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

MAKE THAT: HEY ICELAND!

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

Note:  Since posting this a few hours ago, and having trouble finding a website based on the address I found in the booklet below, I asked Jonas Thor what current web address should be used.  He answered:  Hey Iceland!    So, that is a site I recommend to get information, and further, to make plans for your travel to Iceland. -  DP

IcelandicCelebration2020 is but 15 months away, and for those who wish to consider travel to Iceland as a member of the (unofficial) Washington Island delegation, and meet with Icelandic counterparts, advance planning should begin.   Each traveler will be responsible for making his or her own air and lodging plans and also tours or sightseeing plans, apart from the planned group visit to Eyrarbakki.  As of this date, that event is planned for Tuesday, June 9, or Wednesday, June 10, 2020, depending upon our Icelandic hosts' preferences and schedules.

We recommend submitting your email information if you're interested in this event, whether you decide to travel to Iceland, or wish to participate in welcoming for Icelandic travelers when they arrive here in early October of 2020...or just wish to stay informed of plans.   To register your interest go to:    Icelandiccelebration2020@gmail.com
Bill Schott is maintaining a list of interested persons, and you will then be included in group communications as plans develop.


As a traveler to Iceland in 2020f, you might desire to plan extra, "personal" days prior to the celebration date, or afterwards, in order to tour on your own or with friends.   It could also happen that a group "leader" will emerge over time, and if so, group outings might be planned with costs shared by participants.  Such activities are yet to be undertaken, and as I'm staying here...it will be someone else who does that planning!

With today's internet capabilities, trip planning becomes easier, although personally I find it a bit daunting to do such planning online.

Here's another recommendation I heartily endorse!   In the lead-up to our family trip to Iceland in June 2015, a good ten months in advance I contacted Iceland Farm Holidays Association (IFH) - which you can now access at "Hey Iceland!" - and I was assigned an associate who then "held my hand" through the process. This organization is a cooperative of lodging members located throughout Iceland, many of whom offer B&B experiences on working farms.  This becomes an excellent way to get to know Iceland from the inside, with personal, often family contacts.

I made a rough outline for what we wanted to do, and dates for where and when we wanted to stay:  two nights in Reykjavik to get acclimated and to learn about that city, and to meet with relatives;  several nights in rural settings in southwest Iceland;  then, one final night in Reykjavik as our trip came to a close, to return our rental bus and prepare to fly home the following day from Keflavik airport. (Which is an approximately 45-minute drive from downtown Reykjavik.)

Waterfalls are abundant, and at this park you can walk
beneath the waterfall.

I began making our arrangements through our IFH contact and took her suggestions as we planned together.  As a result of our email communications we made these travel arrangements:  airport transfer to Reykjavik upon arrival (and return one week later);  all lodging arrangements (multiple rooms were  required to accommodate our 11 family travelers);  a rental bus that we picked up on our third morning.   All such reserved services were paid in advance, which then guaranteed our rooms upon check-in.  I should note that our flight brought us into Iceland in the early morning from Minneapolis, and we were "beat."  Our rooms, however, were not available until about 3:00 pm, later that afternoon, a rather standard practice.  You might consider an alternative:  rent lodging for one additional night so that you can immediately go to your room and catch up on sleep.  But, at the time that seemed unnecessary to me - and too expensive - and as a result we snoozed in the lobby confines until our rooms were ready.

At our rural hotel, Evy encountered this small lamb that
had wandered wandered away from its mother
In late afternoon, at this same lodge, dozens of horses and
riders arrived for a weekend stay, a riding club
out of Reykvakik.

IFH does not make air reservations, nor will they reserve ferry tickets to Westman Island (Vestmannaeyjar), where we made a one-day excursion.  I think such arrangements are best made by the consumer, direct with the provider.  

We did well with our 14-passenger rental bus decision (room for luggage on rear-most seats).  Driving rules are similar to the
U. S. with the driver seated on the left side.  Roads are (generally) well-marked and in good condition, and you can get around quite well on your own.  Travelers are warned, however, about off-road driving, as these roads become exceedingly rugged and you may then wind up lost.  Request a GPS for your rental vehicle.  There may be considerable distance between towns or points of interest, and many miles of farms or open, natural landscapes.

A rather typical scene with farm building against backdrop of mountainside,
on southern coast on route to Vik.

One added feature of IFH services are their featured, pre-set, self-drive tours.  IFH will arrange your lodging in the geographic section of Iceland that most interests you.  Perhaps you'd like to drive around the entire island?  They will arrange that, too, for 11 nights, 12 days.   IFH featured tours can connect you with such diverse activities as mussel picking; horse riding; working farm experiences; bird watching, and so forth.   There are a great variety of activities to choose from, more than an average visitor generally has time.  Our interests tended toward museums and cultural points of interests, and as such they probably fell in line with interests shared by typical American tourists.   I made certain we had significant time - one day set aside - for our Eyrarbakki visit, and so we stayed in lodging roughly 40 minutes away, north of Selfoss.  Our lodging choices tended to be more of the "resort" or "hotel" variety than farm B & B.  We were pleased with all of our lodging arrangements.

