Heading north from studying England, Scotland and Ireland to chillier waters to explore ICELAND!

Super excited about this one because it’s one of the countries that I really don’t know much about at all.  I remember seeing slides that either my mom or grandma had purchased of an aerial view of Iceland back in the 60s?? and had a mental picture of volcanoes and geysers. Well, that is true… but there is so much more to Iceland than that.

We stamped the kids’ passports for their 4th country and let’s go!

MAPPING/FLAG:

• Best Outline map of Iceland to fill in (really appreciating the “MapMaker Page Maps” at National Geographic, totally editable with what you want kept on or off the map)
• Facts about Iceland – World Atlas
• The colors of the Iceland flag represent blue: mountains, red: lava, white: snow/ice and the cross is a Christian symbol, and also is similar to the Norwegian flag and colors of the Danish flag too showing it’s origins (and independence granted from.)
• Even though the country of Iceland is small – Pebbles felt that mapping it was tricky because of the super long complex names….

LANDFORMS:

• Thrihnukagigur volcano – an extinct volcano where people can travel deep inside of it !!
• geysers, hot sprints, volcanoes, lava rock formations, sulfur
• VOLCANOES! Make and erupt a volcano of course! Tried three different recipes for lava.  The version with ketchup was the most fun, but we felt that the design of the volcano tube needed to hold more volume to be really impressive.

LANDMARKS/WONDERS:

• The people of Iceland have teamed up with a very stylish social marketing website called InspiredByIceland.com and the videos follow citizens to their own personal “secret spots” throughout Iceland in promoting tourism to their beautiful land. This reminds me of all the ‘secret spots’ of Hawaii books…. which locals hated because it made it too crowded!! But… this is even better than a book. Makes me want to pack the family up and head up there!
• Fun Fact – did you know that there is a bridge in Iceland where you can stand with one foot on each side of the continental divide?
• Map of ‘secrets’ !! I could spend all day on this page linking off to different amazing sights to be experienced…. check some out today for yourself and dream a little too.

VIDEOS:

There are tons of videos about Iceland on Amazon Instant Stream! You could watch for days…. we watched these:

• Iceland’s Favourite Places
• Iceland’s Favourite Places Akureyri & The Magical North
• Cosmos Global Documentaries FIRE & ICE Iceland
• Here’s a video for my hubby – Game of Thrones locations via Landcruiser HJ 80 trip great filming and locations

• YouTube Travel Iceland HD – this is more modern than the amazon prime videos… not missing the 80s music,graphics or sleepy instrumentals
• VIMEO – InspiredByIceland mutliple videos with great music, cinematography and personalities! Such a great idea.

CULTURE/PEOPLE/LANGUAGE:

• checked out Icelandic Folk Dancing! Looks pretty simple and very happy…
• listened to this very pretty Icelandic Folk instrumental called Islandsljóð from Islandsklukkur and also another song from them. A happy one with lyrics called Hestaskál og Heilræði.
• Remember the kids show called LAZY TOWN ?! It is a TV show for kids that encourages physical exercise and it was created in Iceland by Magnus Scheving – aerobics champion who plays Sportacus. Watch in Icelandic! 😉
• Björk. We remember her for her unique voice and outlandish costumes (the swan!) She’s still performing and is probably the most well known Icelandic citizen. Here she is at the Opera Royal House singing ‘It’s In Our Hands’.
• Back to Björk. Now I understand why she just called herself Bjork.  We read that everyone goes by their first names only – and that their ‘last names’ are actually their mother’s first name + dóttir (for a daughter) or father’s first name + son (for a son). Neat! another thing we read in a book about Iceland was that first names had to be from a government approved list of names. (no clue if that is true or holds still today ?!)
• Mango Languages offers Icelandic lessons too! Very difficult language… !
• Had fun looking through an ‘eye spy’ type Global Adventure book which featured the Blue Lagoon of Iceland – complete with people with white mud faces!

Beautiful photography by William Patino
Click to go to his website for more photos from his travels

from deMilked and Choi+Shine Architects
“The Land of Giants”

ART/CRAFTS/CUISINE/ACTIVITIES:

It took Pebbles about 15 mins to discover the dessert aspect of this country and most FUN activity….  BUN DAY !! (Bolludagur) You read that right. It’s a day where the kids sneak into their kids rooms the Monday before Lent every year and tap their sleeping parents with a wand….. the number of times that they have to tap until the parents wake up saying ‘BUN, BUN, BUN’… and I assume get up… equals the number of buns that they get to eat in the morning.  Now this isn’t a bun, it’s called a Bollur – it’s actually more like a cream puff / eclair pastry complete with whipped cream and chocolate sauce !! Today they made the wands and are very eager to poke us with sticks tomorrow.

In the morning we made the dough and baked the little ‘buns’… when cool sliced them and put whipped cream inside, some with jam too as recommended…. and then drizzled with chocolate over top. DELICIOUS !!

IMPRESSIONS OF ICELAND

Iceland was a country we knew not a single thing about….. and boy were we impressed by it! Fascinating architecture, stunningly untouched natural beauty, ultra creative tourism board…. so far, this was one of my favorite countries!! I know Pebbles will love France as it’s full of yummy food….. we’re going there next.