Iceland from the Road, Part II

A survey showed that more than 50 percent of Icelanders believe to some extent in elves! There are many theories as to why – which we will not delve into here – but you can see evidence of this in …..

ELF HOUSES

Sometimes you see representatives of the inhabitants, but one characteristic of elves is that you cannot see them… unless they want to be seen.

Kind of creepy…. In the aforementioned Will Ferrell movie, elves possibly played a pivotal and gruesome role in the direction of the plot!

The “fire” part of the Land of Fire and Ice has to do with geothermal activity, including notably…..

VOLCANOES

The most historically active volcano in Iceland is Hekla – here is its last big eruption in 2000.

And now (not quite so visually exciting)…..

A couple of other inactive volcanos today….

All of this geothermal activity gives rise to hot springs with fumaroles and mud pots….

which Icelanders love to corral into pools and soaking tubs they call….

HOT POTS

Often you see this sign at the side of the road.

This means there is a hot spring, pool or tub available for public use…. In this case, the village built these tubs overlooking the fjord.

A beautiful site for soaking away the aches of elderly limbs.

The abundance of water from glaciers and springs means that you see almost…..

NO PLASTIC BOTTLES

Delicious water for drinking comes straight from the tap. In a country like this where restaurant meals are quite expensive, the best bargain – which is absolutely free of charge – is…..

Icelanders are serious about caring for the planet…. A village grocery store has this center for filling reusable containers of soap, shampoo and cleaning products.

Enjoying our favorite informal meal – an order of fresh fish and chips….

Note that every service item is paper-based, and therefore compostable and renewable.

Not a speck of styrofoam in evidence!

Vegetable and fruit crops are hard to grow here due to the short growing season. Ambitious farmers are turning to….

HOTHOUSES

for growing seasonal produce. Móthir Jörth near Egilsstathir is an organic farm that has traditionally produced mostly barley …… now branching out into hothouse tomatoes….

The proprietors have lovely accommodations in a rare woodland setting, and also serve fabulous vegetarian meals with fresh food grown in their gardens.

Less healthful is the Icelanders’ affection for candy, generally called…

NAMMI

Over time, their taste in sweets has centered on licorice….. especially (and strangely to our palates) paired with chocolate.

In the name of adventure, we had to try a selection.

These candies are such a popular treat that they are often sold on Saturdays at a special discount in bulk…. And the kids go crazy.

More later!