Not everyone's idea of sightseeing, but
interesting fishing vessels and a major fishing processing center 
at Thorlakshoven, a port about 45 minutes west of
Eyrarbakki. A high stone breakwall offers
protection from the North Atlantic and  
also serves as a port for ferries to Vestmannaeyjar
 (Westman Island) in winter months.

My introduction to IFH was through Jonas Thor, an associate who has worked with IFH for a number of years and who most recently visited Washington Island in 2014.  He brought with him a box of the IFH 2013 booklets.  I still have a few copies left and will make them available to anyone who asks.  I recently asked Jonas if it would be OK to recommend to our prospective Island travelers the services of the IFH staff?

His reply:  "By all means recommend IFH. We can plan everyone's trip in detail!"

So, while there's plenty of snow still on the ground, why not get started by going online to check out IFH and activity options in Iceland?

Just go to:    Hey Iceland!
-  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 - MANY CONTRASTS

A visit with cousins at Hotel Fron in Reykjavik.
L to R:  Thor, Gudney, Dora, Bjorg, Mary Jo, Chad Dick Hoyt, 
Evy and Kirsten.  (The young boys had already eaten and 
skedaddled to their room to play games.)

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

When thinking back on our short stay in Iceland and the variety of things we did, it's hard to pick one activity or moment over another.  But in wrapping this up, and in an attempt to avoid recreating our entire week on the internet, I find it hard not to include a number of photo highlights here.

I think we would, as a group, rate our visit with Icelandic Gudmundsen cousins as the best, and most meaningful.   We hope it won't be too long before some of us visit them again.

And I have mental images, too, (better than photos in many ways) filtered for their pleasant, special memories.  One such image was of a golfer as he walked over the hill, bag over his shoulder, and passed close by our building, which happened to be alongside a golf course as well as sheep and horse pastures.  Our location wasn't far from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano and mountains, with a glacier for a backdrop.  The surprising thing, it was 10:30 in the evening, and I was taking a peek at the golden light outdoors through curtains before turning in.   That brightness compared with our mid-day sun at home.

While we got our first hours of beauty rest, Thor and Hoyt drove our bus twenty minutes or so to a rural road that led into the mountains and then hiked a half-mile or more alongside a warm stream in order to take a dip in Iceland's first swimming pool.   (Built with the intent on teaching people how to swim.)  They reported good swimming, joining other tourists in the midnight bathwater.

Atlas, Chad and Zander posed in front of a crater after climbing down
to the bottom.  Where there are volcanoes there will be craters, and this
one, rather small, was caused by implosion of material falling into
a pocket of molten lava, rather than exploding outward.

Near our Hellisholar hotel dining room 120 Icelandic horses were pastured.  They belonged to a 60-person riding group that was on a 3 or 4 day trail ride.  They had double their number in horses in order to trade off mounts when necessary.   Those horses certainly caught Evy's attention, and so did two lambs that had found an opening in the fence and wandered off along the roadside looking for their mother.

It does make me want to hug the lambs when I see this photo.  After hanging around for a short bit, they were off.   It was not uncommon to encounter sheep and lambs outside their pastureland, alongside the road,  one danger we were warned about when we rented our vehicle.

  *    *     *     *

Joining us as a host for our visit in Eyrarbakki was Linda Asdisardottir. She also took photos for the Selfoss paper.   It was Linda who made pancakes with whipped cream for desert, and they were delicious.  Little Magnus ate four of them before we knew it!

Desert is served!  Linda Asdisardottir with Thor and Aidan.

Behind the museum, in one of three small buildings found there, were fish drying on hooks.  Evy took a photo representative of the once common activity of drying cod along the shore.  At one time, dried cod was a major export, but I believe that much of today's catch caught by modern trawlers is either shipped fresh or frozen.

While on the subject of fishing, we were determined to try whale.  Iceland is one of the few countries that still hunts whales, and it is available in stores and on certain restaurant menus.

Our opportunity came on our final night in Reykjavik, at a restaurant with menu items that ranged from lamb (a common Icelandic  dish) to escargot and minke whale.

The boys, who opted for hamburgers and a tenderloin, sampled the escargot (thumbs up from all!) and they loved the taste of whale.  Sliced into small strips and cooked medium rare, this minke whale compared with the finest beef anywhere - "The other red meat," Thordur called it.   Next time we won't wait until our final day to order whale.   Reading the news, Iceland ships much of its catch overseas to Japan (sometimes through a broker nation).  Iceland's whaling ships have been under pressure from Greenpeace, but they remain resolute as a nation to continue a practice they've long enjoyed.  However, Iceland also tracks the numbers and types of whales sighted and caught, and it is believed the balance shows an increase in the minke population.

