Day 3 in Iceland included touring the Golden Circle and visiting Friðheimar Greenhouse. The first stop of the Golden Circle tour was Thingvellir national park, the site of one of the oldest parliaments in the world, Alþingi. Alþingi laid the foundation for Iceland’s national identity through self-governance. Our guide, Ólöf, showed us around Thingvellir and where the first assembly of Alþingi was held. It is amazing to see that they used the natural landscape to their advantage in holding their ceremonies. The other stops of the Golden Circle were the Geysir geothermal area where we saw geyser eruptions and Gullfoss waterfall. There are pictures below of these amazing natural sights!
Following our adventures outside, we headed to Friðheimar Greenhouse. This geothermal greenhouse is home to over 4,400 tomato plants and other vegetables. This was my favorite stop so far. We learned about the operations of the greenhouse and the specifics that make it run like a well-oiled machine that supplies about 40% of Iceland’s tomatoes- from appropriate temperature, water, and lighting conditions to pest control and pollination. Again, I was amazed by the way Icelanders adapt to their land to create successful businesses. Being in the greenhouse almost made me forget how cold it was outside, as it was a completely different climate there! The most surprising part of the operation was the imported bee hives of 60 female bumblebees and one queen to pollinate the plants. The beehives are replaced regularly to regulate the presence of female bees, and it was so cool to observe them in the hive as well as out in the greenhouse! Furthermore, I was fascinated by the greenhouse simply because I have never seen so many tomatoes! This visit inspired my interest of geothermal energy and hydroponics, and I am excited to learn more about it and other sustainable practices in Iceland on the remainder of the trip.
Swanson School of Engineering 