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The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mountain range underneath the sea that Iceland sits on top of.    It is where the tectonic plates of North American and Eurasian come together.   Tectonic plates are  large pieces of rock that make up the earth’s crust.   Iceland is one place where the two tectonic plates emerge from the ocean and have created a rift valley, mountains, gorges, and lakes.

Iceland ProCruises Seaventure is an expedition cruise ship  that sails to Iceland, Greenland and Antarctica..  It has 80 crew and only 164 guests.  The ship was built in 1990 to handle arctic waters and it has 14 zodiacs, a library, pool, sauna, gym, a theater-style auditorium and chef-prepared meals.  The cabins are spacious.

Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and 60% of Icelanders live here.   Reykjavik was settled by the Vikings and was once part of Norway and then Denmark and the island got its independence from Denmark in 1944.  The city has colorful and funky buildings, an amazing Lutheran church and a beautiful concert hall. 

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula is in Western Iceland.  It is sometimes referred to as “Iceland in Minature” because if its many diverse landscapes.   It is home to the Snaefellsnes National Park and the Saefellsjokull volcano and is the only national  park to reach the sea.

Isafjordur is in the Westfjords and has a population of 2,600, making it the largest town in the Westfjords.   The town was built by the men who fished the waters  and it was settled in the 16th century.  We walked around the town and visited a fish store and learned about salted cod and other fish.  Then we visited Dynjandi waterfall and visited a settlement house. 

Siglufjordur is a historic fishing village with a population of 1,300.  It is located in the fjord that bears its name.   It is the northernmost town in Iceland and became the capital of herring fishing in the Atlantic.   We visited the Herring Era Museum and enjoyed the music and the dancing of the Herring Rush performed by the residents of the town.   Afterwards we

Flatey Island is a small island that we visited.  It  had a couple of houses, a church and a lighthouse plus a puffins colony. We traveled there by zodiac.  

Husavik is known as the Whale Capital of Iceland.  The town has a population of 2,449. It  is on the north coast of Iceland and is known for having the best whale watching in Europe.  Before getting to Husavik, we visited Flatey Island in zodiacs.  

Seydisfjordur is a town in Eastern Iceland with a population of around 668.  The town sits at the beginning of the Seydisfjordur Fjord.   The town is surrounded by mountains and has had two big avalanches during its lifetime.  There is ferry from this town to Denmark and it takes three
days.   Outside of town you will find Iceland’s biggest national forest, Hallormstaorsskog.   You can also experience one of Iceland’s many thermal  baths at Vox Baths.

Djupivogur is a small town (population of 452) on the fjord Berifjordik in Eastern Iceland.   There is a very scenic road leading out of the town and you might encounter one of the 6-7,000 reindeer that live in the region.  It is the gateway to the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Vatnajokull National Park and Vatnajokull Glacier. 

 We visited the Vestmannaeyjar Archipelago (also known as the Westman Islands) in southern Iceland.  The archipelago has 15 islands and 30 rock stacks.  We visited the largest island, Heimaey (population
 4,500).  Heimaey is called the “Pompeii of the South” because on January 23, 1973, a fissure opened up and ash and lava covered the town for 4 months.   Eldfell “Hill of Fire” volcano was the result.