I woke up at 10 AM, only 5 hours of sleep…I usually require 8-9. It must be the Icelandic air that energizes me. I walk across the street and start my day at Báran Restaurant. It may only be 2 days, but I feel sad to say goodbye to my new friends Milós and Blanka. They are heading off on their new venture…brave souls!
As I mentioned before, they both left professional jobs to explore and enjoy life. I admire their courage. It reminds me of a poem by Ulrich Schaffer about leaving one shore yet not arriving at the other… adventurous souls!
The best part of Iceland has been meeting everyone…those born and raised here, those traveling through and those who have decided that Iceland is their new home. I wanted to get a sense of why others cherished Iceland so I decided to ask.
I basically asked 2 questions: What is the best of thing about Iceland? What makes you unique? I hope you enjoy learning about everyone as much as I have.
Miloš Zajíc is 43 years old and from Plzeň, Czech Republic. He just returned from the Czech Republic to work in Iceland. He took his vehicle on the ferry from Denmark.
What’s the best thing about Iceland?
It’s sparsely populated. There are no trees, the landscape is open and you can see the mountains in the distance, it’s beautiful and interesting. “I feel the power inside the earth!”
What makes you unique?
I have no formal education. I educated myself and feel that I can hold my own with other colleagues who received a formal education. I have a different view on life. I’m not tied to my job or social expectations and therefore free to give up things, I’m not afraid. Losing fear has freed me!
Blanka Konečná is 40 years old and from Vlkoš, Czech Republic. She is joining Miloš on the journey.
What’s the best thing about Iceland?
The Gulfoss Waterfall!
What makes you unique?
I see myself as average, “average is my comfort zone.” I want balance in every situation and I don’t like extremes. But my heart is wild. Privately, I imagine myself as a free mustang running.
Next stop…
We visited one of the oldest churches in Iceland. We walked up and went right in, no locked doors. That seems to be a theme in this part of Iceland at least. People don’t lock their houses or cars and apparently a precious church with authentic artwork as well. The feeling of openness, in its many forms, seems to be pervasive.
It appears Nik has a hidden talent, he plays a mighty organ!
Agust’s family has owned the land where the church, museum, farm and previous airport used to be. You’ll know exactly where that is when you see the plane that remains in a field from a crash landing. That’s also where the Icelandic horses like to hang out.
Welcome to the sheep house. This is where they stay during the harsh winters. Once it’s time, the barn doors are opened and they graze in the fields and hills for months. When it’s time to bring them home, Icelandic horses are mounted and ridden up in the hills with sheep dogs to herd them back to the farms. Townspeople come out to help sort the sheep by farm. They’re identified according to tags or perhaps marks on their ears, if they still follow old traditions. They may be gone for 3 days at a time, riding up in the hills. It’s typically done on the first weekend in September. A second run may be necessary to make sure they don’t leave any stray sheep behind.
A bunch of babies were born early in the season. It appears an amorous ram got loose and had relations with quite a few sheep. I’m not sure if he was the same ram that Agust was offering us a bite of. Several babies were born the day before and I was able to hold them! So cute!
After we visited the sheep, Agust impressed us with his horsemanship. He trains the horses for both sheep herding and competitions. Icelandic horses are known for their 5 gaits. It was so exciting to see him ride. We rode alongside in the car to film. I wasn’t sure how good the video would be because of the bumpy road but was rather pleased with the quality. Agust continued on with his training while I was greeted by the horses in the field. They were SO friendly and curious. I didn’t want to leave! I would love to come back and hang with them again.
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