Iceland - What Did You Expect?

Glaciers and snow capped mountains. Ice flows and sub zero temperatures. Polar bears and ski-doos. Winter parkas and mukluks. I was about to venture into one of the most remote countries in the northern hemisphere - Iceland - or so I thought.

Welcome sign in the airport just before going through Iceland customs.

Geography was one of my favorite classes all through elementary school and I pride myself on knowing a little bit about most places in the world but after visiting Iceland it was evident that my notions regarding this island country were far more misconstrued than I could have imagined. Ironically, Iceland is a relatively warm country in the north Atlantic with a winter climate not much different than Vancouver, British Columbia. It's average temperature in January is a decently warm 2 degrees Celsius, 11 degrees warmer than the average temperature for Calgary, Alberta. Who would have thought? During my stay, we saw about 6.5 hours of daylight each day. In the summer months, the sun barely sets and the sky is bright 24 hours. I found it interesting, and in hindsight necessary, that the hotel would actually serve shots of cod liver oil at the breakfast buffet. Vitamin D is important to our overall health and in the darker months, the deficiency can become apparent. As for the temperature while I was there, it was between 6 and 12 degrees which was actually warmer then when I left the fall conditions in Calgary.

A welcoming tourist promo in the Keflavik Airport

I was invited in August to visit Iceland, by a delegation of Icelanders visiting Toronto for the WBFF World Championships. Without hesitation I said "yes" when asked if I would visit their country in early November. As busy as I was, I didn't give it any more thought until a week before I was to leave which is when it began to sink in that it was going to be quite the journey. I was scheduled to leave Calgary on Wednesday at 1pm and I wouldn't arrive into Keflavik until 6:45am Friday. Almost two days of travel. Where on earth was I going?

Icelandair at the Keflavik International Airport on a very windy, rainy day.

As I stood in line to get my boarding pass for Icelandair at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City I knew this place was somewhere special.  When I think of a Nordic country, I have somewhat of a stereo typical idea of what the majority of the country's population will look like. I was correct. There is a distinct look to the people of Iceland. The women are beautiful - blue eyes and blonde - and the men have a ruggedly handsome appearance. The language sounds difficult to master. Have a listen.

After doing a little research I found that Iceland's official written and spoken language of Icelandic, is a North Germanic language descended from Old Norse. It has changed less from Old Norse than the other Nordic languages, has preserved more verb and noun inflection, and has to a considerable extent developed new vocabulary based on native roots rather than borrowings from other languages. It is the only living language to retain the runic letter Þ. The closest living language to Icelandic is Faroese. In education, the use of Icelandic Sign Language for Iceland's deaf community is regulated by the National Curriculum Guide. English is widely spoken as a secondary language.

Inspired by Iceland Passport welcoming me to the beautiful country.

As I was about to board the Icelandair flight at JFK I was greeted by a beautiful flight attendant, dressed in a sharp blue uniform and hat that immediately told me that this country is serious about first impressions. I was handed a bottle of Iceland Glacier water,  given a blanket and pillow for the five hour flight. As I was about to make my way to my seat, I was handed an Iceland Passport, titled Inspired by Iceland. I found my way to my seat and opened the white passport. It read:

Dear guest of Iceland, this October and November we want you to meet the people of Iceland. We want you to feel like one of us. We will offer you privileged access to our country and its people. From our president, to our fishermen, musicians, and chefs; from our artists to our sheepherders. They are going to open their doors and treat you as one of their own. 

On www.inspiredbyiceland.com you can see upcoming events planned specially for you by us, native Icelanders. These events vary from kajak trips in the Westfjords to knitting lessons in someone's home in Reykjavik. Find an event that interests you and accept the invitation that will make your stay in Iceland truly unique, personal and magical.

Go to www.inspiredbyiceland.com to see what personal adventures await you. Capture everything on video or in photos, and share your experience with us on our website. But most importantly, have fun.

This little gesture of welcome impressed me. I knew I was in for a wonderful visit. I landed on a dark, cool, cloudy morning. The airport terminal was the most modern designed building I have landed at and I have been to almost every major airport in North America. The airport is in Keflavik, about 50km from the capital of Reykjavik. The airport was constructed in the 1940s by the United States where it served as a refueling stop for trans-Atlantic flights. It now serves as Iceland's main international hub.

 The lava rock terrain near the Keflavik International Airport.

The very modern lobby of the Grand Hotel in Reykjavik.

I went through customs, grabbed my luggage and walked to the lobby, where I was met by Agent K, as he's affectionately known, and driven to the Grand Hotel in downtown Reykjavik. Because it was dark on my trip into town I didn't have a chance to see the landscape that surrounded the capital city until later in the day. Due to the seven hour time difference from Calgary, and the travel, I had only managed 6 hours of sleep over the past 72 hours. I squeezed in 4 hours of sleep on Friday and woke with an energy to see what Iceland was all about.

View outside my window at the Grand Hotel in Reykjavik.

The view from my hotel window was quite unique. I almost felt like I was home. I grew up on the island of Newfoundland in the north Atlantic so the crisp marine air was a familiar, welcomed treat. Agent K, and his wife Eva, were incredible hosts and anything I needed they cared for.

Friday afternoon I had the opportunity to attend the Icelandic health and fitness expo at the renown Icelandic Opera House, a beautifully modern designed building on the ocean. For a country with a population slightly over 317,000 there is an abundance of interest in staying fit.

 

The entrance to the Iceland Opera House in Reykjavik.

The view on the ocean side of the Icelandic Opera House in Reykjavik.

 The general lobby of the Iceland Opera House facility.

Saturday, I spent the day at the Laugardalshöll, an athletic center in Reykjavik where the WBFF European Championships were to be held that night. The sold out show exceeded expectation. Sunday, I made my way to the Laugar World Class state of the art sports and spa facility to photograph a number of the top placing athletes from the night before.

One portion of the modern World Class Fitness Center in Reykjavik.

I'm going to include a number of images I shot during my Sunday and Monday photo shoots including a shoot I did in the Grand Hotel's lobby with bodybuilder Jozsef Varju of Hungary. 

One of my photo studio lights set up in the lobby of the Grand Hotel in Reykjavik as I prepared to photograph Jozsef Varju of Hungary.

 Jozsef Varju of Hungary in the lobby of the Grand Hotel in Reykjavik. This was over a day after he competed and he wasn't expecting to shoot so he wasn't near as dry as he was the previous night at his show.

The trip was busy, and unfortunately there was no time to sight-see except for a quick visit to the Blue Lagoon on our way to the airport Monday evening. I have been invited back again in November of 2012 and look forward to spending more time seeing what this beautiful country has to offer.

A portion of the world famous Blue Lagoon between Reykjavik and Keflavik.

 Check out this informative video introduction to Iceland.

Although I didn't get a chance to visit many of the renown landmarks that make this beautiful country unique, the images I saw, the friendliness of the people, and modern architecture leaves me wanting more. I encourage you, if the opportunity arises to visit Iceland, definitely go for it!

 Check out this video (above) of Iceland created by a couple inspired by the mini-movie of a local group of musicians.

  

The following is a fun video promoting Iceland by Inspired by Iceland. It contains a few moments of nudity (skinny dipping), so please be aware of it as you watch.The Icelandic culture is an open culture just as many are in Europe. 

To learn more about Iceland, please visit: www.inspiredbyiceland.com

About the photos: All images, except the athlete portraits, were taken with my iPhone 4.