HANDS IN THE AIR!

New ferry details discussed:  Ferry Line and Fincantieri principals
( L to R)  Todd Thayse, Rich Ellefson, Justin Slater,
Steve Propsom and Hoyt Purinton.

           

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

The big news of this past week has been the announcement of a new ferry for Washington Island, to be named MADONNA.  Measuring 124 x 40 x 10'8', and with a pair of 800 hp CAT diesels, stainless ice class wheels, heavy framing...this vessel has winter capabilities.  That is not to say it will be THE winter ferry, for there is already one, very capable ferry vessel for that purpose, the Arni J. Richter, which at 104-ft. LOA, can maneuver well in confined areas of ice, wind and current.  The MADONNA will be a back-up, and as her capabilities become better known, may take over in certain times of the winter as need arises.

Gathered to witness the signing of the new ferry
contract were:  Justin Slater, Hoyt Purinton,
Todd Thayse, Rich Ellefson, Steve Propsom 
and Ryan Hoernke.

A question already asked several times:  Will you sell one of the other ferries?

The answer is "No."  There is need for additional vehicle capacity, above our present capacity, that this new ferry will bring.  The Eyrarbakki, oldest of the fleet (50 years in 2020), is still a very useful and able vessel, and the cost to build new, or to rebuild an older vessel, as we've found out through research and comparisons, is significant.  So, while the machinery, and even the basic layout, may beg for updating at some future date, we'll continue to operate the Eyrarbakki as she is presently, with upgrades when and where necessary.   But to consider selling this or any of the other ferries is not in the picture at the present.

Now, on to other things!

 Eyrarbakki on a sunny afternoon.

How many of you are thinking of going to Iceland in June 2020 as a part of the Washington Island 150th Celebration Delegation?

Please raise your hands by way of letting us know through the email site IcelandicCelebration2020@gmail.com      Bill Schott and I will tally up the rough numbers to gauge the level of serious interest to date.

There are several reasons for learning how many of you, and who exactly, may be interested in
such a trip.  For instance, there is one traveler who would like a travel companion.  Knowing in advance who might be traveling will aid in this individual's search.

During the past several months we've determined that the approximate dates of intended
celebration in Eyrarbakki, Iceland, have been confirmed by our Icelandic counterparts.

Those dates will be: June 9/10 in Eyrarbakki, Iceland;     October 6/7 for our Icelandic guests to visit Washington Island.    Two days have been set aside, for further refinement as we close in on those dates and expand upon the celebration itinerary information.  

You will certainly want to broaden your Iceland experiences apart from planned IcelandicCelebration2020 activities, such as touring the magnificent countryside, and visiting historical and cultural attractions found there.   As we approach Late Spring in 2020, I should think that either one large group or several smaller groups may be formed to organize additional tour options.  But the main event, the planned celebration in Eyrarbakki, we think will be a highlight of experiences for Washington Island-connected travelers.

Thorlakshavn harbor offers protection to fishing vessels and is the primary
port forferries departing for Westman Islands in non-summer months.
 Located approximately 15 miles southwest of Eyrarbakki.

You need not commit at this time to going, but we'd like an indication of who is seriously considering traveling at this time.  And, we would suggest that by September / October of this year you will have begun to firm up your Icelandic lodging and flight plans.   Remember, if you don't wish to make your lodging or tour arrangements, the website "Hey, Iceland!" is one to look at.  The folks there will take good care of you in making such arrangements.

Looking like a movie set for an industrial plant, this is a "backlot view" of the
 most modern geothermal power plants that provides Reykjavik
and suburban areas with hot water and electric energy produced
from steam piped from underground sources, powering steam
turbines.   This proved to be an extremely
interesting stop, unexpected and enjoyed by all ages in our group.

So, now that you've given it a bit more thought, raise your hands in the air and let us know if you'll be among those folks with Icelandic / Washington Island ties who will help make history as a part of the 2020 Celebration.

Send an email to IcelandicCelebration2020@gmail.com and give us your name(s).  With your permission, we will begin a list of participant names and email addresses.

Ask questions.  Provide suggestions.  If you think others might appreciate your experience, knowledge, research and comments, then let us know those things, too.

