Reykjavik, Iceland

December 7-10, 2012

As our time in Europe drew to a close we amped up the frequency of our excursions.  Just a week after returning from Scotland we caught a plane from Heathrow to Keflavik.  Iceland, in the dead of winter, is Ed's idea of a good time.

Actually, Iceland did not fail to impress and winter was an excellent time to visit.  We were afforded the opportunity to learn about the Icelandic Christmas traditions. Santa Claus, it seems, does not visit Iceland.  Iceland has 13 Yule Lads.  These Yule Lads are the sons of the trolls,  Grýla and Leppalúði.  Grýla, the mother, is a cruel, nasty ogress (half  troll, half animal) who likes to eat children.  Their 13 mischievous sons come down from the mountains, one by one, for the 13 days leading up to Christmas. Their primary purpose in coming to town is to steal trinkets, play pranks, eat left over bits of food and scare sheep.  However, they do bring gifts for the children of the town which they leave in the children's shoes.  Children leave their shoes on a window sill so it is easy for the Yule Lads to leave gifts.  If the children are bad they are left with only a potato or a piece of coal in their shoes.  The Yule Lads have a pet cat, their cat eats children who do not receive new clothes for Christmas.  I suppose Icelandic children are more grateful when they receive new socks as a gift. 
      Reykjavik was decorated for Christmas.  One of the coolest displays they had throughout town were movie projections of the Yule Lads and their cat on the sides of buildings throughout town.  These projections looped about every minute or two.  Occasionally, a young child walking down the street would notice one of these projections.  Their little eyes would light up with wonder and excitement as they frantically waved to the troll holding onto a window ledge.  Slowly, after the projection had looped three or four times, the child realized they were not waving at a live troll.  A look of utter disappointment would creep into those little eyes.  They would look away, jaded by the world, and shuffle down the street through the snow. 

I know this is sideways but  this is one of the projections

 

 



Our time in Reykjavik was not limited to learning about Yule Lads and laughing at disappointed children.  We climbed to the top of the imposing Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral, skated on a frozen lake, ate fish, swam in the Blue Lagoon and looked for the Northern Lights.  Unfortunately,  the Northern Lights opted not to make an appearance.  But the Blue Lagoon was relaxing.  

Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral

The Blue Lagoon

Lava Field

Frozen Lake

My awesome gear

Reykjavik