Fiction, Essays, and Other Things

  We travel to Iceland because there is no place like it in the world. So close to two continents and yet so remote, so relatively easy to get to but so raw in its earthly beauty, its natural wonders are icons of the jewels or the earth and yet seen in such an undistilled state as can only be possible by a happy set of evolutionary circumstances. Something s superficially trivial as the beaches of Iceland being coated with black sand may not inspire awe (at least until witnessed in person) until the unique volcanic power in the island is considered. Of such famous beaches the aptly named Black Sand Beach is the one offering what its name suggests, a beach of black sand. But Diamond Beach yields surprises. Oh the black sand is there aplenty but so are chunks of ice from broken up glaciers that have washed ashore and become marvels of the beach. For once a beach thrives on cold weather with its icy blocks resembling the extra terrestrial pods of any sci-fi matinee. Me at Black Sand...

  If you travel to Iceland in the fall, when nature tests your endurance to the limits, it will likely be a scary drive to the Hvammsvik hot springs, especially if you travel by night when the roads are dark and the wind is crushing. But the rugged journey makes the arrival to the soothing warm watering of the gurgling pool all the more soothing. Built around Hvalfjardarlaug, which had delighted Icelanders for many years, Hvammsvik is Iceland’s newest hot spring but it is a perfect marriage of the gifts of nature (the meeting of the two tectonic plates beneath Iceland and the waves of the Atlantic) and the ingenuity of the locals. When I first arrived at Hvammsvik I was greeted by a modern wooden building housing, the interior of which resembled a hotel lobby. I often wonder how the employees of such remote places manage their commute. If the drive was fearful for me, I can’t imagine them doing it almost every day. But in true Icelandic fashion I was greeted by a chipper team. ...