August 5 - Travel to Akureyri

After yesterday's bright sun, it was a shame to see heavy clouds this morning when we woke, but it did help us sleep better, not having the bright sunshine filtering thru the blackout drapes. Today was mostly spent on the bus, driving 345km, partially over gravel roads, to Akureyri, known as the capital of the north here. We did have a couple of interesting stops.

The first stop was at a reconstruction of Erik the Red's homestead. Because timber was scarce, home design used stone foundations, wood structural members, and sod coverings. The wood was joined to allow it to be easily broken down and carried to the next home site. For this reason, there is very little information about what homes in this era (800s) actually looked like. The supposition is that they are similar to homes in Norway, where the people originated. This had VERY short sleeping compartments and a couple rooms -- an ante-room or mud room at the front, a communal living/dining/weaving/sleeping room, and a food pantry. The sleeping compartments were only about 4 ft wide, not because people were that short but because they slept in a sitting position, the better to defend their home if needed. Jim and I happened to sit in the middle bed, the main position, so we became the re-enactors when the guide demonstrated the helmets and dress of the people. We also walked up to the area of the original home, but the wind was nasty and being early, it was still chilly, so we beat a hasty retreat for the warm bus.

Mr & Mrs Erik the Red

In the afternoon, we reached a horse farm where we were given lunch and a talk and riding demonstration of Icelandic horses. The original horses came from many countries, but horse import was eliminated maybe in the 1400s, so the breed has become island specific. Because of disease fears, horses cannot be brought to the country today, and if they leave for any reason (like a competition or a sale) they cannot be brought back in. The family we visited had a large ranch of 8200 acres supporting an extended family group (4 homes), with 100 horses and a small herd of cattle. They have been very successful in raising and training horses. A fully trained horse that is not good enough for breeding might sell for $50,000, and brood mares and stallions can go for 10 times that as a starting point.

Photo of professional photo of champion stallion

Their training regimen is unusual by US standards. Foals stay with their mothers a full year, then are kept in the pastures without any training for another 3-4 years. They say this develops the horse's native intelligence and independence. The horses are also unusual for 2 natural gaits that are not found in other breeds. The Toelt is a smooth, fast walking pace, and may be similar to the Tennessee Walking Horse. The other pace is not normally maintained as long and is called a pace, apparently a bit faster than a gallop. The 12 year old daughter and her cousin demonstrated on the horses, which were quite friendly and approachable. They are shorter than many horses in the US, but NOT considered ponies.

From the farm, we were only a short distance from Akureyi, a port town at the base of a fjord. There was a European cruise ship (looked like no more than 200 passengers) docked for the day. We wandered around the town and found a wonderful black boiled wool jacket on sale (half price!), so I made my first serious purchase and immediately wore it to dinner.

20,000 population is a big city by Icelandic standards: Akureyri