May 16, 2025

I do a lot of research on the country or port of call that we are visiting for this blog. Sometimes I find out some very interesting things as has been the case with Iceland. It seems that Islanders are obsessed with rocks and apparently what lies beneath them. I’m not talking about dramatic glacier rocks, just ordinary rocks like the ones you pass on the side of the road, tucked into the shadows. These lumpy little rocks might look like nothing to you or me, but to someone in Iceland it could be something very different indeed. If nothing else Islanders seem to have vivid imaginations.

Islanders have their own opinion about the land and it’s better not to argue. I’m not sure if it is a need to explain what nature controls or understand what nature will not change. This is where the real and the ridiculous meet for coffee. If you think I’m exaggerating, then let me give you an example.

In 2007, a national survey by the University of Iceland determined that a small amount of the population actually believed in elves. More startling to me was that a far greater part of the population (more than 50%) said they wouldn’t deny the possibility of elves existing. In other words, in Iceland it’s perfectly fine to say I don’t believe in elves, but I wouldn’t want to upset them. That’s not superstition, that’s diplomacy!

If a rock is in the way maybe it is because it is meant to be there. Maybe we don’t need to move it. Maybe we need to move us. Perfectly modern Islanders, Physicians, Lawyers, University Professors will still think twice about mowing over that strange rock that has always been there. Not necessarily because they believe something is underneath it, but because why take the chance?

Outside of Reykjavik, the capital city, Iceland was working on a big infrastructure project, building a new highway and construction was riddled with issues. People were protesting not because of environmental issues, not about zoning or that typical “not in my backyard” kind of stuff but because their new road was going through a large lava rock. The new road was going to bulldoze through a lava rock that locals thought was an elf community. Months of delays drew national media attention until the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration decided to move the rock, very carefully, respectfully to make sure that the “little people” would not be offended.

You might also see little clusters of rocks arranged just so in people’s yards like cute little miniature houses. They are not there for landscaping or for decorative purposes. Islanders actually have a name for these little fortresses: “alfasteinar.” These are like quiet offerings to something that may or may not exist. Still these structures are like no parking signs that say, “we see you” and this little bit of land, this is for you.

As bizarre as all this sounds, in Iceland it seems that reality and imagination share a common thread, and nobody wants to be a bad neighbor.

So where does all this come from? Why does Iceland, of all the places we have visited so far hold onto this delicate thread between the mystical and the mundane. I haven’t a clue! But I hope to find out for you and for me.

We will be visiting four ports of call in Iceland: Djupivogur, Akureyri, Isafjoudur and the capital, Reykjavik.

Let the mystery begin.

Satellite connectivity is not the best in this part of the world. Internet speeds are slow, and connection may be lost without warning from local geographical blockages. I will send blogs as soon as I finish them.

Thanks for traveling with us.