WARNING!! This Post Contains 61 Pictures!!

I apologize that those of you who knew Iceland was yet to come have been waiting and waiting while getting ready for school and surviving the first few weeks of school took center stage.  Not to worry.  Here's Iceland!!!!  This is our hostel in Rejykavik.  The owner was a pleasant chap who spent his college years in a horticultural college somewhere in the U.S. 

Not a housing for the space shuttle.  This is a Christian church--quite the edifice.  Apparently it was originally built quite shabbily and had to be re-constructed.  It had a decided sci fi aura to it.

"You know you're in Iceland when Leif Ericsson takes center stage in multiple locations.  No one appreciates him like the Icelandic.  He's their "Christopher Columbus".

See what I mean about the church?????

Ahhhh.....friendly turf....(breathe deeply...)

Lopi sweaters by the thousands.
 

And of course, when you're tired of knitting sweaters and hats, you can cover a pole!

A walk around the nation's capital.  Rejkyavik (I intend to spell it differently each time I write it) would probably remind me of Anchorage--if I'd ever been to Anchorage.

This little doll modeled her sweater perfectly for me bringing my number of kids with ice cream cones count to 2.

Carved wooden pigs in a backyard--the fence is painted sky blue. 

Window shots...bleah...

I saw this photograph in a curio shoppe.  THESE are the sheep that produce Lopi wool up to their necks in snow!!!!!!

Charming yard into which I peered.

Typical dwelling.

In case you forget how to tie a tie????

These French hikers shared our hostel.  Who knew Iceland was a favored hiking destination???

We hopped on a tour bus for a day trip.  First stop was this guy's greenhouse--cooled and heated by natural springs.  Here he's holding a box of bees--imported.

Tomatoes.

Greenhouse guy's fam. I think they make up about 10% of the country's population...not really, but almost.

Headed for geysers.  A big big deal in Iceland.

Impressive waterfall!!!!!

I stalked this couple, or rather their sweaters, for longer than I dare admit, to get a good picture.

Think Old Faithful on a sluggish bad hair day.

Now, this German woman had been planning her whole life to come to....wait for it....Iceland!  Her husband gave her the trip one Christmas and then promptly died.  These two strapping sons finally brought Mom on the trip of her lifetime---3 weeks worth of geysers, lobster, and....sightseeing, I guess.  We obviously needed to hop in a car and really give Iceland our full attention! 

I'm a sucker for knitted hats.

This place has some outlandishly unpronouncable name.  It is a UNESCO preserved sight as well.  Ancient Icelanders gathered here to powwow and are credited with one of the oldest democratic exhibitions in the history of ancient man.  I sooooooooo am not giving it the homage that our tour guide did.

I can picture tribes camped here sending delegates to the council fire.

A remnant of a council hut.

Here you go!!  Think scout jamboree/family reunion/hunting weekend perhaps!


A passing tour group guide in native costume.


Such a nifty Icelandic Lopi sweater with a HOOD!!!  These folks wear sweaters EVERY day in the summer!  I KNOW!!!...the dark underbelly of Iceland...mwahhhh...


This guy is clapping because he must have been predicting that THIS would be the last photo of our trip!!!!  And he was correctamundo!!!!  We did it...whew...that was quite  a blogger ride, no?