I arrived at 6:30am. Iceland customs was the easiest ever! No forms to fill out or anything. Was able to find the Lindblad/National Geographic group quickly, and took a bus to the hotel. Since I was tired and had a hotel room for the morning, I took a 3 hour nap before lunch at 12:45. I heard that the Queen of Denmark was staying in the hotel that day as well, but I didn't see her.
When I went back downstairs I met Xochitl and Shannon (whose luggage had gotten lost). We went to lunch together, which was amazing! Lots of vegetables, and I had a choice of fish or some other meat, but the fish looked good, so I I had that with a yummy pesto sauce. The whole trip there were bunches of amazing desserts too.
After lunch we loaded the buses and got driven around the city. Reykjavik is pretty small, so I think we were able to see most of the city, both old and new parts of town. We stopped at the large Lutheran church, I belive it's called Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral. The tower is 210 feet tall and can be see throughout most of the city. Steve the photographer introduced himself and said he would be taking lots of pictures of us, and he was correct! We stopped at a 1973 monument titled "The Unknown Bureaucrat" commenting on the weight of life and the role of bureaucrats in the world. The statue looked pretty funny, so I decided to imitate the man, but I didn't have a rock to wear on my head, so I substituted my jacket. Xochitl was gracious enough to take the silly photo for me. The tour lady diffinately had a lot to say, whether it was important or interesting, well...that was what made some of it funny.
At the National museum there was a kid section where you could pick up the 12 kilo chain of armor. I was surprised at how heavy it was. It was also fun to try on a helmet or shield. The tour didn't really go in there, but us teachers did and had fun. There was also a special exhibit about women and the role they have played through history. The most surprising part of the museum was seeing how tiny the beds were and knowing that the small beds usually had 1 adult and 1 kid fit in them!
We got to the ship at 5pm, checked in, and found our room. Lee, our naturalist and mentor, gave us a tour of the ship. The stair cases are really cool with all these national geographic photos. The dining room is pretty nice with all the formal silverware settings. Being on a ship is cool but weird. I feel like I don't have my balance...probaly between the jet lag and the moving. I kept bumping into the wall when taking a shower. When I look at the sea it's beauitful but I get dizzy. There are 3 of us teachers, Xochitl (So-chi) from NYC and Shannon from Ontario. They are great. I was so glad to see them. On the ship we have 2 rooms with an ajoining bathroom. Each of the rooms has 2 single beds, a desk or dresser and then a bunk that pulls down. It's only the 3 of us in the 2 rooms, so we decided to put all our suitcases in one room and all sleep in the other.
When I went back downstairs I met Xochitl and Shannon (whose luggage had gotten lost). We went to lunch together, which was amazing! Lots of vegetables, and I had a choice of fish or some other meat, but the fish looked good, so I I had that with a yummy pesto sauce. The whole trip there were bunches of amazing desserts too.
After lunch we loaded the buses and got driven around the city. Reykjavik is pretty small, so I think we were able to see most of the city, both old and new parts of town. We stopped at the large Lutheran church, I belive it's called Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral. The tower is 210 feet tall and can be see throughout most of the city. Steve the photographer introduced himself and said he would be taking lots of pictures of us, and he was correct! We stopped at a 1973 monument titled "The Unknown Bureaucrat" commenting on the weight of life and the role of bureaucrats in the world. The statue looked pretty funny, so I decided to imitate the man, but I didn't have a rock to wear on my head, so I substituted my jacket. Xochitl was gracious enough to take the silly photo for me. The tour lady diffinately had a lot to say, whether it was important or interesting, well...that was what made some of it funny.
At the National museum there was a kid section where you could pick up the 12 kilo chain of armor. I was surprised at how heavy it was. It was also fun to try on a helmet or shield. The tour didn't really go in there, but us teachers did and had fun. There was also a special exhibit about women and the role they have played through history. The most surprising part of the museum was seeing how tiny the beds were and knowing that the small beds usually had 1 adult and 1 kid fit in them!
We got to the ship at 5pm, checked in, and found our room. Lee, our naturalist and mentor, gave us a tour of the ship. The stair cases are really cool with all these national geographic photos. The dining room is pretty nice with all the formal silverware settings. Being on a ship is cool but weird. I feel like I don't have my balance...probaly between the jet lag and the moving. I kept bumping into the wall when taking a shower. When I look at the sea it's beauitful but I get dizzy. There are 3 of us teachers, Xochitl (So-chi) from NYC and Shannon from Ontario. They are great. I was so glad to see them. On the ship we have 2 rooms with an ajoining bathroom. Each of the rooms has 2 single beds, a desk or dresser and then a bunk that pulls down. It's only the 3 of us in the 2 rooms, so we decided to put all our suitcases in one room and all sleep in the other.
One of the first things we had to do was have a life boats drill. Dinner was at 8pm after introductions to all of the staff.
Summary:
Wow moment-When we went to Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral I think most people were impressed with the 210 foot tower. That is certainly what you can see from all over Reykjavik. Or maybe they enjoyed the beautiful organ inside the church. I thought the most interesting thing was the ground in front of the church. The squares had been laid out in a pattern to show a cross.
Least favorite part of the day- Jetlag!
Humans and nature interactions-There are lupine everywhere! I think it's beautiful to see the purple covered hills, but I guess it's a little controversial. The Lupine are not native and they have taken over a lot of land. Are they causing native plants to no longer have space to grow? What would have happened if someone hadn't brought Lupine to Iceland? Should they try to get rid of the Lupine?
Teaching connections-I will be showing my students photos of Hallgrimskirkja's organ, asking if they have ever seen an organ, and playing organ music for them.
Summary:
Wow moment-When we went to Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral I think most people were impressed with the 210 foot tower. That is certainly what you can see from all over Reykjavik. Or maybe they enjoyed the beautiful organ inside the church. I thought the most interesting thing was the ground in front of the church. The squares had been laid out in a pattern to show a cross.
Least favorite part of the day- Jetlag!
Humans and nature interactions-There are lupine everywhere! I think it's beautiful to see the purple covered hills, but I guess it's a little controversial. The Lupine are not native and they have taken over a lot of land. Are they causing native plants to no longer have space to grow? What would have happened if someone hadn't brought Lupine to Iceland? Should they try to get rid of the Lupine?
Teaching connections-I will be showing my students photos of Hallgrimskirkja's organ, asking if they have ever seen an organ, and playing organ music for them.
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