May 13, 2016: Vikings and Lighthouses

We started the day with the last of our hearty hostel breakfasts. I finally remembered the camera.

 Here is also a photo of the 10 bed dorm we stayed in. Every night, two other people stayed on two of the upper bunks. 

The plan for today was to drive Reykjanesbaer. We drove back to Keflavik and toured Viking World. It is a museum centered on the recreated Viking ship that sailed from Iceland to New York City in 2000. The ship stayed in New York for 3 years before sailing back to Iceland. In addition to the ship, there was a nice display about Vikings traveling around the north Atlantic and local artifacts from the area. 

Kissing Odinn or Thor

One of the more interesting features of this museum is the presentation of the Norse Gods. It gives a great overview of the hierarchy of the Norse gods and links some of the mythology that American’s know to the original mythology written in the Sagas.

Icelandic Goats used for dairy, meat and fleece.

Next to Viking World is a ‘Nature Farm’ that includes Icelandic farm animals including sheep, goats, cows and chickens. We left quickly when the farm got overrun by 50 Icelandic school kids.

 

The roundabout leading to Viking World has this 10^th century sword statue in the center.

Near Viking World is Stekkjorkot, a local farm that was occupied from 1855 until 1924. The land on which the house stands was of the type known in Icelandic as Þurrabúđ, which meant that its occupants were forbidden from keeping any kind of domestic animals, including cows and sheep. As a result, they were completely dependent on the sea for their existence.

We drove to Garður, the small village on the northern tip of Reykjanesbaer. It has two lighthouses. We were able to view some birds and look in the tidal pools.

Male Eider Ducks

Some of the student even got to have a ‘Titanic’ moment on the dry-docked boat.

We stopped near the church where Hallgrims daughter’s headstone was discovered in 1964 (Hvalneskirkja)

Also stopped at next lighthouse (Stafnes) and enjoyed the tidal pools again. This time we found sea urchins.

Iceland is one of the only places in the world where you can walk through where two continents are pulling apart: the mid-Atlantic Rift. This bridge commemorates the rift, which is spreading apart at the rate of 2 cm per year. 

Once again we have a student napping.

Along the coastal drive is a geothermal power plant. The visitors’ center was not open but we did enjoy the small scale replica of our solar system and the huge distances between each planet. Gunnuhver, is a hotspot area that has mudpots and steam vents. In the 1920’s a couple tried to make flower pots and grow flowers here while utilizing the steam. They ended up returning to Copenhagen to resume work as an editor. You can see the geothermal plant in the distance.

We finished the day with the hour drive to the next youth hostel, Gaulverjar. It was a regional school at one point and how is run by a lovely (and lively) woman and her family. There is a wonderfully large communal kitchen that we can use. We are staying in two four-bed rooms for the next three nights.

We made potato soup for supper and everyone went for a walk around the area, mainly to pet some of the Icelandic horses, which are famously friendly.