Month: January 2020
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That’s a Wrap: Icelandic Food Frenzy
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Around the Ring Road we go post leaving Siglofurþur, Iceland on our way back into the heart of Reykjavik. Along the way, these golden Gusties were able to eat their way around the country, exploring the various Icelandic delicacies and tourist-driven food stops alike! In a course where nine out of the twenty-two of us…
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Do You Want to Build a Snow Fort?
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We emerged from the dark tunnel into the blinding light of the early morning sun and pulled off of the road to our hiking area, Héðinsfjarðarvatn, one of the small fjords between Siglufjörður and Ólafsfjörður. I, for one, did not know what to expect today. I only knew that we were hiking for two hours…
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History and Progress in Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður
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The first visit we had today was to Menntaskóllin á Tröllaskaga, a public school in the town of Ólafsfjörður. It comprises around 70 in-school students and around 330 distance learners ranging between the ages of 16 and 20, managed by about 25 staff. Upon entry to the school, we removed our shoes and coats and…
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Boom and Bust- The Herring Capital of the World
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Today we travelled from Myvatn to Siglufjordur, a small town on the northern coast of Iceland. One of the main reasons we travelled to Siglufjordur is because of the major boom and bust nature of the town with the fishing and selling of herring. Siglufjordur was not even a town before 1900, just scattered families…
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Home, Independence, and Sheep
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It’s hard to find words to describe the Wilderness Center. When we first drove up, we were flooded with excitement as two dogs ran around the bus eager for us to get out and pet them, little did we know that the dogs were just the tip of the iceberg. We got a tour through…
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The Beauty of Change and Adaptability
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Today was full of options, changes, and wet bus seats. We knew it was going to rain today, so our plans for Day 12 were decidedly undecided as of last night. This morning, a soft rain greeted us as we walked to breakfast. The rain seemed like an indicator for no hiking this morning, but…
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Interdisciplinary Insight in the Land of Ice
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Höfn, Iceland is a quaint community located on the Eastern side of the island know for its fish, glaciers, and the University of Iceland Research Center. As a class, we were fortunate enough to visit the research center and experience three different lectures presented by Kirstín the meteorologist, Snaevarr the glaciologist, and Thorri the director…
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From Moraines to Ice Caves
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Halló from Iceland! We began with a little blast from the past, 1784 to be exact. We started the day with a short trip to the ruins of the Fire Sermon Church in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. This was the church where the Fire Sermon was spoken during the Laki eruption in 1784. While here we discussed a…
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A Day for Reflection
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Hello friends! Today we find ourselves in a lovely little hostel in Vik, a town on the southern coast of mainland Iceland. Due to unforeseen changes in plans, we have a free day today to study and reflect on what we have experienced thus far. We have yet to see Vik (it’s 9:15 am and…
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Heimaey to Vik
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Hello and welcome to the blog!! Due to weather concerns, it was decided to leave a day early from Heimaey to avoid possible cancellations of the ferry boat! Thus, today was an unscheduled travel day that was somehow still packed with free time, class discussion, and even a hike on a volcano! Our Schedule Breakfast…