Another waterfall! They are all very different but I think I have reached my maximum waterfall photo limit after today. This one is called Godafoss, or Waterfall of the Gods. It earned its name from a Pagan chieftain who threw his wooden statues of Norse gods into it after embracing Christianity. I must say, I was impressed (and a bit surprised) it was wooden statues he hurled into the water and not all of his people who refused to embrace Christianity along with him.

After driving through Akureyi, the “Capital of North Iceland” (whatever that means) I headed to Skagafjordur, the “Mecca of Icelandic Horsemanship.” I swear I do not make these up! Places are known by these marketing slogans here. It was very cold here today and the landscape was pretty harsh at times. I stopped at a gas station that also featured a museum (yes, at the gas station) about the Vikings. I have noticed that most of Iceland is very proud of their Viking ancestry and who can blame them? I remember studying the Vikings in third grade. Mrs. Jacobs, maybe? Anyone who was at ODC remember? Anyway, we spent A LOT of time talking about Vikings. She used tons of creative ways to get us to try to understand their pillaging ways. I also remember learning how to weave on a real loom and make paper that year, but I can’t be sure that tied into the whole Viking thing. I keep thinking of Mrs. Jacobs (hmmm… still doesn’t sound right to me) on this trip. And, while we were only third graders, it was a gifted and talented program, and I’m fairly certain that she could have saved herself (and us) quite a bit of time if she had just SHOWED US PICTURES of Iceland. This place is rough! It’s summertime here and the weather is still not anything to write home about. It’s ridiculously windy and since 24 hours of daylight can make a person nuts I’d imagine six months of mostly darkness would have a similar effect. There is hardly any vegetation and the cows are skinny even nowadays! Vikings? Yeah, not really any choice but to be total badasses. I get it now.