Iceland
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Most of the greenery outside of the city is moss - deep, soft moss - on top of lava fields.
Also from the Pearl. Reykjavik is not a large city with a population of about 120,000 (about the size of Thunder Bay)
In the Geysir hot springs area. This geyser erupts every 4 to 8 minutes to a height of 15 to 20 meters.
The church in the museum is very small and can be rented for weddings or other events.
The land appears to be barren with no trees or wildlife. Most animals seen roaming around are goats from the farms.
A stylized sculpture of a Viking ship located on the waterfront in the harbour.
Of great historical and geological importance. The 3 white buildings mark the location of the oldest existing parliament in the world, first assembled in 930 A.D. The valley seen here is a rift valley.
Due to widespread volcanic activity (Iceland being a young country) lava is a common ground base.
The view from our hotel.
The main landmark in Reykjavik which can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. It is the largest church in Iceland.
On the west side of the valley seen in the previous picture is the edge of tectonic plate of North America, The Euroasian plate is on the east side of the valley. These plates drift apart at the rate of about 3 inches a year.
To get a sense of size, there is a woman in a red coat on the left side. A floating stage is sometimes built on the water for concerts. The acoustics are supposed to be excellent.
In traditional costume
The Pearl is a dome shaped structure situated on a height of land which provides a panoramic view of Reykjavik. This view looks towards the downtown area and the harbour.
The stature of the Viking stands outside the church.
Walking beside the North American tectonic plate
Large cracks are a common sight in the ground. They may be caused by earthquakes or, as in this location, by the drifting apart of the tectonic plates. Eventually such cracks get filled in by lava from volcanoes.
Also known as Reykjavik City Museum, is an open air museum providing a look at early life and culture of Iceland.
