Árdís - 01.01.1954, Page 32

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ÁRDÍS
friends or acquaintances. The stores, not well stocked in 1940, soon
became amply supplied with goods from America, and after the
war, from Europe as well. The city and its suburbs has grown
noticeably since Iceland gained its independence. In 1940 the
population numbered thirty-five thousand. Now it stands at sixty
thousand. Building has increased tremendously and new homes are
seen everywhere. The ingenious builders had to overcome many
difficulties as building material was for a long time in short supply.
However, many new and beautiful public buildings have arisen—
the University; the National Museum; the Seaman’s School, one of
Europe’s largest; several elementary schools—Melaskoli, Langholts-
skoli, Laugarnesskoli; the Maternity Hospital; the Opera House,
which seats seven hundred; the Health Clinic; the Cancer Research
Bureau; and many stores and co-operative shops. The building
program is by no means complete and plans are now under con-
sideration for a new Mentaskoli as well as for several churches.
The heating of Reykjavik, by means of natural hot water, is
one of the largest projects attempted in the industrial and technical
developments of Iceland. The building of this hot water system
was begun in 1939 and was completed in 1943 at a cost of thirty
million kronas. By now nearly all of the city’s homes and buildings
are heated in this way. The hot water, the mean temperature of
which is 87°C., is piped from Reykir in Mosfellsveit. Drilling
operations, similar to oil drillings, are used to obtain the water.
It is run through a double line of fourteen-inch steel pipes into
seven circular tanks at Oskjuhlid, close to Reykjavik, and then into
a pumping station in the capital itself. This project has proved
advantageous and is continually being enlarged. Reykjavik, which
means smoky bay, is now fast becoming a smokeless city.
Short excursions are popular in Iceland. I have visited
Skidaskalann, the skiing centre, Hveragerdi, a village east of
Reykjavik, Reykir in Mosfellsveit, the site of the largest green-
house, Geysir, the famous hotspring, Borgafjordur, a beautiful
southern part known for its salmon fishing, and Myvatn, the lovely
lake district in the north.
The hot springs are a great tourist attraction. Visitors are
warned not to come too close to these springs and geysirs. It has
happened that tragedies have occurred. When my mother, Oddny
Asgeirsdottir, and my sister, Laura Johnson, visited us in 1946,
Geysir obliged us by putting on an excellent demonstration.