Summer of Slow Travel

Well we left our hotel that had a brook running under it. Our room is the one painted a little reddish.

And drove through this fricking long tunnel to the next fjord.

It is cute and quiet and cold here today. So besides a walk we have mostly rested

So a little Icelandic history. Most of this has been told to me so I just have the big concepts. The Vikings started settling Iceland in 870 and pretty much stopped after 50 years. But the weather was warmer in those days–they could even grow wheat here. They started their Parliament and overall did ok. By 1200 grew to 100,000 people. But they fought a lot so they they let Norway rule them to have peace.

Between it getting colder and the Black Death and insane tariffs imposed by whoever was ruling them life got very hard and bleak. By the early 1800’s there was only 25,000 people living here. It was now under Danish rule and they actually considered bringing everyone back to Denmark. But they stayed.

And during World War 2 they sold a lot of fish to England. And ruled themselves for the 4 years that Germany was occupying Denmark. So then they became independent again in 1944.

They like to make monuments–Which often incorporate lava rock.

This one is to commemorate the transAtlantic cable from Scotland to Iceland–completed in 1906

Unsure about the reason for these.

This was to remember Reagan and Gorbachev meeting in Keflavik

This one is a memorial to the scientist who said that Glaciers move because of their weight. (I am unsure what the other theory was)

I think these are art pieces. But I love the lava rock

Oh. And this was from Latvia to Iceland when they became independent .

Blondes

Tomorrow we go to Lake Myvatn. We have no clear idea what we will see there. But we are rested and relaxed.

Love