Cultural Heritage

[Chameleon]

Hmm... The closest thing I've ever came to a nature catastrophe, or something like that... The volcano- ash thing in April 2010, and the most air traffic in Europe went down.. I was in Iceland then. It was just typical... The day we were supposed to go home, it happens.

[Kitty279]

Oh, that was bad luck! You were probably stuck for a while in Reykjavík? But you were in Iceland? What did you do there? What did you see? I've been there twice, 1994 and 1999, and I so want to go there again!

[Chameleon]

Actually no. We went home a bit later that day. They found a break between the ash, and used the opportunity, so it was so great to arrive home, and not be stuck there.

I went with the old class, and we were in Reykjavík. Great city. We did a lot of things like going around the city on bicycle the entire day, an art-museum, swimming in that famous Lague or whatever it's name is, restaurants, ice-skating and lot of the thing fifteen year old teenagers do. Can't remember everything right now.

[Ithiarel]

Sept 27, 2012 3:36:59 GMT -5 Kitty279 said:

I am so glad we have no quakes and no volcanos and all that nearby!

That's so true. Lucky us for living in the middle of continental Europe. ;D

The only thing I need to worry about is an occasional storm tide - and the dykes are high enough by now that even those aren't an immediate danger. I've only lived through two storm flood in my life, and while both flooded the areas outside of the dyke, neither was high enough to breach the tide gates... Although, my mother vividly remembers the great flood from 1962. According to her, the water stood some 5 meters high...

[Kitty279]

Oh, then you were lucky that you got out of there!

Ah ... the Blue Lagoon? We visited that one, too! And as our hotel was only a few minutes walk away and we got free tickets, we went to that big open air pool. Was really fun - I think it was around 9pm, not much more than 11 degrees outside, raining slightly, and we went to swim outside in over 30 degree warm water. Even better was the hot spring in the Landmannalaugar where you even could control the temperature of the water, depending on where in the pool you were. Only problem was when we had to get out *shudder*. Probably not more than 10 degrees and an ice-cold wind, and then we had to dry off and re-dress out in the open!

Sounds like you got to see a lot of the city. We spent only a day or so there, then got around quite a bit, up to Akureyri in the North (by plane) and Kirkjubaejarklaustur and the Skaftafell Nationalpark and Jökulsarlon in the Southeast (by bus).

One of the fondest memories was when we went to see some sort of grotto of basaltic columns. It was at the coast besides a (black) beach, and you had to walk around some rocks. But the flood was coming in, so we had to run around the rocks between waves. Lots of fun! Not sure how it happened, if the guy didn't watch, or if he wasn't fast enough (he was older), in any case, one of our group suddenly stood up to the waist in ice-cold seawater. Poor guy! Luckily it was one of the few days we had our baggage with us, so our driver had to empty half the baggage room to find his suitcase, and then he could at least get into some dry clothes. It was quite memorable.

[Chameleon]

Oh yes, Bue Lagoon. That was so fun too. And cold to, since it was April ... We swam there once, really fun, and the one or two times in the local place in Reykjavík.

But it sounds like you had a really great trip... Hahah ... The ash-fact overshadowed my trip in some way, that it's one of the things I remember most. And no one liked the hotel manager who was way to annoying. I mean the boys slept in a really large room, and he wouldn't allow girls in. All we did was talking. He acted like the girls and boys would jump at each other and having sex, the moment he went out >.<

[Kitty279]

April isn't exactly warm, and in Iceland even less, no. But the lagoon is interesting. Did your hair end up feeling so stiff and sticky, too? There I just dried mine and then had to wash it later in the hotel again. Stupid salt.

It *was* a great trip. We were there for 11 days and got to see so much! The landscape is unforgettable. And we had a really great Icelandic guide, she was a sweet girl and put an immense effort into telling us so much about her home country. Not only about the land, but about customs and the like.

Btw, I used up 14 films á 36 photos on that trip. Tells you how much I loved it

That manager sounds a bit strange. Shouldn't it be the business of your adult leaders to make sure you behave? Never got the impression that the Icelanders in general are that prudish. Oh well, every place has its number of strange people.

[Chameleon]

Yeah. Mine hair got that too, but it was totally worth it, I say. We swam everywhere, and put that mud in our face. They say it make our skin ... healthier? Bums go away? I don't remember.

Ooh, that's great! We had a great guide too. I think he was half Faroese and Icelandic, or something like that, so he spoke Faroese. He told us a lot too. That's many photos!

He was... We stayed at a Faroese hotel, I think it was because it was more cheap on that way or something like that. We had after all to pay for several students and yeah. But otherwise it was fun. A bit annoying that sixteen boys could stay together, but seven girls had to separate in two rooms, but otherwise... We had really fun! Stayed up late, played cards, some played poker, and went down to the local shops. Weren't far away from a shopping street, so I think everyone ended with taking some stuff with home.