Stonehill College Alumni Travel

Our final day in Iceland has arrived. Everyone enjoyed free time in Rekjavik yesterday after relaxing at the Blue Lagoon and then had dinner on their own. We had an entire morning to do last minute touring (and shopping) in Rekjavik.  Many took in the view from the Church tower. Several got their photo taken with these two characters: And we rested up and chatted in the hotel lobby while waiting for our transport to the airport for our flight home.  Everyone had a terrific time in Iceland!!

Later in the morning we drove out to the most remote part of the area (past a fishing village of Grindavik ) Our route brought us to the very end of the peninsula.  Reminiscent of parts of Hawaii or even the moon - the earth was pretty barren, the cliffs were fairly high and the lighthouse overlooked the end of the world. Our last tourist stop of the trip was a visit to the infamous Blue Lagoon .  Everyone grabbed lunch, either at the cafeteria or in the restaurant (which garnered rave reviews!).  Then most of the group enjoyed the geo-thermal bathing with high water temps, a complimentary beverage, mud mask and freezing air temps that made the wet walk to and from the water seem more like a 'mad dash'.  A few of us even put on a performance while in the lagoon!

Monday has arrived and we head out for another full day of sightseeing.  Today we headed out across the Reykjanes Peninsula . It was a bit cooler and rainy than our previous days but it did not dampen our spirits. We drove out to a huge lake with a black beach (from the lava). From there we continued to drive through lava fields (with delicate moss growing on them somehow) and we stopped at an area of mud pots which was other-worldly (and smelled of sulfur).  Helga shared with us some information about the volcanoes.  For example, all had heard of the eruption in 2010 that stopped air traffic out of mainland Europe for 10 days.  This was actually two eruptions - one in March and a second in April.  The most recent eruption was in 2014.

Helga then shared some more of her country's history with us while we were on the bus.  The country was first settled in 874 with the first inhabitants coming from Norway - about 400 settlers, mostly men and some women.  They claimed their land by lighting bonfires (or dragging a cow) across an area within a 24 hour period.  Chieftains (we get the irony here) controlled land areas along the coast.  There were about 40 of them.  In 930, they decided they needed one law and they studied Norwegian governance to develop their own rules of law. Two weeks each summer, all Chieftains with two advisors each, attended a summit to review, discuss, change and add laws.  This meeting point was selected with intent - and we got to enjoy a great visit to this area.  Spectacular photos! In 1262, the area became part of Norway, and then, years later, part of Denmark, until becoming an independent country in 1944.  The former old meeting point of the Chieftains is a UNESCO Heritage site.

Our second day in Iceland was amazing! A little bit of clouds, a little bit of rain, some sunny skies and some incredible sites we've seen! Helga shared a bit more about her home country as our bus headed out in the morning.  The lava fields, the mountains, the dormant volcanoes (and the differences between active, dormant and extinct), local skiing and golfing.  We also passed a geothermal power plant and learned how they harness this resource for their hot water and electricity. We saw the 'Wasserman' Islands in the distance and heard about them as well.  The scenery as we drove through the country was magnificent!  We had an unexpected photo-stop at a small waterfall which also featured a Salmon Ladder.  Then it was off to Gulfoss waterfall - actually a two-tiered waterfall which measured over 100 feet in total.  Some great photos were taken here.  Many of us saw the falls from above before walking down to the bottom level and then even walking along side to cli

First night's excursion to see the famous Northern Lights - cancelled due to cloudy skies...better luck Sunday! Sunday night was 'go time' and we headed out around 9:30pm to see the lights.  Or, I should say, we headed out to 'hunt'. And we found success (so lucky!) within a half hour.  Lots of movement.  Lots of white light.  Some colored light.  Clear sky and a guide who was a bit, er, unique. Here's what my pictures look like: here's what Sarah's photos resemble:

Greetings from Iceland!! After tons of traffic, we all made it to Logan in time for our flight.  We arrived about 6:30am in Reykjavik to some cloudy, cool and damp weather.  By 9:00am, the sun had broken through for a great day of sightseeing throughout the city. First - about us...there are 37 travelers in our group and our local tour director Helga.  25 of us are grads and the rest are spouses and relatives of grads.  About half of us have never traveled with Stonehill before.  Of the other half, some have gone on most of our trips.  Our grads represent nearly every decade - we have grads from the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s, and '10s!! Professor of Biology Maura Tyrrell has joined the group as faculty host! Some of what we saw and did today (before 2pm):  a reproduction village, a tour of the National Museum, the amazing Concert Hall (Harpa) , the House of the Reagan/Gorbachev Summit of 1986, the beautiful Lutheran Church in the city's cente