Lögberg-Heimskringla - 26.03.1999, Blaðsíða 2

2 » Lögberg-Heimskringla » Friday 26 March 1999
Experiences in Iceland
We asked our readers to give us their
responses to the following questions:
1. What was your best experience in
lceland?
2. What was the worst?
3. What was the most unusual expe-
rience or biggest surprise?
Here are the responses we received.
1. Best experi-
ence: swimming in
Grjóta Gjá (near
Mývatn, before it
became too hot and no
longer open to the pub-
lic).
2. Worst experi-
ence: trying to keep up
to the language, while
trying to translate for
my kids at the same
time!
3. Biggest sur-
prise: the wonder of
the midnight sun and
the beauty of the dark-
ness at Christmas; __________
must mention the fire-
works on New Year’s
Eve—they were indescribable.
Lorna Tergesen
Winnipeg, MB
1. Best experience: meeting fami-
ly (and friends) who seem to appear out
of nowhere and start parties.
2. Worst experience: renting a
Russian car to tavel around in. It had a
mind of its own—tried to get even with
us for being descended from the kings
of Russia—Rurik of Jutland (our fore-
father).
3. Biggest surprise: I expected
Iceland to be somehow “diflferent” all
aound. I found the cities to be very
much like other Eurpoean ones, but the
countryside is unique.
Most beautiful place—Vestmanna-
eyjar.
Most barren place—the interior.
Best food tried—hákarl; lamb in
peanut butter sauce; lamb sandwiches at
3 am from a street vendor.
Tom Einarson
Toronto, ON
/' ' /■■ ' , v ,, *
Jökulsárlón
1. Best experience: the friendliness
of the people in accepting me as I was.
2. Worst experience: trying to drink
an Icelander under the table...
3. Biggest surprise: the wind.
Álthough I knew it was windy, I was
still taken aback, literally.
Thomas C. Wilson, Ph.D.
Ottawa, ON
Nine members of the Gudmundur
Adalstein Magnusson family of Milton,
ND had the please of touring Iceland
for fifteen days during the summer of
1994. We spent nine days on the “Ring
Tour” and the remainder of the time in
Reykjavík.
My response to your three ques-
tions are as follows:
1. Best experience: meeting broth-
ers Gunnar Thor and Paul Magnusson
in Reykjavík where they féted our fam-
ily with food worthy of any holiday.
They and about fifty other cousins
attended the gathering and enjoyed the
treats.
2. Worst experience: there really
wasn’t any since everything went oflf
without a hitch and
the native Icelanders
were very gracious
in their hospitality.
3. Biggest sur-
prise: probably
when one of our rel-
atives spent hours
driving from
Blönduós to
Akureyri and then
tracked us to another
relative’s home to
share information on
his ancestors and to
establish how we
were related. Since
it was late June, the
_________________ visit lasted into the
late hours of the
evening, and we
were able to take pictures outdoors even
though it was around midnight.
Lola Magnea Mollner
Colorado Springs, CO
From a visit in 1977:
1. Best experience: seeing the beau-
tiful country of my forefathers—
unique!
2. Worst experience: none
3. Biggest surprise:
a) seing the butchering of a whale
b) being kissed goodbye by the
hotel stafif at Hotel Borg in Reykjavík!
Pauline Strand
Portland, MD
Letters
to the
Editor
I was surprised to see the negative
response to the article about Ragnar H.
Ragnars by one of the readers of L-H.
It made me realize what a problem you
have catering to the various age groups
of your readers.
I want you to know the article was
very important to me. Many people in
Winnipeg remember Ragnar as I do
and I think it is essential that his
accomplishments should be kept for
the record.
I heard little about Ragnar after he
left Winnipeg. I knew he’d moved to
the north of Iceland. We always figured
he was a confirmed batchelor so it was
good to know he had been happily
married. I can still see him in my
mind’s eye striding down the wooden
sidewalk on Hawthome Avenue to our
home in North Kildonan, his mop of
curly hair flying in the wind. He came
out by streetcar and had to walk the
almost one mile stretch from the end of
the streetcar line which was located
near where the Curtis Hotel now
stands. Ragnar was our piano teacher.
My mother, I know, considered him a
musical genius. He was held in very
high regard by both of my parents.
I was surprised and pleased to hear
President Grímsson speak so highly of
Ragnar at íslendingadagurinn in 1997.
Ragnar was a rare and special charac-
ter and a man to remember. In my
opinion, selecting that article for
Lögberg-Heimskringla was very nec-
essary and I want to thank you for your
good judgement. You have a tough job
and much as you may try, I’m sure you
know you can’t please everyone.
My best wishes,
Agnes Bardal Comack
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