My wife and I spent the week of October 4-11 on vacation in Iceland, a.k.a. The Land of Ice and Fire. It’s roughly the size of Ohio but has a total population less than half that of Columbus, two-thirds of which is concentrated in the capital city of Reykjavik. Here are some highlights from this land of contrasts. Click to enlarge, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Found hanging in a Reykjavik window. Possibly the funniest thing we saw all week. Rampant graffiti notwithstanding, Reykjavik is the least ghetto place on the entire planet.
The most famous spot in Iceland, the towering Hallgrimskirkja. Pretty in pictures but rather drab in person. Great view from the top, though. I’m smiling in this picture because I’ve finally found something taller than me.
Another iconic Reykjavik landmark, the Sun Voyager is also the only sculpture in the city that isn’t hideously ugly (sorry Icelanders!)
A little church in the pretty national park of Thingvellir. You find quite a number of churches as you travel around.
The mighty double waterfall Gullfoss in all its thundering glory, complete with rainbow. What you don’t see in the photo is the constant freezing gale-force wind.
Betsy and I went whale-watching on a ship similar to this one. We saw a number of dolphins and Minke whales. Our guide spoke out against whale-hunting, which is legal but controversial in Iceland.
The Dynamic Duo at the peak of their arduous (for us, anyway) hike up Mount Esja. The trail was so steep that getting down was almost as tough as ascending. “Steinn” means “stone,” if you were wondering.
Look at this pig’s face. Look at it. This derpy expression, the mascot of supermarket chain Bonus, followed us around Reykjavik. I can’t tell if he’s high or…no, okay, he’s definitely high.
Our haul of duty-free liquor from the land up north. The two clear bottles on the right are Brennivin, the famous Icelandic booze. Of course I can’t actually drink any of it right now (depression and such) but a man can dream.
Any questions about our trip? Ask away in the comments!
Brian D. Buckley 