Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.03.2009, Blaðsíða 8

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8 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • 1 March 2009
Stefanie Michaels
My trip to Iceland last October, so impressed me, that I decided to
write this story in a “top ten
round-up” about why I loved it
so much. As hard as I tried, I just
could not seem to place all the
information I thought important
about Iceland, in just 10 points.
So, forgive me if I have taken
the liberty, and called out 12-
an unusual number, I know, but
none-the-less an important way
for me to be able to share what
I learned with you. Trust me... I
could have done a top 30 here!
1. Because it is the Land of
Fire and Ice and more...
Iceland, which I refer to as
‘Niceland’ for its all encom-
passing fabulousness, is one of
the only places on earth where
you will find volcanic activity,
hot geothermal soaking pools,
and ice blue glaciers set amidst
a moon-like landscape. There
are rolling green pastures in the
spring through fall, picturesque
and colorful painted seaside
towns, and landscapes to make
even the most novice photogra-
pher drool. Iceland is stunningly
beautiful and unique. In fact,
the Vikings who happened upon
Iceland thought it was so special;
they cleverly named it Iceland
in order to detract other settlers
from coming to the island. They
then named their neighbor to the
north, which is made mostly of
ice, Greenland. Their calculated
idea, helped to keep Iceland their
hidden secret for centuries.
2. Icelanders, Trolls, and
the Hidden People
Icelanders are most inter-
esting in their ideals. Ask any
Icelander about the Trolls and
Hidden People, and you will be
surprised to learn that 90% of
the Icelanders you meet serious-
ly believe in them. Most people
may not cop to it so easily, but
others will admit to believing in
them. The trolls live in the hills,
the hidden people, much like
elves, live among the popula-
tion and are said to be mischie-
vous more than anything. There
are miniature houses for them,
whole books dedicated to them,
parades and festivals in honour
of them, and near Christmas
time, it is said they become most
active. It is certainly a whimsi-
cal and unique touch to their
culture, and I found myself ob-
sessed about hearing the stories
and wanting to know more. The
place to learn about them is in
Hafnarfjörður, a town just out-
side of Reykjavík and known as
the elves most popular areas. The
town is built on lava and around
huge boulders- the boulders are
the homes for elves. In Icelandic
mythology, it is almost impos-
sible to destroy these homes.
You can schedule tours around
Hafnarfjörður and visit the most
popular elven homes.
I scheduled a tour with Sig-
urbjorg Karlsdóttir, a story teller
and guide for the Hidden World
walks (hidden worlds map in-
cluded). We met in a garden in
“The Town in The Lava”, looked
at creeks and rocks, where Siggi
explained the hidden people live
and can be spotted. You would
think this is kitsch, but trust me,
it is not. All I can suggest is that
you experience a morning with
Siggi and her stories, and you
just might become a believer!
3. Population
Iceland’s population is
around 320,000 people. That’s
it. About 200,000 of them live
and work in and around the
capital. Another cool fact is
that most Icelanders are descen-
dants of Norwegian settlers and
Celts from Ireland and Scotland,
brought over as slaves during the
age of settlement. Studies of their
DNA suggest that more than 50
percent of the male settlers had
been of Norse ancestry and the
female population showed to be
about 60 percent Celtic. This
means the Icelandic population
today is essentially alike, and
they are some of the most beau-
tiful people, as a culture, that I
have ever encountered. Now,
from a travel standpoint, this
sparsely populated country lends
to a great deal of vast
open spaces, plenty
of un-crowded
places to ex-
plore, trek,
bike, drive,
all great
t h i n g s
that sati-
ate the
s o u l ,
grant re-
laxa t ion
and give
a real feel-
ing of getting
away from it
all. It’s no wonder
Iceland was voted as
having the “happiest people on
Earth.”
4. Easy Going Culture
Icelanders are some of the
nicest people you will ever
meet. They love a good time,
have great senses of humor and
if there is a party to be had, they
are the best ones to throw it. Ice-
landers also never seem to really
“buck the system”, minus the
recent and historical “protest”,
which took place in front of
Reykjavík City Hall over their
monetary devaluation. The first
of its kind gathering, which by
the way required no police, had
a few flaming toilet paper rolls
and a couple of yogurt filled bal-
loons thrown at the government
building. The more than 6,000
protesters ended up in more of
a social gathering, and after a
few hours left peacefully. An-
other example is when beer was
finally made legal in the mid-
80’s, even though any other kind
of hard alcohol was available.
Ask an Icelander why this might
have been, and they either won’t
know, nor could they be bothered
with finding out. All they know
is that one day the beer ban was
lifted, and they shrugged and
said, “I’ll have a beer”. They are
a people of acceptance, and that
is so refreshing in an era of so
many non-acceptances.
5. Björk
How can a country go wrong
with a world representative for
peace and the environment, not
to mention and undying love for
her country, than singer, Björk?
Her latest cause is saving Ice-
land from bankruptcy by creat-
ing her own venture capital in
her name, so Iceland financially,
won’t fall to the EU. The Ice-
landic singer recently teamed
up with a Reykjavík-based ven-
ture capital firm to launch the
BJORK Fund, which will invest
in new businesses focused on
green technology. She is also an
advocate for Iceland’s environ-
ment; working to close smelting
facilities and supporting create
green energy alternatives. She
is also heavily involved with the
CoolPlanet2009 campaign.
6. The Exchange
Iceland’s current economic
issues lend for a weak Icelandic
Krona (symbol: ISK). For trav-
elers using the dollar and euro-
there is a huge bang for their
bucks. Prior to this collapse in
their banking system, Iceland-
mostly an “import” island,
translated to expensive every-
thing. But, now with the excel-
lent exchange, travelers can take
advantage of travel deals, such
as a $600.00 round trip flight out
of New York direct to Iceland
on Icelandair and great values
on anything from local delights
such as hand woven cashmere
sweaters, gastronomy, nightlife,
tours and lodging.
7. Reykjavík
The next several reasons all
center on the capital of Reyk-
javík. It is a young-feeling town
with lively restaurants, lounges
and bars, shopping, and enter-
tainment from A to Z. “Lovers
of arts and culture are in for a
real treat in Reykjavík. From the
Icelandic Sagas to contempo-
rary art, Reykjavík has a buzz-
ing cultural scene. A constant
flow of innovative musical hap-
penings, theatrical performances
and cultural events keeps locals
and visitors entertained all year
round in Reykjavík,” says their
tourism board. All that stated
is true! It is also a manageable
city in regards to getting around,
with most historical spots with
in walking distance of each oth-
er, or a short car ride away. It is
clean, pristine, and most impor-
tantly, safe.
12 things I about Icelandlove
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