We are home again... tucked in safe and sound.
Our travels through Iceland are ones we won't soon forget.
It is like no place on earth.
In fact, it is otherworldly... like landing on a planet in a faraway galaxy that
can sustain life like earth yet vastly different looking than anything I had ever seen before.
Iceland lies on the borders of two tectonic plates...
making it one of the most geologically unstable places on earth...
a land of paradox...
Volcanoes and glaciers,
rich verdant farmland and barren lava flows,
mountains and craters,
glacial streams, rivers, bays and hot springs, geysers, and steam vents
make up the topography of this visually abundant land.
It is a land once settled by the Norsemen and women, Vikings....
and now inhabited by rugged individualists...
a people with a can-do spirit who live a more minimalist existence
in this land where adventure awaits.
Situated in the Gulf Stream, with a maritime climate...
Iceland is more temperate than you might think.
Because it is just beneath the arctic circle, summers rarely exceed 70 degrees.
And winters hover around the freezing mark.
Summers of light and winters of dark are another juxtaposition...
the prize for 24 hours of darkness being the Northern Lights.
(no longer visible for our visit.)
It is a land dotted by farms... more rural than I have ever experienced.
Everywhere you look are their precious Icelandic horses...
perhaps my favorite part of the trip!
Almost every farm has a small flock of sheep and a handful of chickens.
The number one crop is grass hay.
With such a short growing season, it is hard to grow much in the way of produce.
Although they are beginning to experiment with growing in greenhouses.
Seafood is abundant... and it is fresh and clean like no other.
I could go on and on.
I was charmed by this incredible island.
I think I could live there... raising Icelandic horses and knitting Icelandic sweaters.
On second thought... how could I ever leave my garden?
And I am sure that Ginger and MaryAnn would not enjoy the change.
Seriously, though... it's great to be home surrounded by my loves.
Travel is great fun but my heart belongs to my home.
I missed you!
Hopefully you could enjoy our travels through photos on Facebook or Instagram.
Iceland may be remote, but it has free WiFi nearly everywhere!
Comments
Enjoy your week back on the homestead.
I am sending this on to my dear friend Thora . . .
Born in Iceland, many family members still there.
She returns every few years.
I love her story . . .
She came to the USA when she was 17 . . .
Alone, to Lansing, Michigan . . .
A bit of Viking spirit in her indeed . . .
Enjoy all your little critters, bet they are happy to see you.
Enjoy those fresh veggies too!
I hope someday to visit there as well!
Thank you for sharing your journey with us and welcome back home!
Just look at that stone sheep barn! Very isolated, sometimes that seems like the best way to live, especially with those wonderful horses and the sea.