-  Dick Purinton

Icelandic Celebration 2020

Husid, the Danish trading center's home for its manager 
in years gone by, when Iceland was a Danish protectorate.
 Museum Director Lydur Palsson and staff members greeted
 us as their guests during our 2015 visit.  The IcelandicCelebration2020
 will make this Eyrarbakki visit a trip highlight.
Photo was taken in early June, similar to the time period
contemplated for the Sesquicentennial Tour.

Detroit Harbor -

The year 2020 will be the 150th anniversary of four young Icelanders arriving on Washington Island.

The area encircled in green refers to the region in Iceland in which
we concentrated our travels during a 2015 trip.  Both Reykjavik and
Eyrarbakki lie within this circle, an approx. 2 hour drive apart.

Already established here were residents - farmers, fishermen laborers and merchants - who were of German, Irish, Norwegian, Danish, English, and other national origins.  But, the fact that this was the first settlement of Icelanders in North America made it significant for those who followed.

During the ensuing four decades, 1870 to 1913, approximately 20% of the Icelandic population emigrated to North America.  Some came to Washington Island, as we know, but many more settled in western Minnesota, northeastern North Dakota, and the Red River Valley area near Winnipeg, "little Iceland" in Gimli, Manitoba, and so forth.

Yet, the establishment of homes, farms and businesses here on this island by Icelandic pioneers was significant, and it continues to be recognized as such by today's Icelandic historians who are eager to trace their family tree to descendants in North America.

Historical photo of Eyrarbakki at the turn of the last century when
stone and turf dwellings were commonplace. Eyrarbakki then was a leading
seaport for southern Iceland, and besides exporting wool and codfish
this seaport is where first emigrants departed by sailing vessel for Denmark,
then on to North America, in the early 1870s.   

The 100th Anniversary of that Icelandic immigration event was ably observed here in 1970.  There were Icelandic officials in attendance, and descendants of Icelandic immigrants.  Gertrude Andersen, first-born child to Icelandic immigrants in 1874, was 96 when she struck a bottle of wellwater against the steel of the brand new ferry, Eyrarbakki.   That water was drawn from a well in Eyrarbakki, then flown from Reykjavik to America by Iceland Air for the occasion.  A fish boil brought also people together for (we imagine) a few toasts and speeches.

Gertrude Andersen christened the new ferry Eyrarbakki
 in 1970.  Grandmother of Christine Andersen, she was
born in 1874, first child of Icelandic immigrants born
on Washington Island.

A sperm whale tooth, carved with the likenesses of early Icelandic settler Gudmander Gudmundson, and his wife, Gudrun Ingvarsdottir, was presented to the "People of Washington Island" from the Icelandic Association of Chicago.  Haldor Einarsson, best known for his furniture carvings for C. H. Thordarson, carved the likenesses of the Island's early Icelandic settlers.  Einarsson had by then returned to his homeland of Iceland after a career based in Chicago as a wood carver.  (photo of this commemorative gift is attached; you may see the actual item on display in summer at the Jacobsen Museum at Little Lake.)

Water drawn from a well in Eyrarbakki was flown by
Iceland Air to New York, then to Chicago, and driven to
Washington Island for the christening of the
ferry Eyrarbakki.

All of the above is background for why a 150th Anniversary Celebration ought to be seriously considered by the Island Community, and by anyone connected by heritage or simply
personal interest in strengthening our ties with Iceland.

In order to begin planning, a small number of us have met as volunteers of an unofficial steering committee to determine the best ways in which this event might be honorably celebrated.  We've come up with a broad outline, knowing that more details will need to be filled in as we proceed, and believing that more individuals will express interest and ideas as participants.  Today's blog, then, becomes just the first of many communications. We encourage others to digest the information and the possibilities, while considering their inclusion in 2020 planning...to whatever extent possible.

Fortunately, we've had direct (email) communication with several Icelandic individuals, friends and relatives, with whom we are well acquainted.  We also respect their passion regarding the 1870 emigration that began from Eyrarbakki.  They've also traveled to Washington Island and know us.   Through them I've been able to pin down timing for key events.