Cod drying in museum shed in Eyrarbakki.  We noticed an
absence of insects, flies especially, one reason
why this method has worked so well for centuries.

Magnus and Aidan ponder the menu.

Among the traditional Icelandic dishes we tried was cured shark.  This delicacy we would not rate highly, and except for me, none of our family was able to get beyond the fishy stench the ripened shark gave off.  Naturally high in ammonia, the shark's meat is buried (we didn't find out for how long, but it seems it could have been buried a bit longer).  It is sliced into small cubes, and it remains about as pungent as anything I've ever eaten.  Most off-putting however, was the chewiness, a texture like super-gristle that refused to break down under my molars. 

After the fourth or fifth cube, my mouth warmed as if a nasty chemical had been released from the shark bits.  Shark would not be recommended other than to say, "I've done it!" and it requires a fair amount of chaser afterward, which is perhaps the point, after all.   

We can imagine viking ships off on long voyages, stormy weather or calm extending their days at sea, having only a sack or basket full of shark bits in reserve to keep them in good health.  That would be a last resort protein item, we should think, but a food that would last through any voyage.

Shark bits were pungent, and they had to
remain outside on the balcony before they  
wound up in the dumpster.  We didn't
find out where the nether parts of ram 
pickled in whey were sold, but that's a 
delight for another trip.

 

























A news item we heard concerned the Russian training ship Kruzenshtern.  This large, four-masted sailing vessel arrived in port on our second day in Reykjavik.  Upon departure from the pier, before it had even cleared the innermost harbor, it rammed broadside two of Iceland's naval vessels.  Those ships were moored side-by-side at a pier not far from the municipal wharf where the Russian had ship spent the evening.  There was plenty of open water to maneuver and no undue weather to blame.   Upon its departure, whether from human error or mechanical failure, the world's largest sail training ship T-boned the naval ships, inflicting enough damage so that Iceland's navy would be declared unseaworthy until repairs were made.  Our driver on our way to the airport joked, "This has wiped out 2/3 of our navy."  The third naval ship is apparently the vessel on permanent display at Reykjavik's Maritime Museum, veteran of the famed "cod wars" against Britain's fishing fleet decades ago.

Putin will make good for repairs, we should hope, to soften this aggressive action!  (You can see the ships on impact by trolling through the web media titled, "Reykjavik Grapevine.")

-  Dick Purinton

After 70 years, now would be a good time to stop 
boastingand build bridges instead.   The 376-ft. bark Kruzenshtern 
was built by Germany in 1926, and it was seized in war 
reparations by the Russians in 1945.   

ICELAND'S MANY FACETS

One of several stunning paintings that hang in the small gallery of Iceland's
newest geothermal power plant.  This stop was an unexpected educational
and sensory surprise, just a few minutes' drive east of Reykjavik.
 

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

While our visit lasted only for one week, our experiences were so varied, of scenes filled with contrasting beauty, of interesting and well-informed people we met along the way.   Our senses were heightened.

Clean, hidden power of the landscape is also expressed in the
several paintings that are on display within the public areas of the
Hellisheidi geothermal power plant.

I hoped to get into a bit more detail on the Eyrarbakki museum, but just as we seemed pulled in different directions by so many things to see and do, I'm also easily distracted when I review some of the photos taken during our week in Iceland.   So, we'll start out with Iceland's newest geothermal power plant at Hellisheidi, very likely the most modern and cleanest in the world, just a 20-minute drive from Reykjavik.  Visitors can browse displays on their own, and they are invited to do so.

Tour guide Kristian explains the possibilities of geothermal
energy at this location.  Only a nation with trust and confidence would
consider opening such an innovative, major power generating
facility as an opportunity to educate and inform the pubic.

Our guide, Kristian (whose parents coincidentally have a place near Eyrarbakki) explained how geothermal energy worked, and answered our questions, but there are numerous displays, including several videos and a glassed-in view of the floor of one half of the power plant, that one can easily follow.  

Hot water and steam are captured in this facility from a well two miles deep that was drilled into the water table near the foot of an inactive volcano.   Hot water flows through a large, insulated pipe,  providing Reykjavik's hot water needs, while the captured steam drives large turbines connected to generators. This installation was completed by Mitsubishi in 2006, and it produces 150 megawatts - on just one half of the operating plant.   The City of Reykjavik uses only about 10% of the current output.  The remaining 90% is consumed by Iceland's three aluminum smelting facilities.  Bauxite ore is shipped from Australia to Alcoa and Rio Tinto smelting plants (and one other plant that I can't recall).  Extreme, high temperatures are required to reduce the ore, and this is achieved with electrically powered ovens.  This is clean, renewable (and I think we could say, inexhaustible) power for this smokeless city and smokeless industry.

