Tomorrow, my wife and I will leave for Iceland, the Land of Fire & Ice. According to their Tourist Board, Iceland is about the size of Ohio and we can expect the September temperature to average about 50 degrees F. We will share the island with about 318,000 citizens, more than half of which live in or near Reykjavik. Over 11% of the country is covered by glaciers and more than 100 fjords indent the coastline; some 800 hot springs, 15 active volcanoes, numerous geysers and 10,000 waterfalls should keep us entertained, not to mention the fabulous concentrations of sea birds and marine mammals!
Having risen from the sea about 16 million years ago, this volcanic island was not settled by humans until the Vikings arrived in 874 AD; however, many anthropologists believe that humans may have crossed this area as early as 20,000 years ago, hunting their way along the edge of the Pleistocene Ice Sheets (and, perhaps, reaching North America). Other than these early wanderers, Iceland was left to the sea birds and marine mammals until the Vikings colonized its shores; even today, most of the island retains its natural, unspoiled beauty and pristine ecosystems.
We intend to visit for ten days and will follow the country's 900-mile circular highway, taking side-trips to the coast and National Parks along the way. I certainly anticipate plenty of blog material and know that our bodies and our camera will get a strenuous workout.