In addition (and here lies perhaps the most exciting and potentially significant part of the plan), we believe there will be interest from a group of Islanders to travel to Iceland in early June of 2020.  Likewise, from indications we've received from our Icelandic counterparts, a group of Icelanders may then travel to Washington Island in early October of 2020, rounding out the 2020 celebration experience.

Such an exchange would symbolize our mutual interest in a 2020 celebration.  It would further help to establish - or reestablish - ties with the Icelandic nation that might further ongoing, future relationships.

Gudmunder Gudmundson and his wife,
Gudrun (Ingvarsdottir)

Carved sperm whale tooth, gift to the Island
people in 1970.
Carved by Haldor Einarsson, Iceland.

Following, then, in Q & A format, are some of the particulars to consider.  I will anticipate there will be chat discussions, questions being asked, and ideas to aid in this celebration.  We - members of the initial steering committee - will try our best to keep up with your questions and comments, and to help organize various ideas.

1.  When would the exchanges take place?

By initial agreement with our Icelandic counterparts, we anticipate a contingent of Washington Island folks traveling to Iceland June 9 & 10, 2020.   That is when actual travel to Eyrarbakki, and perhaps a gathering of sorts with Icelandic relatives, might take place.  Of course, travelers will want to see sights and do things, either on their own, or as a group.

We would be hosts to a group from Iceland in early October, with planned activities to be held in the mid-week, Oct. 6 & 7.  A variety of events can be planned for their visit, including local points of interest, and opportunities for formal and informal exchange.

A walk along the seawall in Eyrarbakki, which was Iceland's
leading port for export of wool and fish in 1800s.  Later, this emigration
movement included citizens from other regions and
other Icelandic seaports.

2.  Where do I sign up to go to Iceland?

You will travel as an individual, or as a family, or group of friends, by making your own flight and lodging arrangements.

One possible scenario:  Fly to Iceland on Sunday (arriving early Monday morning in Iceland).  Take a day to acclimate, catch up on jet lag, visit points of interest in Reykjavik.  Gather and meet up with others at an appointed location, then travel as a group to Eyrarbakki on either June 9 or 10.  (TBD) Participate in a group dinner one evening.  Visit with Icelandic relations, either on your own or as a group, when such is organized.   Sightseeing should also be high on your list, and there are many tour opportunities,. both in Reykjavik and for the outlying countryside, to points of historical and cultural interest, to museums and the like.   But, we wish to emphasize that being a Washington Island representative to Iceland remains the key purpose for this trip.  We expect to further guidance from our hosts as more plans are developed.

Note:  Not to be discounted are the services of a professional travel agent.  However, for many, this becomes an extra step.  We as a committee of volunteers are not capable of providing travel booking services as would such a professional, or one's self!

At a certain point, by early July, we'd like to know:    Who wishes to travel to Iceland as part of the 2020 Celebration Group?    Who wishes to help host Icelandic guests on Washington Island?
Who is interested in both, but not likely to participate in either event?   We'd like to get an idea of what our planning and obligations might entail as we move ahead.   But, there's plenty of time, still.

Gulfoss, largest waterfall in Europe, discharges tons of
glacier meltwater each hour.

3.  Can I then also be an Island hosts to receive Icelandic guests in October?

Yes, this is an equally integral part of this celebration exchange.

Aside from visiting points of interest such as Rock Island, museums, Stavkirke, the Wickman home, etc., we anticipate hosting our Icelandic guests to at least one, if not more, social events, where personal exchanges of "Welcome" can be made, official proclamations or gifts presented, and perhaps enjoyment of local entertainment based around the Icelandic immigration theme.

Our Icelandic guests will likewise need to determine their travel dates, their places of lodging, and so forth.  We can assist them with suggestions.  We have no ideas as to numbers of visitors expected at this date because planning is still in its earliest stages.

4.  How can I determine my Icelandic lineage?

In Iceland there is great emphasis placed on genealogy, and they have a number of available websites that may prove very helpful (www.icelandicroots.com is one example).  Our Island Archives is about to embark on updating our genealogy records.   An informational meeting to get this effort started will be held in early summer, and not only for families with Icelandic ties, but all Island families, in order to extend the base of knowledge in our Archives.  