Magnus and Aidan at Hellisheidi, with lava fields and steam
vents behind them.

The volume of hot water available appears endless.  Reykjavik heats not only homes and businesses, but its streets, too.  There are other, older geothermal power plants located in the western part of Iceland, besides the one at Hellisheidi.  The northern and eastern Iceland, we were told, does not have the same geothermal power opportunities.   Residents in those areas receive electricity supplied by abundant hydropower.

While on this topic, I should mention that I met with Mr. Asgrimur Jonasson one morning, a retired professor of electrical engineering, in the lobby of our Hotel Fron.  He is writing a book on the electrification of Iceland in which he is describing various cities and their electrification history, with a special focus on two men he considers instrumental to Iceland's transformation.   One was Frimann B. Arngrimsson (who emigrated to Canada as a young man and took the name Freeman B. Anderson, and then returned later in life to Iceland).  Arngrimsson was an electrical engineer, and I suspect from our conversation that this man did much of the actual planning and designing for electrification.  The other man Mr. Jonasson credits with helping to establish the Icelandic electrical grid was C. H. Thordarson, an Icelandic immigrant whose name is familiar to visitors of Rock Island, who was an inventor and producer of electrical transmission equipment.  Thordarson, as far as we know, made only one trip back to Iceland as an adult, accompanied by his youngest son, Tryggve.  I assume that it was Thordarson's equipment that made the Icelandic electrical grid a possibility.   Asgrimur's book, when completed in several years, will be published in Icelandic.  I was pleased to offer whatever background information I could on Thordarson to add to his research.

A taxi driver with passion!

Now, while still on the subject of Iceland's electricity and Thordarson, I must relate one of those most fantastic occurrences that seemed to pop up here and there on our Iceland visit.

Hoyt and Kirsten, Chad and Evy and their boys, on the second afternoon of our stay in Reykjavik, went swimming in the large city pool.  This is a beautiful outdoor, Olympic-sized pool with several "hot pots" alongside, and these hotpots vary in temperature from lukewarm "amateur" pot in gradual increases to the seasoned hotpot lover's 'lobster boil' hot.  In the latter, you will find only the older gents of Reykjavik who seemed able to withstand the heat.

Hoyt hailed a taxi for their ride across town to the pool, and within a block or so of pick-up, their driver asked the common start-a-conversation question, "So, where are you from?"

Hoyt replied, "A small island in Lake Michigan."

Driver:  "You mean Rock Island?"  

Hoyt and Chad turned to one another in surprise, thinking, "No way."  

Halldor Gisli Sigurthorsson, taxi driver, became so excited in talking about Rock Island and Thordarson that he missed his turn and drove instead onto the sidewalk and around the back of a hot dog stand in order to approach the swimming facility entrance.   "When you're ready, call me, and I'll pick you up," he said, wishing to continue their conversation about Thordarson.

Taxi driver Halldor Gisli Sigurthorsson, also an inventor
and creator, modeled after his favorite personage,
C. H. Thordarson.    

We had just sat down in our hotel restaurant to visit with Mary Jo's cousins, slightly after 4 pm, when we saw the taxi van pull up to the curb out side our window, and the tall driver (about 6'-7") with beard got out and shook hands with Hoyt as the rest of our family came in to join us.  

Just as excited to have this encounter was Hoyt, who popped in to ask me if by chance I had a Thordarson book in my suitcase, one that I could sell or give to the driver.  We then agreed to meet with Halldor the next morning in the lobby of our hotel at 8 am.

This man Halldor will, someday I'm sure, visit Washington and Rock Islands, given his keen interest in all things Thordarson.  In his spare time, he is building an electric car that he described as having at its heart a motor patterned from one of Thordarson's electrical inventions.   More than that I cannot say, because I didn't fully understand it, but it was apparent that Halldor did!   He was thrilled to visit and talk about Thordarson, and also to receive a copy of my book.  His broad knowledge of Thordarson's patents and inventions, and of some comparisons that have been made between Thordarson and Nicola Tesla, resulted from his hours on the internet researching his subject.

Then, we exchanged addresses, shook hands and expressed pleasure in our meeting one another as Halldor drove off to work.   However, during our final hour in Iceland, after entering the Keflavik air terminal. who did Hoyt spy outside the window unloading passengers and luggage from his taxi?  It was Halldor, once again.   By now, six days after we met, he was already one hundred pages into his book which sat prominently above the wheel on the dashboard of his taxi, for reading between customer fares.

Some day we hope to meet Halldor again in our Wisconsin location.

-  Dick Purinton

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