After a bit of a rocky start getting to Reykjavik, I’m in Iceland! My name is Josh Puerzer and I am a fourth year mechanical engineer studying abroad in Iceland for this spring break.
I’m excited to see the nature and beauty of Iceland, along with learning how they do so much with so little. Yesterday, we saw some of Reykjavik and learned all about the natural history of the land of fire and ice. At the Perlan, we saw ice caves, learned about the auroras, and saw how volcanos shaped this island nation. It’s incredible how Iceland is the border between North America and the Eurasian plate, which makes for incredible mountains and scenery everywhere.
The observation deck gave us a beautiful 360 degree view of Reykjavik and the surrounding area, and also treated us to a little taste of what the wind can be like. Following the beautiful views and incredible history was a delicious traditional Icelandic meal – lamb.
Today, we went to a geothermal bakery to try some bread that was cooked for 24 hours underground in a hot spring! The bread (pictured below) was served with butter and smoked trout, and is absolutely something I’ll be making when I get back to Pittsburgh – after I find a hot spring of course.
We also visited the Kerið Crater today, which gave us the best views yet of the sprawling landscape and incredible mountains (and blue skies!). Hopefully those clear skies will stick around tonight for the northern lights. Here’s to more Icelandic history, folklore, and of course, hot dogs!
Swanson School of Engineering 