Archive for 2020Page 2
Volcanic destruction and creation in the Westman Islands
January 17th was our first day on Heimaey in Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands). One of the strongest tourism attractions to this island is the puffin colonies in the summer. However, this island is much more than simply that; in 1973, the Eldfell volcano erupted, lasting about 6 months until the lava cooled and the dust settled. […]
Geothermal Energy and Good Views
Today started off sort of hot and also sort of cold and I’m not talking about the weather. I’m talking about the high and low temperature fields right below our feet in this country. Those temperature fields are used for producing geothermal energy here in Iceland. With that being said, the beginning of our day […]
Weather Delay to Educational Day
Our Tuesday morning started off with a little uncertainty due to poor weather conditions, but thankfully our entire trip is about adaptability. Most students started off the day finishing up Njal’s Saga, a thirteenth century saga depicting the lives of earlier Icelanders. Though our initial plan was an excursion elaborating on Iceland’s early governing systems, […]
A Break from Reyk
Halló from beautiful Reykjavik, Iceland!! On the final day in the country’s capital city, Gusties awakened to what looked like a picture perfect day in terms of weather, a nice contrast to the previous day’s winds impressive even to their standards upon The Hill. The morning kicked off with the standard breakfast provided by […]
Stones, Sagas and Silence
Hæ hæ! Today was a jam packed day full of archaeology, saga learning, and exploring in Reykjavik. To start off the morning, we adventured to the Reykjavik 871.5 Settlement Musuem. Here we got to see real remenants that existed under the city on the exact ground we were standing on during the Viking age. After […]
A Glimpse of Cultural History
Halló from Iceland! Yesterday’s adventure was quite exhausting and when it finally came down to rest for the night, another wild adventure came crashing to welcome us to the Icelandic nation. But enough said, with a full 8 or so hours night of sleep and stomachs filled with food, our next adventures in the capital […]
Gusties First Impressions
We did it! The Gusties and Miffy have arrived in Iceland! After a long day of traveling, Gustavus students hit the ground running as they arrived to the hostel, ate breakfast and started their day in the capital city of Reykjavik. The night before, students were asked to journal about their expectations for Iceland and […]
Gusties On The Move
After a whole day spent on airplanes or at airports, we have finally reached our destination – Iceland! Having a lot of down time has given us the opportunity to do a deep dive into the understanding of tourist trends of Iceland and the pros and cons that the industry has on the country as […]
A Window Into Iceland
Themes such as isolation and connection as well as dramatic landscape and culture are among the many topics Gusties are discussing as they prepare for their emergence into a new culture. As one of the most remote and isolated countries in the world, Iceland will be welcoming a group of twenty-two Gustavus professors and students. […]
Discussing Icelandic History, Landscape, and Elves
Glaciers, volcanoes, sagas, and songs. Plus, relaxing hot pools, visual art, black sand beaches, ice caves, and the beautiful northern lights. It’s safe to say that with an itinerary like that excitement is at an all-time high up here on the hill as 22 of us prepare to embark on our journey to Iceland. This […]