Above all, anyone of Icelandic heritage ought to update their family information soon.  This, in turn, will help tie you to your ancestral roots in Iceland.  Who knows?  You may find a new cousin living  here in America, or in Iceland.

5.  What about funding for this whole thing?

At this point, the planning and execution is by individuals, out-of-pocket.  We think this is the way to go because today people can easily access travel information by the internet and create their own plans.   The variations in personal plans, credit card incentives, travel and lodging wishes, is more than a volunteer is willing to undertake.  You will likely find help and advice via internet, however, as you begin this process.

As for presentations to acknowledge and thank our Icelandic hosts, and later, to present our meaningful expressions of thanks to our Icelandic visitors, we perceive offering gifts that are meaningful but that do not necessarily require major expense:   framed photographs;  a momento of an immigrant family;  a dinner for all that could be pot-luck, or out-of-pocket, these ideas are to be encouraged.

Entertainment ideas have already been proposed, to include local talent and participants (perhaps members of the Island Players), slide photos from the Island Archives, etc.    If specific opportunities are identified for sponsorship, we would not hesitate to solicit financial aid from local businesses or service organizations.

As with travel to Iceland by members of the Washington Island contingent, we would encourage  personal visits with Icelandic relatives and friends.

We'd like the involvement of our Island school children as an educational and cultural opportunity.  Ideas are also welcomed to further this goal.

Dramatic walk in Thingvellir, between rifts in the Atlantic and
Europeantectonic plates.  Ruins of "booths," or shelters, at site of
oldest republic in the world lie in foreground.

6.  So, I'm interested in going to Iceland.  How do I start my planning?

There's no single way to go about this, but if you're thinking of joining in the Iceland travel portion of this celebration, you might begin by blocking out that second week of June, 2020.  Check out air travel, the options and approximate pricing. We think Chicago may be the easiest airport for departure, with Iceland Air being a major carrier, but Minneapolis is another option.  There are also frequent flights out of Boston  (only 3+ hours flight to Iceland.)  Cheaper seating may be available on "second tier" airlines, but beware of smaller planes, tighter seating, and extras for luggage, plus more commonly delayed departure times, etc.

As for lodging, there are many hotels in Reykjavik, also Air BnB's.  By checking back and forth with friends and relations who are interested in this trip, you may open up new ideas.   You might want to join in the same lodging location... or not.

All of this planning begins some 15 months in advance of the proposed June travel date, which ought to be time enough to consider your options carefully, and to correspond with others for advice.

        *       *      *     *

In the meantime, let us recommend introductory experiences through film, books and internet that might help you in making choices (and to familiarize yourself with Icelandic culture for when you become the host).

Two films we highly recommend that give you a good flavor of Iceland:
      Rams                          ....  on Netflix   
      Of Horses and Men ...   Amazon Prime

A book that captures the struggles, and the spirit, of Iceland's farmers in the years leading up to WWI, by Nobel Prize winning author Haldor Laxness:   Independent People
                                        Hannah Kent:      Burial Rites
                                        Nancy Brown:      A good horse has no color

Many Icelandic sagas exist, tougher reading for sure, but interesting in cultural and historical background, from the perspective of 8-900 years in the past, as Iceland developed identity as an island nation.

Evy Beneda has several Icelandic blog sites that she follows and recommends, including the following:

     Icelandwithaview.com
     iheartreykjavik.net

Finally, stay tuned to this blog.  Give your email information to (Bill Schott & me) at this email address:     IcelandicCelebration2020@gmail.com    This will put you on the mailing/notification listing for pertinent information.

In mid-May (date to be determined) we'll plan another public function to discuss plan developments, and to view slides of Iceland, or other information that will educate and invigorate your planning.  All are welcome, and you need not be an Icelandic descendent to enjoy and participate in these events!

-  Dick Purinton.        [NOTE ONE:   I was recently notified that the email address I provided in the next-to-last paragraph for celebration notifications did not work.   I made the correction 3/7/19.   Thanks for the several comments that pointed out my error.       SECOND NOTE:  I should not be quick to discount the aid and services of travel agents, for we used a great source, the Icelandic Farm Holidays Association, when we planned for our family trip in 2015.  In my next posting, I'll give some particulars based on our very positive experience working with an Icelandic agent of this tourism cooperative.]
   

