Beyond the Ash in Iceland
Now that the dust is settling, we can say there’s more to Iceland than volcanoes and ash, though Icelanders have always lived on the edge.
In 1783 the Laki volcano in this glacier-covered country erupted in a violent and prolonged paroxysm, killing a fifth of the country’s population.
Mercifully Eyjafjallajökull volcano merely interrupted global air travel for days and days. But beyond volcanoes and glaciers and a very expensive cost of living, there are those amazingly tall and beautiful Icelandic blonds so easily related to the Vikings who inspired terror in their hapless victims.
Interestingly, Iceland’s language and its gene pool have remained unchanged for hundreds and hundreds of years, and the "fire and ice” nature of the country finds its greatest expression in the beauty of its speech.
I was lucky enough to be admitted into the vault beneath the National Library and listened while the curator read from the famous Icelandic Sagas, especially the priceless Njalla Saga, a sprawling, Homeric, dramatic account of early Icelandic history. Old Icelandic is a deep, resonant, rolling, mystical-sounding language that most Icelanders today can actually understand, so little has it changed.
Listen to this one minute Iceland Audio PostCard to get an idea.
Reykjavík (“smoky bay”) the capital, is a Lilliputian city. Everything is small scale with a distinct, charming, village feel. But it’s a sophisticated town with a first-class cuisine, and in the endless days of summer, people play golf at 3 in the morning and party at the cafes and bars all day and night because there is no night, and Icelanders are so thankful to see the sun again.
There is virtually no pollution in Iceland, no fossil fuels burn, and heat from the underground geothermal springs pretty much heat most of the houses and buildings. Though erupting volcanoes are another thing!
In spite (or because of) of the menacing landscape, erupting geyers (an Iceland term) and an interior frozen aqua blue with glaciers, Icelanders consider themselves some of the happiest people on earth.
Take the "Golden Circle" tour to see the impressive waterfalls, Blue Lagoon and Geysers.
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