Kevin's Semester at Sea: Flying Puffins, Flat tires, and Farm hotels.

This last week, my mom and dad joined me as we traveled all throughout the southern half of Iceland. They call it the
'land of fire and ice'. Scenery is constantly changing and all of it is gorgeous. We saw what seemed to be hundreds of waterfalls in our 1897.3 km (1179 miles) total of driving. The maximum speed we saw was 90 km/hr (56mph). So basically, we almost drove the equivalent of Kalispell to Minneapolis on farm-to-market road... I guess that just gave us more time to take in all of the views. And yes, like many that rent cars in Iceland, we had a flat tire. Luckily it wasn't difficult to repair and we were right back on the road again!the 'land of fire and ice'. Scenery is constantly changing and all of it is gorgeous. We saw what seemed to be hundreds of waterfalls in our 1897.3 km (1179 miles) total of driving. The maximum speed we saw was 90 km/hr (56mph). So basically, we almost drove the equivalent of Kalispell to Minneapolis on farm-to-market road... I guess that just gave us more time to take in all of the views. And yes, like many that rent cars in Iceland, we had a flat tire. Luckily it wasn't difficult to repair and we were right back on the road again!

If you aren't big into eating fish, it can be a bit tricky when it comes to meals in Iceland. I ate fish & chips, lamb, and even shellfish! I would say about 75% of all of lunches/dinners had some kind of seafood involved. I tried a bit of my dad's lobster soup and fish soup but for the most part I tried to stay away from the food that was too fishy. We stayed at some very nice hotels thanks to my mom's planning. My mom wasn't crazy about staying in guesthouses but the couple that we did both turned out to be quite nice. Some were even nicer than the hotels! One night from our hotel it was clear enough to see the most spectacular northern lights I could have ever imagined.

We kept asking ourselves where all of the water came from to create these magnificent waterfalls? It's August. We couldn't believe the amount flowing out of the many waterfalls we encountered. Maybe it's from the 50-80 average inches of rain they receive annually? Nonetheless, we enjoyed the heck out of our trip and I can't wait to go back. Currently, I am writing from Switzerland where I am visiting friends until I leave for Germany on Thursday. Here are my five favorite fotos from Iceland.