Gabe's Blog

Even though I wasn't in Iceland for the holidays, I spent last Christmas with some Icelandic coworkers in DC, giving me some background on their traditions and customs. Whether it was the Yule Lads, the cuisine, or the people, Icelandic Christmas offered me a warm home away from home. I've also learned to love some of the quirky traditions. Icelanders typically begin the Christmas season two weeks before the day, and end two weeks after, on a seemingly endless list of parties with family and friends to attend. St. Thorlak's Mass is held on December 23rd, signaling the last chance for any preparations, with the Christmas feast of A ðfangadagur being held on the 24th. Christmas day is much like in the States, with no truly right or wrong way to celebrate Christmas. The difference is, that it seems to keep going on the 26th, with more family and friends involved than the day before.  My favorite traditions associated with Christmas from the island are the stories about the Jól...

 Throughout my return from Iceland, everyone has had a billion questions. From food to weather and government to people, I've had to act as an ambassador of sorts for the country. In this chapter, I aim to answer the three most commonly asked questions. 1.) Does it still get dark in Summer? Despite the famous addage about being the "land of the midnight sun", there was still a good bit of darkness. The closer to Midsommar we were, the days would be almost nothing but sun. In August however, winter began to creep in as we saw 6 hours of darkness daily. 2.) Do Icelanders speak English?  Yes, and probably better than Americans. Iceland has an English literacy rate above 95%, meaning I was able to live their without learning another language. Follow up: Do they have their own language? Yes again. They speak Icelandic, a language isolate of Old Norse that is the closest living version of the language. 3.) What about home did you miss the most? For me, trees. There's someth...

Despite sitting just outside of the Arctic Circle, Iceland offers plenty of unique animals and plants that have adapted to the rugged environment much like the people. These unique beings on the edge of the frozen world are a part of one of the most delicate ecosystems on earth, where they are closely intertwined. Flora Blue Lupin (Lupinus nootkatensis) These iconic lupins are a beautiful yet divisive flower brought to Iceland from Alaska. Brought over in the 1970s to combat soil deterioration and promote growth by the Minister of Forestry, tall blue flowers can now be seen all around the countryside. Eventually, they will create soil that is too basic for them to exist, dying away and leaving a healthy layer of soil. Interestingly enough I worked with the grandson of the minister, who's an older man in his own right today. Moss If you wanted to describe Iceland as a rock, you'd have to remember the thick layer of moss coating it. Technically a lichen, it has overgrown the coas...

 Along the ring road, there are dozens of tiny towns dotting the coastline and highlands of the country. One of these stands out among all the others, Húsavík. The tiny town of 2,300 is on the northern coast of the country, making it the whale-watching capital of Iceland. There are a handful of major services giving whale tours ranging from 300-person boats to 15-person runners. We opted for the smaller boat and found that we got to see everything a bit closer and faster as we jumped from cove to cove. The trip started off by getting into some super stylish wetsuits!! They were both waterproof and warm, with a floatation device built in. Our first stop was at Lúndey (Icelandic for puffin), a large island where the northern half of the species summer to nest. I've always been freaked out by birds, but these weren't so bad. They're terribly proportioned for flying, with little wings and fat bodies, meaning they often give up or fail in takeoff. Next, we headed out in search o...