Gullfoss Falls of Iceland Who would ever guess thata broad river flowing down fromdistant pure white glacierscould drop so suddenly over ablack lava rim only to turn sharplyat a right angle and do the sameall over again doubling theintensity of its roar in torrentsas white as distant glaciers. Poem by Richard F. Fleck By...
Continue reading“Þetta reddast:” It Will All Work Out in the End
In many places, plans define the experience. Here, the ability to change them does. The Icelanders seem to understand this deeply. And instead of resisting it, they work with it. That mindset started to rub off on us. Each disrupted plan became less of a disappointment and more of an opportunity to experience something...
Continue readingLessons Learned at the Tomato Farm
By: Owen R-S Butter on bread. In Iceland it’s supposed to be a 50/50 split. You need to have as much butter as you have bread. Lunching at Friðeimar Tomato Farm showed us that, for geothermal energy specifically, that 50/50 split also exists in the form of stewardship and community. Geothermal agriculture, from geothermal...
Continue readingA Journey to Iceland’s Golden Circle (and Tomato Soup for Lunch)
By Myles R. and Shabd S. We started the day off with a quick breakfast (if you were awake). Following this we packed our luggage, loaded the bus, and continued our journey. Our journey today was along a road known as the Golden Circle. Well-known sites along the Golden Circle are þingvellir (a national...
Continue readingGrindavik, Up Close
This is the third part of a multi-part series on Day 1 of the 2026 Iceland Intensive Learning Trip. To see the first part, click here; to see the second part, click here. Despite our vastly different circumstances in life, it was interesting to see just how many similarities our lives had. In the...
Continue readingReykjanes Peninsula: Wind, Water, and a Coastline That Keeps Changing
This is the second part of a multi-part series on Day 1 of the 2026 Iceland Intensive Learning Trip. To read the first part, click here. To read the third part, click here. Iceland, we experienced, was ever-dynamic, with its rugged coastline and canceled flights. By Ali S. and Liam R. After breakfast with...
Continue readingFinally, Iceland
This is the first part of a multi-part series on Day 1 of the 2026 Iceland Intensive Learning Trip. To read the second part, click here; to read the third part, click here. By Jason Y. and Allan W. Our Iceland IL was nearly canceled. We were supposed to leave around 2:20-2:30 p.m. on...
Continue readingIceland, Day Eight, Newark, New Jersey — A Journey with a Lifetime of Memories
Halló! Our last day in Iceland was thankfully relatively uneventful. Most of us took the time to check off the last few locations on our sight-seeing bucket list, eat breakfast at one of the many fantastic bakeries in the Reykjavík area, or finish souvenir shopping, but the vast majority of the day was spent...
Continue readingOur last full day in Iceland
We woke up for our last full day of the Iceland Intensive Learning trip in the capital, Reykjavík. After waking up and eating breakfast at the Fosshotel, we headed out for horseback riding at noon. When we arrived at the Íshestar Horse Riding Center, we watched an instructional video that taught us the correct...
Continue readingSeljalandsfoss Waterfall and the Blue Lagoon
After being bound to our hotel for most of yesterday, it was great to get back on the road early today. After departing our hotel, we ventured to the beautiful Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. While some parts of the waterfall were inaccessible because of the leftover snow and ice, it was still breathtaking to observe from...
Continue readingThe natural wonders of Iceland
Iceland is chock-full of natural wonders. Whether it be the rolling waves crashing onto the black sand beach, the rapid icy waterfalls, or the massive volcanoes towering over the vast expanse, you are sure to witness something marvelous wherever you go. Still, it’s hard to appreciate these wonders in their entirety when you don’t...
Continue readingSnow days in Iceland
After ending our third night with heavy snowfall, we woke up to high winds and even heavier snow. With all of the roads blocked off and completely buried underneath the mountains of snow, we were stuck inside our hotel (Fosshotel Núpar). Though the sun was shining for most of the day, many people woke...
Continue readingThe dramatic, natural beauty of Iceland: Volcanos, waterfalls, basalt caves, and black sand beaches
Today was our first snow day in Iceland! We woke up a bit later today and made our way to breakfast, where we ate the best yogurt we have ever had. After that we made our way to the Lava Centre! Today’s adventure started with a video containing the history and the view of...
Continue readingFrom Reykjavík to Hella, with waterfalls, geysers, and tomato soup along the way
We started our morning with a nice breakfast buffet at Fosshotel Reykjavík. Then, we headed to Thingvellir National Park, one of the most sacred places in Iceland. This park is the original site of the oldest existing parliament in the world, dating back to 930 A.D. We then enjoyed a scenic drive through the...
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