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Snippets of Iceland by Allison E. '27

some rhymes from spring break

2024 has been quite a year for the Sun—in addition to the total solar eclipse, this year is also a solar maximum⁠01 when the Sun is at its most geomagnetically active in its 11-year cycle . In particular, this means the aurora borealis/australis are at their brightest, and since flights were also relatively cheap,  for spring break my friends and I decided to travel to Iceland!!

This was my first time ever traveling with just friends (no Real Adults^TM?!?), and it was a lot of fun! We planned out an itinerary, booked a hotel, found places to eat, and somehow explored a different country without falling into any volcanos. The scenery was beautiful, the food was tasty, the nearby park had mini trampolines, and the wind was trying to eat us. It felt so very college :D

I won’t bore you with the details, even though it was AMAZING and I feel so lucky, but I did write a handful of rhymes for giggles on our bus rides, so here’s those interspersed with some photos of Iceland (that kinda? match? not really? maybe?).

image of harbor w/ sunrise & mountains

Sunrise at the harbor in Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital!

there’s the harbor, see it glisten?
snow capped mountains in the distance
wind is whistling if you listen
there’s the harbor, don’t you miss it

—————

walking, walking, slowly walking,
uphill, downhill, rarely talking
sun is rising, ships are docking,
we forge onwards, always walking

buildings against a grey sky

Buildings in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland

the wheels on the bus go round and round
driving all ’round the town
there’s light snow dustings on the ground
in iceland

image of a roundabout in front of lava plain (mostly moss-covered)

Roundabout amidst the lava fields

around around the roundabouts
where hidden people lay
we merge on in, we turn back out
continuing on our way

[Note]⁠02 One of our bus drivers was telling us that some Icelandic people still believe in “hidden people,” so when they were building roads and ran into issues clearing big rocks or other obstacles—i.e. machinery breaking down—they would stop out of respect and build a roundabout. He got the “build a roundabout” part just as we turned into one LOL

—————

these lava fields, pale green and red
would make a very prickly bed,
but thankfully the moss provides
a cushion⁠03 not actually though—you’re not supposed to touch the moss because it takes a really long time to regrow soft as wooly hide

image of glacier covered w/ black ash

Sólheimajökull glacier! We got to hike on it :D

snow and ice and ash afoot
the bluish hues all caked in soot
the ground split wide with large crevasses
water melts and time, it passes.

image of river with mountains in the distance + low clouds
Thingvellir National Park, at the boundary between the North American & Eurasian tectonic plates
northern lights! pale green
Northern lights!! They’re fainter irl, but still very cool
high-up view of brown plains and ocean
View from the top of Skógafoss waterfall
black sand beach & ocean
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

the sky is high, the clouds hang low
the night is lit with ghostly glow
the plains stretch out for miles below
and waves crash slowly, row by row

—————

and finally, my pride and joy:

image of person using pickaxe to pick at ice

Gilford T. ‘26 yearns for the mines

the children yearn for ancient times
when coal was king and gold divine
before progressives made it crime
for us to labor in the mines

  1. when the Sun is at its most geomagnetically active in its 11-year cycle⁠ ↑
  2. One of our bus drivers was telling us that some Icelandic people still believe in “hidden people,” so when they were building roads and ran into issues clearing big rocks or other obstacles—i.e. machinery breaking down—they would stop out of respect and build a roundabout. He got the “build a roundabout” part just as we turned into one LOL⁠ ↑
  3. not actually though—you’re not supposed to touch the moss because it takes a really long time to regrow⁠ ↑