Day 67-Akranes

   March 11-The wind did not seem to be as bad today, so we decided to attempt the drive to Akranes again.  According to the weather billboards along the highway, the wind gust were below 40 mph and Sally did not feel like Bill and Jean's rental car was being picked up as she drove it across the bridge at the mouth of the Borgarfjörður.  So, we kept with the plan this time and made it to Akranes around dinner time.  We found a nice restaurant where we had another great meal.  Then we headed to the Breið spit to watch the large waves come crashing in.  The lighthouse protected us partially from the winds, so we were able to stand around and enjoy the show for a little while.  It was quite mesmerizing.

   Afterwards, we headed over to Akranes's museum complex, which includes a sports museum, a geological museum, and a folk museum.  Of those three, we figured the sports museum would be of least interest.  However, it provided us with our biggest surprise.  While walking
through, Sally happened to read the name Íris.  She looked closer and discovered that Íris had competed in the javelin competition at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.  This piqued her interest, because the girls' PE teacher at Varmaland is named Íris, was a javelin-thrower, and was good enough at her sport to get a scholarship as a foreigner to attend the University of Alabama.  The picture on display of the Olympian Íris certainly looked reminiscent of the Varmaland Íris, whom we had met at the swim meet in Borgarnes a couple weeks ago.  The girls also agreed that it could be the same person.  Subsequently, the girls have confirmed that the two people are one and the same!  It was a very cool connection to make just by chance.

   The geological museum was small and fun to walk through.  Iceland's geology is simplified by the fact that it has only existed as an island for 15 million years
and is completely volcanic in origin.  There is also a display about the nearby three mile-long tunnel under the mouth of the Hvalfjörður.  Having driven the tunnel numerous times, it was very interesting to study a diorama that shows the depth of the tunnel relative to the topography of the fjord.

 

This net-cutting hook is "the only weapon invented in
Iceland."  Iceland expanded its fishery zones in the 1950s
and 1970s, but British trawlers ignored these expanding
boundaries and continued to fish in Iceland's territorial
waters.  Iceland developed this net-cutter, which was
dragged behind a coast guard ship.  When the ship passed
behind a British trawler, the rope from the trawler to its net
would slide into the hook and be cut by the blade, releasing
the net.  British naval vessels began to escort British
trawlers during the ensuing "cod wars."  They rammed
Icelandic patrol boats, but no shots were ever fired.
Ultimately, the British relented.  Subsequently, the 200-mile
 exclusive economic zone that Iceland was defending has
become the international standard.

   The folk museum had a wide range of objects on display.  There were a strong maritime component with boats, ships, and antiques related to ocean navigation.  There was also small section about agriculture, and various domestic antiques, like Icelandic coins and bills, typewriters, and the such.  After everyone had their fill, the adults had coffee and the kids had pop at the museum's café.  Then, we headed home. 

  The evening was very relaxed.  The only "excitement" was that Bill finally got around to trimming up the mop on Spencer's head.  Nonetheless, his hair is still long compared to most Icelandic boys.