Akureyri, Iceland (aku-rey-ri)

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Today we are in Akureyri, Iceland. Each small town we stop in gets more and more picturesque. This one is no exception. Nicknamed the “Capital of the North”, it is located at the end of the Eyjafjordur (eye-ya-fjord-ur) at the foot of towering mountains.  Of course there are towering mountains all over Iceland! These first two photos were taken from our balcony as we entered the fjord. The steam coming from the waterfall is because the water is hot, coming up out of the ground.

Interesting that if not for the fact that the Gulf Stream reaches Iceland, people would not be able to live here - that gulf stream sure gets around.

Today we are off the ship and on a 7 hour tour entitled “Northern Iceland’s Natural Treasures”. 

Our first stop - Godafoss Falls - spectacular. These falls are fed by a glacier and have a story behind the name of them. When the small group of Icelanders gathered to make a decision about changing their religion to Christianity from Paganism, one of the Viking leaders (Porgeir Ljosvetningagooi) made the decision that the people should do just that. He told them they could keep their small statues and idols but only in their homes. Then he took his pagan items and threw them into the falls, which are now nicknamed: “Waterfall of the Gods”.

It’s the biggest waterfall in Iceland and is fed by the river Skjalfandafljot, which runs in a 7000 year old lava field from the Trolladyngja volcano (no, I am not putting in pronunciation for these names). It flows over a 98 foot wide horseshoe shape rock that rises in the center and separates the waterfall into two. One section is 30 ft high and the other is 55 ft high. It was breathtaking; from the loud roar of the water to feeling a little spray when the wind blew - spectacular!

Next stop was Namafjall, a high temperature geothermal area with fumaroles and mud pots. With a depth of 3281 feet, the temperature is above 392 degrees Fahrenheit. Along with the steam comes fumarole gas, such as hydrogen sulfide which provides the ‘stinky’ sulphur smell you encounter. This was pretty cool to see. Got some video too, but files too large to upload from phone to email to Ipad to blog..

Next stop was the unique lava formations of Dimmuborgir, created when the crater row of volcanoes erupted 2300 years ago in this area. Lava flowed over the ancient Lake Myvatn and down the valley - the lava, when it cooled, created these unique structures that reminded me of visiting Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs - just a different element that formed these formations - lava! There was a network of trails that provided us the ability to walk through all the formations to see them closer.

We then stopped for lunch, which included tomato soup, bread, and Arctic Char with small potatoes. Coffee, tea, wine, beer, or soft drink was included. It felt good to sit down and get warm for a bit. Did I mention how cold it is today?  And windy, which made it feel even colder, so we were very well bundled up when not on the bus. Photographed some Icelandic horses that were on a farm next to the restaurant.

Across the street from where we ate was our final visit to see the Pseudo-Craters. These are very rare in the world - you will find them in Hawaii and here in Iceland, and, I think, they are also on Mars? Our educational talks are so helpful in understanding Iceland and how it was formed and is still so active today. I think I said in an earlier blog that there are currently 33 active volcanoes.

Back to the pseudo-craters: These ash craters are formed when in a volcanic eruption, the magma comes into contact with water on its way to the surface. Under such conditions, the magma breaks down due to a steam explosion and becomes ash that then accumulates around the origin of the eruption. One of the oldest ash craters there is called, Ludent. It is believed to have formed about 9000 years ago. Hopefully you can see in the pictures the round shape and indentation in the earth. And in the center is a smaller circle, which is the origin of the eruption. Taken from above, perhaps with a drone, they look like perfect circles.

Another one called, Hverfjall was formed in an eruption 2800 years ago from a 5940 feet long fissure. It is about 3281 feet in diameter with a 492 feet high circular rim and just as deep crater bowl. My pictures won’t show you specific ones. It was cold and windy walking through this area - Ed decided to stay on the bus for this one.

After this we were back on the bus and headed back to town.

Some facts about Akureyri, Iceland shared by our guide:

This area has a bit of a micro-climate which makes it a great area for growing - there is lots of farmland. (Remember - Greenland is not green; Iceland has lots of green).The town is home to several colleges and universities, arts, and the biggest hospital outside of the capital town of Nuuk.

Iceland exports many types of fish including herring, mackerel and cod, Locals can get fresh codfish every day.

The horses of Iceland are smaller than what we are used to. If a horse is taken out of Iceland, it is not allowed to return - this way they protect the breed from outside diseases.

There are no predators for the sheep - and they graze freely all summer. At the end of summer all the sheep are rounded up and the farmers go and find their particular sheep (they are marked with ear tags). Some of them will go to slaughter; however, sheep meat is not exported. The Icelanders eat every part of the sheep, including liver and brain 😜

Iceland is located on both the North America and European plates and it is slowly spreading apart from these two plates. This makes the rocks on the perimeter of Iceland the oldest and the ones in the center of Iceland brand new, including the ones being formed by the volcano erupting in the southwest, near Reykjavik. While it is not erupting now, the pressure is building again and will probably erupt in a few weeks.

It is mandatory in Iceland to teach kids how to swim starting at age 6. There has been an influx of Ukranians since the war started and they are working through the challenge of integrating them into Iceland society - what with the language barrier. Plus older Ukrainian kids must learn to swim so they are often put in with the 6 year olds to begin with. Kids are also taught how to knit and crochet in school and many of them will go on to knit their own sweaters throughout their lives.

When we returned to the ship we actually got off the bus in town to walk around a bit. We enjoyed a cappuccino (Ed) and tea (Betsy) along with a yummy pastry. Headed back to the ship, passing some typical homes along the way. We decided to take a dip in the thermal pool to warm up and ease all the sore muscles (mainly from our previous day kayak and ATV adventures).

Dinner and bed were next - day at sea tomorrow due to our itinerary change.

Betsy