SNEAKING BACK

Visitors yesterday (May 2) posed with us before touring the Island.
(from left):  Dick Purinton, Magnus Arthursson, Sigridur A. Jonasdottir, Mary Jo,
Evy (Purinton) Beneda, and Lynn (Sorensen) Rasmussen. 

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

Feeling like a teenager sneaking in late at night, hoping his absence wasn't discovered by his parents, I resume this blog today.

It has been a bit of an absence - since late January.   I regret this might have caused consternation and even concern for my well-being, or that of my family.   The short answer is that during our vacation away from the Island in Feb/March, I enjoyed doing other things, and that feeling has lasted until now!

I've been busy on other projects, and other activities, too.

One suggestion, for anyone who might enjoy what I tend to most often communicate through this blog, is to subscribe to the Island Observer newspaper.   Since Janet Berggren's retirement as Archivist at the close of 2015, I've taken over writing and editing the Archives page, and I will continue to do so, at least for the near future.  With this new responsibility, though, the frequency of the Archives page changes to one such page per month, rather than in each issue.

The photo at the head of this blog is of two Icelandic guests, along with their host, Lynn Rasmussen, who helped to arrange their Island visit Monday, May 2.   The photo was taken by Sue Kissinger from Stevens Point University, who guides groups to Iceland each year.  Sue became good friends with (husband and wife) Magnus Arthursson and Sigridur Jonasdottir during those trips, and she has now reciprocated during their visit here.  Moreover, Magnus (or "Maggi," as he prefers to be called) drives motor coach for Gray Line Tours in Iceland, which is how they became acquainted in the first place.

Monday's visit was arranged by Lynn Rasmussen, a friend of Sue's, and who also is from Stevens Point.  Lynn remembered Washington Island as a young girl, although she grew up in Sturgeon Bay.  She is the youngest daughter of the late Elmer and Dorothy Sorensen, whose names readers may recognize. She is related to several well-known Island families, Hagens and Sorensens.

We had a most pleasant visit of several hours over late morning coffee.  Encouraged by Lynn to invite others, Mary Jo extended an invitation to several representatives of Icelandic heritage here, to join in an exchange of information.  Comparing notes on their family backgrounds and personal interest in Iceland relations were Steve Reiss, Lee Engstrom, Shirley Ellefson, Sherry Young, Jeanie Young, Jeannie Hutchins, and Evy Beneda.

One specific interest of Sigridur's, and a primary reason for their visit to Washington Island, was to find out more about her great uncle, Halldor Einarsson, an Icelandic immigrant to Chicago from the early 1900s who was an expert wood carver.  It was Einarsson who C. H. Thordarson commissioned to carve his office furniture with Norse mythology features for his Thordarson Electric Manufacturing facility in Chicago.  Photos of Thordarson dating to a 1925 magazine about him show him sitting behind his custom made, specially carved oak desk, so we know the furniture was in place at that time.

Those furniture pieces were later moved from his Chicago office to Rock Island, in 1941, along with his large book collection and their cases. Nearly all of the original set of carved furniture pieces are now on display in the Rock Island boathouse during the state park's months of operation, late May to mid-October.  

Chair carving detail, Rock Island
boathouse.

Sigridur was pleased to find that there are books and other written materials still available here describing Einarsson and his carvings.

Jeannie Hutchins, a Jacobsen Museum docent in summer, invited Sigridur's group to a special viewing of the carved whale's tooth.  (The museum's official season doesn't begin until Memorial Day weekend.)  Einarsson carved this as a gift to the people of Washington Island in 1970, commemorating the100th anniversary of Icelandic immigration here.

Detail from one of Thordarson's 'vest pocket' notebooks.
This shows a stone-and-turf chapel.  Drawn by "Dory,"
(by Halldor Einarsson), and dated Dec. 1937.  Was this
an idea for a future Thordarson structure on Rock Island?  

Carved sperm whale's tooth by Einarsson, displayed at the
Jacobsen Museum.  This side of the tooth shows the
likeness of early Icelandic immigrant to Washington Island,
Gudmunder Gudmundsson. 

