The White Falcon - 25.06.1993, Qupperneq 5

¥
17 with flags, shows and colorful parades
The National Day celebrations in the capital city of Reykjavik drew more than
40 thousand spectators from around the area. A throng of onlookers (above)
readies themselves for a puppet show near the duck pond. Left, members of the
outdoor theater pull a smoking contraption down the street, depicting Icelandic
folklore. (Photos by J02 Colleen Casper).
The Vestmann Islands offer a pleasant outdoor experience
Story and photo by
J02 Colleen “Ghostwriter” Casper
m
Iceland, also known as the ‘Land of Fire
and Ice’ is the size of Kentucky. It contains
Europe’s largest glacier and is the location of
one of the world’s most recent volcanic erup-
tions. There is no better place in Iceland to
experience the ‘Land of Fire’ than the Vest-
mann Islands. The 15 islands were formed by
volcanoes and are located 18 miles south of
Iceland. Only the island of Heimaey is
populated, with approximately 5000 people.
The other islands are rocky, steep and are
only visited by the local puffin hunters in the
summer months.
January 23, 1973, Heimaey gained its
newest volcano. During the five-month erup-
tion, Heimaey gained 30 million tons of lava,
growing 15 percent. One third of the town
was covered in lava. Cars and even homes
^vere completely covered in ash while others
ere swallowed forever by the red hot lava.
After four years of cleaning, the city now
functions as it once did before the great
eruption. Today, the volcanoes of Heimaey
offer areas for visitors to see steam
release vents and rainbow colored
rocks.
Despite past hardships, the
Vestmann Islands continue to be
one of Iceland’s richest fishing
areas and a large area for tradi-
tional puffin hunting. (Puffins are
not an endangered species in Ice-
land)
Heimaey and its people are truly
a unique place to visit. Iceland’s
best kept secret can be reached by
a three-hour ferry ride or a short
plane trip. One of the many ac-
tivities available is a boat ride to
explore sea caves and observe the
many birds that habitat this area.
A bus tour through the island also
offers views of volcanoes, a sce-
nic overview of the city and a
walk into a flowered garden hid-
den amongst the new lava flow.
Overnight lodging is available.
For more information, call the
tourist office at 9-92-12922, or
the travel office at ext 4200.
Hikers enjoy one of the various colorful gardens hidden
among the lava flows on Heimaey.
June 25,1993
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