden sculptures, Aðalheiðdur S. Eysteinsdottir. One of the most interesting spaces was the community gallery which featured student paintings of volcanos. We also wandered into a gallery next to the museum where the artist spoke to us about her work, process, and experiences in art education in Iceland. I will post more about that work with images with more time. At the end of the day we had a 4th of July barbecue at a local park above the hotel with other guests from the area. It was a wonderful event with great conversations. I joked with my family in my first FaceTime with them since I've been gone before the barbecue that there was no way we would have corn on the cob. Well, we did have corn on the cob. A nice touch in Iceland, better tasting in Iowa. Today we took a drive about 2 hours out of Akureyri to 2 different sites. First we went to Asbyrgi which is a horseshoe shaped glacial canyon and forest. Unfortunately my photos are out of order, but it took a while to upload tonight and I'm likely to lose WiFi soon, so Asbyrgi are photos 6,7 & 8. We had a picnic lunch and walked around for a little while. The walls of the cliffs were quite tall and it was also unusual to be in a forest in Iceland as there are very few trees in general.
The second site we visited was Dettifoss waterfall, the second most powerful in Europe. The landscape leading up to the waterfalls was filled with rocks including sections of these cube shaped rocks. It almost looked like we were on a different planet. The water streaming through the waterfalls was filled with sediment and very brown. The guide said this was somewhat unusual because of the quick melting from the warm temperatures in the area. Many rainbows filled the area as the spray from the water covered the walking paths. Tomorrow we have a day of rest with a 4th of July barbecue. Although everything has been wonderful and I have learned so much, I am looking forward to some rest. Today we had a morning seminar in Akureyri at the Town Hall. The Akureyri Municipality is Iceland's first Child-Friendly City as defined by the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child. The presenter described the process they used and continue to use to receive this designation. What was really striking was how they really sought to have an authentic youth voice which enabled them to work together to create an action plan that is being implemented and re-evaluated in this spiral process. Two of the things that the students asked for when they were seeking their input were more education on financial literacy and more access to mental health professionals. It was exciting to hear about the ways they really promoted active participation from students.
They took us to Kaffi Ku for lunch which is a farm cafe. Literally the dining tables are right next to the windows that overlook the cows in the barn. After lunch they gave us a tour and explained their automated milking and feeding systems. After our lunch and farm tour the Fulbright team took us to a grocery store to point out some of the authentic Icelandic brands and some different foods we should try. I have a new found love for Icelandic chocolate, the dried fish I'm still working on. After the grocery store excursion we had the rest of the afternoon to explore Akureyri and get some work done on our curriculum projects so the photos are from exploring and the farm. Well, it's getting late even though it's still completely light out(we are so far north it stays light almost 24 hours)so I better review the plan for tomorrow and get some rest. Today we spent the day about 90 minutes away from Akureyri in the Lake Myvatn Area. This is a legally protected conservation area of environmental, ecological, and geological significance. Two Fulbright Scholars accompanied us today and guided us around several sites. What was most amazing to me was how the landscape changed so dramatically within a relatively small area. We saw the Goðafoss waterfall, Lake Myvatn, Dimmuborgir lava fields, Viti crater, Namaskarð geothermal area and the Myvatn Nature Baths throughout our day exploring. I took many, many photos today, but am experiencing slow WiFi tonight so will just upload some with this brief post.
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