Sigridur was most excited to see the carved whale's tooth and took lots of photos, according to Jeannie.

The hope of Siggi and Maggi is to return in several years' time, during the summer when the Rock Island boathouse and other Einarsson carvings would be accessible to them.

 -  Dick Purinton

ICELAND VISIT - VIVID IMPRESSIONS

Westman Islands are spectacular, especially when well-lit
as they were by the June sun on this day.  Birds nest in the
cliffs, and sheep are seen grazing on the uppermost
grasslands. The town of Heimaey with its well-protected
harbor is seen within.

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

Here's more about our trip to Iceland.

So many have commented on how they enjoyed the photos and commentary I posted on our trip to Iceland that I've decided to extend this topic.

Many points of interest are within an easy several hours' drive from Reykjavik.  Many tour companies will pick you up and return you to your hotel after an outing in the countryside.  But I would encourage any traveler to Iceland, if you have time, to also overnight outside of the capital city.  The major roads are good roads and are paved, sometimes with small or no shoulders.  Graveled roads that we encountered were a bit rough, but not unexpectedly so.  You drive on the right hand side, which makes it easy.   Icelanders speak English and Danish as second and third languages.  You'll have no problem communicating.

Not everyone enjoys riding, or riding on trails along steep cliffs,
but just the same, you have to admire the view.  Evy was the only one
in our group to see a Puffin that day, and a first for the season
according to her trail guide.  A tour boat is in
the distance, and other islands of the volcanic grouping
of Westman Islands.  (Taken by her trail guide.)

Our general impression of Iceland was one of extremely friendly and helpful people.

There must be exceptions, but we didn't encounter them during our stay, although we passed close by Iceland's national prison at Litla Hraun, less than a mile from Eyrarbakki and, coincidentally, the  address used in letters mailed to Arni Gudmundsen by his sister in the 1880s when it was farmland.

This prison might well be the major local employer.  This is where Iceland's most hardened criminals are housed, and razor wire and fencing aside, the prison farmyard gives off the look of a work farm.  We learned later from our driver on our way to the airport that there are about 80 cells in this prison, with another 40 being planned for the future closer to Reykjavik.

Reading online information, Iceland has 137 prisoners in all, on average, per day, some held in smaller prisons elsewhere than Eyrarbakki.  The average is 43 per 100,000 population, as compared with USA's 756 per 100,000.  Why the rather low number of incarcerated prisoners, we wonder?  One reason may be, if you are given a prison term, you could wait from several days or weeks up to five years to serve your term, whenever a cell opens up.  Descriptions I've read for the prison facilities posted on line describe it as "not quite four-star," but not rough, either.  Prisoners are encouraged to make the best of their time by either working or enrolling in education classes.

The women's prison in Reykjavik has approximately 40 cells, we were told, and until recently women prisoners were allowed out on Fridays, from 9 to 4, for shopping.

Our driver translated a couple of expressions into English for us.  Here is one:  If I say I want to "kick his ass," I say, "I'm going to take him to the bakery."  Putting it into English, that's about as sweet a deliverance could be.

Years ago, according to the sagas, vicious crimes were settled through agreed payment of silver, cattle or horses to the offended surviving family, and ultimately, banishment by the Althing court, sending the violent offender from Iceland for three years.  Could there still be an unwritten form of societal banishment practiced, in lieu of incarceration?

Horse riding - a popular pastime

Horse riding is one of the easiest ways to get around such a rough and tumble countryside, and stables can be found in many locations.   Evy took the opportunity to trail ride on our trip to Westman Islands. As it happened, she was the only rider that afternoon.  She was picked up and dropped off at the ferry by the woman whose family has the stable, maximizing her time on the trail.   And because of her experience, she was given a chance to ride one of the owner's personal mounts.  Along the trail there was plenty of time to compare the similarities of life on Washington Island with Heimaey, the largest of the islands in the chain.  (With approx. 5,000 population)  As it happened, along one trail Evy came within 20 feet of a Puffin.  It was the only Puffin the owner has seen this season thus far.  More birds will arrive later in summer for nesting.

