(Post 2 of 3) Embla Oddsdóttir brings people together on Arctic issues that touch this country, though deciding which issues are “Arctic” is not always easy. Embla is the director of the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network. She and I talked about identity and how an Arctic connection is now being forged for the people of…
Iceland
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(Post 3 of 3) It’s time for us to head to the part of Iceland which is “the most Arctic,” according to Embla. It’s off the ring road and along gravel roads. The plants we recognize from other parts of the north (crowberry!) are everywhere. Sheep, fish and an Arctic vision lie ahead in the…
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Housewarming, Akureyri, Iceland
(Post 1 of 3) At first, Margrét Heinreksdöttir didn’t want to talk to us because she was convinced we could find somebody more interesting. That’s usually a sign that you are on to something good. We arrived at her house for coffee. We helped lay the table, but she made sure to set it up…
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(Post 2 of 3) “I have been happy in so many ways. I have traveled and seen the world and felt part of the world.” Margrét began her career with a newspaper, but she didn’t want to become an old journalist (“a piece of furniture” as she puts it), so she moved on. She got…
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(Post 3 of 3) “Here, I am half way to heaven. I’m not sure I’m going to get any closer.” Margrét Heinreksdöttir, 79. Retired journalist, lawyer, judge, humanitarian. Photo by Eric Guth.
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Dalvik, Iceland
(Post 1 of 2) We’ve been traveling across Iceland from one introduction to the next, and one of the threads ends here. We’ve been introduced, from one person to the next, all the way from #reykjavik to #akureyri. This path started at a sheep round up and led past the waterfalls and on to a…
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(Post 2 of 2) Thank you to Alfreð and Hildigunnur and each person with the generosity and trust to welcome us in. So far, we’ve heard many personal stories — like how these two met as teenagers on on the island where Hildigunnur’s family collects eider down. Now it’s time to zoom out. Up next:…
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Sort of Hot Springs, Varmahlið, Iceland
(Post 1 of 3) We couldn’t come to Iceland without visiting a thermal pool, especially since almost every community – no matter how tiny – has one. But they aren’t always very inspiring. We arrived here with the intention of paying to enter, but the man we met inside had other plans for us. He…
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(Post 2 of 3) So far so good on our way to Fosslaug hot springs near Varmahlið. We made all the right turns and found the correct combination of fences and gates. We find ourselves in yet another fairy land, and apparently there is hot water around here somewhere. Getting warmer . . . Photo…
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(Post 3 of 3) Success! . . . sort of. It’s a cold and windy day, but we tracked down the outdoor hot spring recommended to us by Rubber Boot Guy in Varmahlið. Only one problem: it’s not hot. So this is me, freezing in a beautiful Icelandic “hot” pool.
