REYKJAVIK

Iceland's Capital

It’s funny how when something historic happens in a place you’ve never heard of then suddenly you want to visit there. It was years after the Reagan-Gorbachev summit  in 1986 that I finally made it to Reykjavik,Iceland. There’s a lot to say about Iceland, a place that is a geology, biology and history class without a textbook, but today I want to talk about its capital, Reykjavik.

The name means Smokey Bay, no doubt from the steam coming out of steam vents around the city. Located on Faxa Bay, it is one of the cleanest cities in the world. A great salmon river runs through the city of 115,000 people. When the city was established in 1786 the population was 200.

            The airport located on a peninsula is 27 miles from the city. The area is a flat barren lava field that is 700-800 years old. It takes about 6000 years for vegetation to start growing on a lava bed. Moss is the first vegetation to appear as it requires no soil to grow, but eventually it creates soil. The roads are narrow and small SUVs and station wagons seem to be the vehicle of choice. I noticed a fair amount of horn blowing especially at buses.

The city is essentially pollution free as it has been using geothermal heat and power since the 1940s. Reykjavik is a delightful and welcoming city for pedestrians. Iceland conjures up images of cold and chill, but its temperatures are quite moderate. People are warm hearted. A country rich in history, Reykjavik is the world’s northern most capital as well as one of the newest capitals, dating only to the 20^th century.  Everything that happens in Iceland happens in Reykjavik. It is one of the liveliest, safest, most sophisticated and modern cities on earth.

Rows of brightly colored concrete houses create an air of festivity. The small capital city has quiet city streets. Old town is fascinating with much of the city’s past as well as the area where green parks and museums are located.

The building for the Reagan-Gorbachev summit sits on a lot by itself near the highway where security could be easily achieved. The white building was built by the French consulate who occupied it for two years. They sold it to the British, but they were never able to occupy it. The city owns the building now and uses it for receptions.

Although located on the water, I was surprised at the small number of boats. I noticed more clutter and graffiti here than in other cities. Smokers seemed to be everywhere. Daylight hours are extreme, so maybe that is why people stayed in the parks until the wee hours of the morning.  In summer there is little darkness and it generally occurs from 3-5 AM. In the winter the days are long and dark with light generally available from 11 AM to 3 PM. 
The city is very walkable and there is enough activity to keep one busy for 4-5 days, a bit longer if you venture out of town to other sights.

ANOTHER ECOMUSEUM

SKANSEN

           

I’ve visited several ecomuseums during my travels. Skansen was not my favorite , but it is the oldest having been established in 1891. The Swedish Skansen, meaning little fortress, is located on the island of Djurgarden, the king’s hunting ground for 400 years ago. The whole island is a national city park that includes a small zoo of sorts, a garden, playground and the open air museum, Skansen, with its 150 historic buildings.  

            We visited a farm house, school, and a church with a barrel ceiling. Paintings at the lower edge of the ceiling were original in the 1700s church. Each painting was framed with a red leaf design painted border. Men sat on the right, the sunny side of the church, women and children on the cold left side. The clock on the church tower was painted, as watches did not exist before the 1800s.

            At the school the children used chalk boards and a rabbit tail eraser. Reeds bound together with circular twine doubled as a switch and as a board pointer in the 1920s. Learning was done by memorization as there were no text books. In 1842 every parish had to provide a school and a teacher for the children. The teacher and his wife lived in a room next to the schoolroom. Because there was no electricity the school day was short. A small stove heated the schoolroom.

            There is a large restaurant on the island where we enjoyed a good lunch. Afterward we walked down to see the animals. We also saw rune stones dating to the Viking era. Rune means secret.

            Ecomuseums have become quite popular in recent years and provide a peek into the past. It was an interesting visit and as usual I saw and found a few things I had not seen before. I’m always looking for something new.