REYKJAVIK SITES

                                              Lots to See

The church

 The famed Hallgrimskirkja Church  Completed in 1986, the church is designed to look like a mountain of lava and is the city’s most unusual structure. Named for a poet, its 246-foot tower affords a panoramic view of the city. Outside the church is a statue of Leif Eriksson presented by the US in 1930.  Many think the Lutheran church interior is stark, but I rather think it is elegant in its simplicity. The all white interior makes it very light inside. The plaza surrounding the church is paved with 9-inch charcoal and grey tiles that are laid to form several crosses in the design. The parish built the church taking 40 years to complete. Architect Samulson designed the church plus many other buildings in the city. In 1920 he was the first to graduate from architectural school. The church is the tallest building in the city, but I understand an office building is in the process of being built that will be slightly higher.

      The ten-story Perlan, Pearl Building, 1990, is where geothermically heated water and power is supplied to the city.  The building sits on six huge storage tanks. On the fourth deck of the building is an observation platform that offers wonderful views of the city. A revolving restaurant is on the top floor and a café below that.

       Old town is fascinating with much of the city’s past as well as where green parks and museums are located. The city was the site of the Reagan-Gorbachev summit in 1996.     Government offices are housed in a white building that was originally the 18th century jail. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city. A statue of the first prime minister in 1904 is on the right of the building and a statue on the left is of Christian IX. However, the oldest house in town, dating back to 1752, was Sheriff Magnusson’s weaving shed. Destroyed by fire in 1764, it was immediately rebuilt on the same site and now houses a pub.

      The City Hall, Radhus, was controversial when it was built. Located on the north end of the lake, its front pillars and part of the building are actually in the lake. It is an unusual building. The lake, Tjornin, is in the city center and is more of a pond than a lake.

      Reykjavik is relatively small and very walkable. There are sights outside the city and we took the time to travel to see the magnificent Gulfass, golden waterfall. The picturesque two-tier waterfall often showcases a rainbow shining through the mist and spray. The wind was blowing and we got a pretty good shower of spray. At one time a hydroelectric plant was proposed, but there was such a citizen uproar that the government bought the land to preserve the waterfall. West of Gulfass is the Strokkur Geyser, “the churn”, which spouts a 60-100 foot jet about once every five minutes. The geyser performed for us a couple of times as we walked by.

      The drive around the Golden Circle was a lovely ride into the countryside on a beautiful sunny day. The beautiful historic site of Thingvellir lies 30 miles from Reykjavik. It is the site of the world’s  oldest existing parliament. Starting in 930 AD the parliament met annually to enact laws and govern the island. One law in 1000 AD introduced Christianity.  The lake in the area, 84 meters long and 114 meters deep, is the largest in the country. Shalholt was the historic site of Bishops for 740 years. An early school dates to 1056.

 

A Friendly Greeting

     Since 1902 natural thermal heat from springs in the center of town has heated greenhouses at Hveragerdi, Greenhouse Village. Artificial light and hot water prolongs the growing season for flowers and produce. A thin layer of soil covers boiling water underneath. Many residents make regular treks here for fresh produce long after the normal growing season is over. It was an interesting visit to a unique facility. The southern low plateau is an agricultural area.

Visit posts 4-6-11 Reykjavik, Botanical Garden9-4-11, Blue Lagoon7-17-10, Famous hot dog12-31-10

ICELAND

                                        An Interesting Country

       Iceland, an island of almost 40,000 square miles and about the size of Ohio is a land of massive glaciers and mountains, rumbling volcanoes, lava fields, bubbling mud holes, geysers, powerful waterfalls, desolate highlands, fertile river valleys, and abundant bird life, but only 300,000 people. It is a geology, biology and history class without a textbook. Glaciers and snowfields cover only 13% of the land mass and only 7% of the land is fertile. Iceland's highest peak, Hvannadalshnukur, towers 6,500 feet. The coastline is dotted with more than one hundred fjords, and green, fertile valleys extend from them. Iceland also has more than 10,000 waterfalls and countless hot springs. 

One of many waterfalls

      Iceland is a hot spot of geothermal activity. Thirty post-glacial volcanoes have erupted in the past two centuries, and natural hot water supplies much of the population with cheap, pollution-free heating. Rivers are harnessed to provide inexpensive hydroelectric power. The Gulf Stream moderates south and west coast temperatures, but rain is common when warm and cold weather systems meet.

      Fishing is the nation's greatest resource. About 66% of the workforce is employed in the service industry. Icelanders enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. Icelanders still speak the language of the Vikings (Old Norse).

      Irish monks first arrived in Iceland in 700 AD, but regarded it as a hermitage. Iceland was not settled until Norwegians arrived in 874-930 when political strife on the Scandinavian mainland forced many to head westward. The people are quite Scandinavian, their mainly Norwegian Viking ancestors brought along some Irish slaves over 1100 years ago who quickly blended into the population, and many Icelanders actually celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!  There are no Eskimos in Iceland.

      In 1281, after 200 years of peace, violent feuds and raids by private armies led to the end of control by Norway. In 1397 a union of Norway, Sweden and Denmark brought Iceland under Danish rule. Disputes between church and state in 1550 resulted in the Danes seizing church property and imposing Lutheranism on the population.

      In the 16^th century natural disasters of volcanic eruptions, four severe winters and crop failures resulted in 9000 people dying from starvation. In the 1800s nationalism grew, and free trade returned in 1855.

      The country has no army. During WWII concern about Germany led the British to protect Iceland. In 1941 the United States replaced the British. In 1874 a constitution was drafted, and the Republic of Iceland finally became a reality in 1944.

      Iceland is home to ten million Atlantic Puffins, and is the largest breeding ground for the beloved bird, a graceful swimmer and diver. The only native animal in Iceland is the wolf. There are no frogs nor turtles. Now mice, rabbit, mink introduced in 1931, and horses are included. The horse is small, strong, resilient and was used for farm work and transport. The 70-80,000 horses are docile and easy to handle. The only native trees are the birch and willow.  Glacial rivers are milky.  Sagas are Viking stories from the 12-13^th centuries that are hand written.

      My visit was in July and it was warm enough for all of us to wear shorts the entire time. It was a most interesting visit to a pedestrian friendly walkable city and an intriguing environment..