This week was tough with work load, being sick, and having a little homesickness, but the weekend was a silver lining!! After two days of bringing the Laxdaela Saga to life, we were excited to hear from our next guest speaker. We had the privilege to see a Power point presentation from an Icelandic professor named Erlinger. Erlinger is a teacher and scholar in geology, saga history, and volcanology. He is also Iceland’s authority on the history of rock and roll and alcohol. Many of the topics he discussed were related to sagas and history we have been learning in class. It was very interesting to hear his view of the role of women in the early history of Iceland. Erlinger shared a wide variety of knowledge about the Vikings and the recent eruption of Eyjafjallajokull. I really enjoyed being about to ask questions throughout the presentation. Erlinger had a dry sense of humor that made him very entertaining to listen to.
On Wednesday, we made our second trip to the town of Selfoss to pick up some necessary items. Selfoss is a nearby town that has a Bonus, many shopping stores, and cafes. We got to compare the hot dogs of Selfoss to the ones we ate at Reykjavík. We all decided that Selfoss had the best tasting hotdogs. We also went to a café and ordered kleinur, which are doughnuts that are not glazed. After we got the needed grocery items and cold medicine, we were on the road again. Dr. Novak and Dr. Grathwohl had a surprise planned for our ride home. The van stopped and I saw a giant rock formation similar to ones we see from day to day. As I walked closer to this formation, I quickly noticed that this was not a typical mountain. On the inside of this rock circle outline, was a lake of deep blue water. We were at Keirth, a caldera formed from the crater in a volcano. Dr. Novak decided to take a swim in the freezing cold water. Even though the weather was cloudy and windy, the caldera was a gorgeous sight to behold.
Friday morning we embarked for our road trip around the Snaefellsness Peninsula. This peninsula is located on the west coast of Iceland. It was so amazing to see the places described in the saga actually come to life. We traveled through fields of gold buttercups, sheep pastures, and lava fields to get to our final destination. The group lodged in two houses attached to other houses which all shared a turf roof. Every house was furnished with a hot tub that overlooked the ocean. From the window I could see the ocean, a glacier, and a mountain. As soon as we arrived we got ready to hike up the glacier. We drove to Snaefellsjokul which was the glacier we could see from our window. The hiking experience was surreal and inspiring! The glacier was simply amazing; there are no words to describe it or how I felt while we were on it. For supper we cooked spaghetti and garlic bread. That night we all took a relaxing dip in the luxurious hot tubs. Since we all were craving eggs, bacon, and toast, we ate a hearty breakfast to prepare us for our day of exploration.
Saturday we explored a fairy rock castle and hiked along the coast line. The rock formations were beyond belief and the rain added to the fun. For supper we had the choice to stay at the house or to go eat at a café on the coast. The group that went to the café got to eat the most amazing fish soup, quiche, and hot chocolate. After our dinner we walked through the lava fields and along the rocky coast. Walking along the rugged coast was probably my favorite thing we have seen so far, besides the glacier. I could only stand in awe of God's beautiful creation. When we got home we all gathered around to hear Dr. Novak and Dr. Grathwohl read Njal’s Saga.
Much of our day Sunday was spent riding in the van along the peninsula. We stopped at many historical sites, including Helgafell and Erikstaddir. In Laxdaela Saga, Helgafell is the farm that Gudrun moves to after she switches farms with Snorri the priest. We were able to walk on Helgafell, see her grave, and the church. After this site, we drove to Erikstaddir, the homestead of Erik the Red. After reading up on the life of Erik the Red, we were invited in to the replica of his longhouse. We explored the house for a little while and then headed back to Skalholt. When we arrived at our home away from home, we were welcomed with a traditional Icelandic feast. It’s always good to see the church in the horizon after a long weekend of adventures. There are many more stories to tell! I love and miss you all!
On Wednesday, we made our second trip to the town of Selfoss to pick up some necessary items. Selfoss is a nearby town that has a Bonus, many shopping stores, and cafes. We got to compare the hot dogs of Selfoss to the ones we ate at Reykjavík. We all decided that Selfoss had the best tasting hotdogs. We also went to a café and ordered kleinur, which are doughnuts that are not glazed. After we got the needed grocery items and cold medicine, we were on the road again. Dr. Novak and Dr. Grathwohl had a surprise planned for our ride home. The van stopped and I saw a giant rock formation similar to ones we see from day to day. As I walked closer to this formation, I quickly noticed that this was not a typical mountain. On the inside of this rock circle outline, was a lake of deep blue water. We were at Keirth, a caldera formed from the crater in a volcano. Dr. Novak decided to take a swim in the freezing cold water. Even though the weather was cloudy and windy, the caldera was a gorgeous sight to behold.
Friday morning we embarked for our road trip around the Snaefellsness Peninsula. This peninsula is located on the west coast of Iceland. It was so amazing to see the places described in the saga actually come to life. We traveled through fields of gold buttercups, sheep pastures, and lava fields to get to our final destination. The group lodged in two houses attached to other houses which all shared a turf roof. Every house was furnished with a hot tub that overlooked the ocean. From the window I could see the ocean, a glacier, and a mountain. As soon as we arrived we got ready to hike up the glacier. We drove to Snaefellsjokul which was the glacier we could see from our window. The hiking experience was surreal and inspiring! The glacier was simply amazing; there are no words to describe it or how I felt while we were on it. For supper we cooked spaghetti and garlic bread. That night we all took a relaxing dip in the luxurious hot tubs. Since we all were craving eggs, bacon, and toast, we ate a hearty breakfast to prepare us for our day of exploration.
Saturday we explored a fairy rock castle and hiked along the coast line. The rock formations were beyond belief and the rain added to the fun. For supper we had the choice to stay at the house or to go eat at a café on the coast. The group that went to the café got to eat the most amazing fish soup, quiche, and hot chocolate. After our dinner we walked through the lava fields and along the rocky coast. Walking along the rugged coast was probably my favorite thing we have seen so far, besides the glacier. I could only stand in awe of God's beautiful creation. When we got home we all gathered around to hear Dr. Novak and Dr. Grathwohl read Njal’s Saga.
Much of our day Sunday was spent riding in the van along the peninsula. We stopped at many historical sites, including Helgafell and Erikstaddir. In Laxdaela Saga, Helgafell is the farm that Gudrun moves to after she switches farms with Snorri the priest. We were able to walk on Helgafell, see her grave, and the church. After this site, we drove to Erikstaddir, the homestead of Erik the Red. After reading up on the life of Erik the Red, we were invited in to the replica of his longhouse. We explored the house for a little while and then headed back to Skalholt. When we arrived at our home away from home, we were welcomed with a traditional Icelandic feast. It’s always good to see the church in the horizon after a long weekend of adventures. There are many more stories to tell! I love and miss you all!
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