Today’s guest post is by Hannah Clark, author of Uncovering Cobbogoth.

I’ve never actually been to Iceland in real life, but I have been there many times in my imagination and through research—I think I’ve even been there once or twice in my dreams.  If I could actually go there, however, these are the places I would visit.

1)      The Blue Lagoon.  This is Iceland’s most famous geothermal pool, and you can bathe in it.  It’s huge and is fed by mineral rich seawater that is heated by a nearby geothermal plant. http://www.bluelagoon.com/Geothermal-spa/

2)      Camp out in the middle of Iceland’s unpopulated tundra, away from all city lights just to watch the Northern Lights dance across the sky.  http://www.iww.is/art/shs/pages/thumbs.html

3)      Visit Gullfoss, Iceland’s most famous waterfall.  Take a picnic and hope for a rainbow to show up in the midst of the falls—better yet, get lucky and see a double rainbow, and then ponder about what it could possibly mean. 🙂 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullfoss

4)      Hike Mount Hekla and know once and for all what the “Gateway to Hell” really looks like. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hekla

5)      While in Southern Iceland, so close to Hella, visit Aegissida farm along the Ytri-Ranga river and check out the 12 Caves of Aegissida—yes they really do exist.  These caves look like little houses squished up against a hill side, and were believed to be made by Irish monks before the Vikings even settled Iceland.  There are even Celtic markings on the walls of the caves. http://www.nat.is/travelguideeng/plofin_hellar.htm

6)      While in Hella, stick around for the Icelandic horse races.  Just southeast of town is a race course where Icelandic horses (mini-versions of our horses) race. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_horse

7)      If the thrill seeking type—which I am not—visit Iceland during a volcanic eruption.  That could be pretty cool, and possibly life altering—literally. 🙂

8)      Visit the Black Volcanic beach in the town of Vik, located on the southern coast of Iceland.  The black sand on the beaches is made from volcanic eruptions over the years, and the mountains close by the shore look incredible!

9)      Of course, one should definitely visit Iceland’s capital, Reykjavic.  I hear it’s one of the coolest cities in the Northern Hemisphere with great music, happy natives, and some amazing Viking museums. http://www.visitreykjavik.is/desktopdefault.aspx

10)  Finally, I would check out some of Iceland’s cool elf rocks and their elf/troll museum in.  I read an article once that Icelanders still believe that elves and possibly trolls exist, and that they live in the peculiar rock formations that have been created over years of volcanic eruptions and extremely harsh weather conditions.  Apparently, if superstitious Icelanders come across one of these rock formations while building a road, they won’t blast through the boulder, or even move it; they’ll build their roads around them. I find that fascinating in today’s world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHvOeiGHgfw

Find out more about Hannah Clark’s novel Uncovering Cobbogoth.

 

 

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