Before arriving in Iceland, I didn’t know much about what to expect besides it was cold and windy. That being said, before we even landed, we were feeling the effects of the wind as the approach and landing into Reykjavik were a bit nerve-wracking with the swaying of the plane and the sudden drop to the runway. And then once we did land and walked outside, the wind was blowing so hard it felt like it was going to sweep me off my feet.
As we got onto the bus to head into Reykjavik and I checked the time, I was surprised to see that it was 7:30 am and the sun still wasn’t up. In fact, the sun didn’t end up coming out until around 8:30, well into our walking tour of Reykjavik. This was something I did not think of before coming, but it makes sense considering how far north we are.
While walking around in Reykjavik, I was most surprised by the interesting art that was all around the city. More specifically, the statues we passed by in a courtyard across the street from the Hallgrimskirkja Church. These statues were like something I’ve never seen before, many of which depicted certain events that occurred in Norse Mythology.
Another very important thing worth mentioning while we were in Reykjavik were their hot dogs. Most of our group stopped at the hotdog stand in the middle of the city and tried their famous hotdogs topped with ketchup, sweet mustard, crispy fried onions, raw onions, and a remoulade sauce. This was honestly one of the best hot dogs I’ve ever had, and I would totally recommend anyone to try it out. I might have to stop by a few more times before the end of the trip.
After our tour of Reykjavik and stopping at a grocery store to pick up some snacks for the bus ride, we headed over to one of the largest geothermal energy power plants in the world to learn about how they use Iceland’s unique geology to harness energy from the earth. One of the most interesting things I found about the tour was learning about the geology of Iceland and how they used it to their advantage to harness energy. Our tour guide talked about both hot and cold geothermal spots around Iceland and their different uses. He said that geothermal energy is harnessed from the hot spots which are best because of the immense amount of steam they produce to drive the turbines.
All in all, my first day in Iceland was absolutely amazing. Between the sightseeing in Reykjavik, the geothermal energy plant, and the spectacular views of the volcanic mountains, they all gave me a better understanding of the beauty of Iceland, and I can’t wait to see what we’ll see and learn in the coming days.
Swanson School of Engineering 