Birding is a popular activity, both for locals and for visitors.  Besides sighting birds, there is a tradition on Heimaey and neighboring (and otherwise uninhabited) islands to collect Puffin eggs, and also Puffins.  This tradition goes back many years, and it appears to be closely regulated.   Young men practice swinging on ropes, a technique they use to gather eggs.   Puffin is served on some restaurant menus, although we didn't try it.  During their tour of the island, our grandsons had the chance to try the rope swing, tutored by their guide.

On our way to and from the port we did see many sea birds that I thought were terns or gulls nesting in the thousands of pockets within the cliffs.   The lone houses built on top of the cliffs are there as dwellings for the sheepherders and egg collectors, and establishment of a dwelling also goes with ownership, the right to collect birds and eggs.

This Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit was looking
for food in the tall grasses near the top of the crater,
along a trail frequented by hikers.  Cropping the
original photo has reduced the definition.

A day or so earlier, while overlooking a crater, I spotted an unfamiliar bird with my binoculars.   Later, I learned it was an Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit, fairly rare, at least to non-Icelanders.  This is a long-legged, long-beaked coastal wader that nests in grasses, usually in the lowlands.  Judging by its bright, rust-colored head, this one was a male.

According to a birding site at www.arkive.org, this bird has a most unusual migration characteristic that allows it to mate:

"Black-tailed godwits meet in Iceland from mid-May to mid-June to breed, and in an amazing act of fidelity and timing, faithful pairs meet after over-wintering up to 600 miles apart. Arriving within three days of each other, pairs mate, breed and incubate their eggs together. The male remains with the hatchlings for a short time after the female has left to migrate back to her winter home. At the point the male leaves, he is unaware of the location of his partner, and so migrates elsewhere. This monogamous lifestyle can continue for up to 25 years and is only broken if the male and female fail to arrive within the same three days. There is, as yet, no understanding of how the pairs time their migrations with such accuracy."

Hot dogs, anyone?

Said to be a modern day Icelandic national food, our family members found the excellent Icelandic hot dogs available at small stands in various locations.   One such place was a franchise stand in the center of Selfoss, discovered accidentally one day while on the way to the grocery store, and altogether six return trips were made by Hoyt, Thor and Chad.  These hot dogs (we think they may be lamb hot dogs) are typically served with mayonnaise, onions, sweet mustard, and maybe ketchup, on a toasted bun.

Thor had to have one last hot dog at the
Keflavik airport before flying home.

The only thing better than biting into one of these is to have a second hot dog at the ready, for when the first one disappears.

Woolen goods

Few who live in warmer climates can resist the beautiful woolen wear one finds for sale in many Icelandic shops.  The wool is known for its high lanolin content, it is soft, and the colors are generally natural, undyed colors.  Look carefully, though, as some sweater garments we found were knitted in China, or elsewhere, using Icelandic wool.  Nice, but nothing like having a sweater knit by Icelandic fingers.

Co-ops, in addition to many retailers, sell woolen goods produced by local knitters.  Prices may seem steep, but not for a warm sweater that will wear like iron, shed water and sleet, and help keep the wearer dry by wicking away body moisture.  There are no fleece products quite their equal.  There are fine wool dresses, jackets, and other stylish wear for ladies, in addition to the unisex sweaters.  You will see these sweaters worn everywhere, especially outdoors and when horse riding.  (Rain clouds are never far away.)   I got mine, a 3X found in a rack at the Gullfoss (waterfall) souvenir shop.   Here are Evy and son Atlas sporting hooded sweaters.

Thor, Mary Jo and Evy alongside the Gullfoss gorge.

Evy with son, Atlas.

  
So, we'll wrap up this extended Iceland visit with a few more photos, encouraging anyone who is able to visit Iceland.

Looking toward Westman Islands from black sand beach near the ferry jetty.

A poem by Eggert Olafsson (1726-1768) -

  We have traveled far across the land
  deserts, lava, sand, 
  glaciers, rivers, mountains steep, 
  caves, cliffs and chasms deep 
  - a comfortable journey from start to end.

-  Dick Purinton

View toward Eyjafjallajokull glacier.  

