On a recent trip to Iceland, I learned to admire the people and their way of life. Good health seems to be a cornerstone of their society. The people are amazingly fit, and they incorporate swimming and skiing into their lifestyles. Many of these photos were taken by my sister Nancy. She has an eye for photography.
The natural beauty of Iceland is incredible. The Northern Lights
THE GEYSERS
THE WATERFALLS
THE HARBORS AND SHIPS
This is a replica of a Viking ship.
THE CHURCHES
Art is everywhere. Akureyri is the city of love. Even its red lights have a heart.
The View from the Concert Hall in Rekyavik
Rock People at the Entrance to a Greenhouse
The Interior of a Small Church
the grass-fed lamb and beef
In the summer the sheep are sent up into the hills, where they roam freely. At the beginning of winter, riders from Iceland and other countries round up the flocks on horseback and bring them down into the shelters. The grocery stores carry horse equipment.
The Icelandic horse is a beautiful creature, with legs shorter than other horses. We visited the Gauksmyri Horse Farm.
While most horses have only four gaits, the Icelandic horse has a fifth, the tolt, which is so smooth that the rider can go around the track without spilling the beer.
Once the sheep have been brought down into the valleys, children go through the herds and look for ear markings to allow the farmers to gather their sheep for sheltering during the winter.
THE WHALE WATCHING
The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa which takes its mineral-filled water from a nearby geothermal power plant called Svartsengi. One of our guides said that Icelanders got the idea for using geothermal power from foreign exchange students from Boise, Idaho. It may be a legend, but it made me smile.
We had planned to go to Greenland, but the wind was so strong that we were not sure the plane would land. This waterfall usually flows downward instead of sideways.
So we reluctantly flew back to the US.
I hope to return to Iceland one day. I also want to go to Greenland.
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Marilyn Hudson Tucker 
Fascinating! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Your pictures were great. So glad you enjoyed your trip. I love that fifth gait of the horses. I assume it work as well for wine as it does for beer??
StripeyBlueShirt here having a break from WordsWithFriends. Beautiful photographs of what is clearly a beautiful country, despite its low temperatures and high tectonic activity. There is a very charming little movie called ‘The Girl in the Cafe’ which I think you would enjoy, available on DVD, of course. It contains some stunning aerial footage of the freeway and surrounding country between the international airport and Reykjavik.
Thanks, Mike. I’m glad to keep up with you on WordPress. I am taking a break from Words so I can finish my writing projects. I go back occasionally, but I feel guilty.
Sorry you didn’t make it to Greenland. Brought back pleasant memories of our trip to Iceland (the group after yours).
I’m glad we got to see Iceland. Thanks for looking at my website. If you click “follow,” you will be told when my books are published.
Nice. I like geography and sociology.
John S. Green, Author 210.336.6404 Silo62@aol.com
I liked the fifth gait information. Saw a history special called “Going Medieval”, they mentioned a special breed of horse with an extra gait that was used for travelling long distances.