ICELAND: WAFFLES ALL AROUND

Renown for their literacy, this print of an early etching
shows a family in a turf home being read to around a fire.

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

Our family is flying to Iceland next Sunday, June 7th, an approximately 6-hour direct flight from Minneapolis to the Keflavik airport.

Our plans were laid over a year ago, with details and pre-payment for airfares and accommodations made in advance.  We worked with one of the staff of the Icelandic Farm Holidays cooperative, which arranges for stays in rural Icelandic locations where farms have B & B's, or hotels, ranging from more rustic to very modern.   In Iceland, once away from Reykjavik, the modern day capital, there are miles of countryside between farms, with a few villages scattered here and there, but mostly farms.  These farm settings, many of them, go back to very early times, and they define the life of Icelanders from nearly the time of settlement (approx. 930 onward) through the early part of the 20th century.   Today these farms are modern, raising sheep, and sometimes cows with dairy, but the land as a rule does not support large herds of cattle, which require a great amount of cropland to support them.  Only in certain areas, in river valleys and along glacial outflows, or in the bottomlands near inlets, is there sufficient level land fertile enough to raise crops.  Cultivation farming, as we know it here, is for the most part nonexistent.

But it is precisely these differences in culture and appearances that makes Iceland intriguing and inviting to visitors, the contrasts with volcanoes, several of them active, glaciers, geysers and vast lava fields, in addition to the green valleys with streams and coastal lands.  It is impossible to visit this island nation and see the land without forming a great appreciation for their hardships, cleverness in adaptation, and their respect for their genealogy and forbears.

Having Icelandic family connections will heighten our interest and appreciation, too, as well as knowing several other people with whom we hope to visit during our brief stay.

Make no mistake about it, as a nation Icelanders are kind and intelligent people who have, by and large, made the most of their independent roots.  To more fully appreciate this, we've been reading a number of books, trying to absorb the Icelandic mindset as best we can, to further understand those with whom we'll visit and encounter in our one week of travels.   The famous sagas written centuries ago, of course, speak to this independence, and the Haldor Laxness book Independent People ought to be required reading for all visitors, but modern day books about Iceland and its people - I even include the popular Detective Erlandur fiction series by author Arnauldur Indridason among our reading - are means of learning more about the people, their habits, interests and aspirations.

It is the Icelandic culture that is really interesting, that brings an otherwise beautiful but barren landscape to life.  Theirs is a very modern culture, a reflection of a nation that relies on fishing and farming (sheep raising especially), but also a people who are well-educated, well-read, who can also boast of modern, technology-driven enterprises related to geothermal energy and genetics.

Tourism is very important to the Icelandic economy, and we've been watching closely the labor strikes that were scheduled for late May and the first week in June.   Work groups that could have counted among them nearly 70,000 workers (almost 1/4 of the population) had each announced two days of planned strikes, and if negotiations didn't measure up, then a full blown strike would imminently follow.

Fortunately for us, included in the work groups most heavily relied upon by the tourism industry, such as trucking, freight handling at airports, food inspections, and the service industry as a whole, were settled late last week, according to news we read online in the Iceland Monitor.

There's much to see and do in the countryside, more than
we can begin to take in during our week.  But the Icelandic Farm
Holidays organization was extremely helpful in planning
our vacation, including our overnight stays in country lodging
outside Reykjavik.  (Booklet has maps, places to stay, etc.)

The Monitor's headline read:   Strike called off:  waffles time!   Deputy State negotiator Magnus Jonsson was shown with a brimming bowl of waffle batter.  "Making waffles," the article read, "is a traditional way of marking and celebrating the successful conclusion of negotiations of this type."

Details of the settlement have yet to come out, but increases metered over a several year period were hinted at.

Wages have been at a standstill and the economy was more or less stagnant until this past year, ever since the bottom dropped out in 2008.  Workers were seeking to make up lost ground in wages.

With our trip already planned and most of it already paid for, we were greatly relieved, not wanting to cancel or to land in an island nation virtually stopped due to worker strikes.

Not a bad way to bring both sides closer together in a small nation with small cities, where grudges and bitterness can linger and fester.  Waffles for everyone, we thought, if that will help make our trip go more smoothly.

-  Dick Purinton