THE ROAD TO ICELAND
Written by MOTORBIKE EUROPE Road Writers -
Have you ever been on volcanoes with your bike? Iceland is located in the North Atlantic, between Greenland and Great Britain, northwest of the Faroe Islands. You can get there by ferry with Smyril Line, sailing from Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Its capital is Reykjavík, which emanates a strong, Nordic atmosphere.
Iceland has grown out of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where there is still considerable volcanic activity. The central parts of Iceland consist of a plateau, characterized by desert, mountains, glaciers and glacial rivers flowing to the sea. The Gulf Stream gives warmth to Iceland, so there is a relatively mild climate in spite of the very northern location. 10% of Iceland is sheet ice, and the coastline is 4,970 km long, with numerous fjords, where most cities are situated.
Iceland has been inhabited since aronud 874, when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson, according to the Landnama book, became the first permanent settler. From 1262 to 1944, Iceland was under the rule of Norway, and later Denmark. Iceland's early history is better documented than the other Nordic countries' history, in the Icelandic Sagas. From the very earliest time, you have knowledge of individual people, their names and family relationships, with precise dates. Among the oldest known books that wes written in Iceland, are the sagas that tell of its history.
Visit something wild and violent, the place that gave the Vikings hair on their chests. A trip on your bike, to a bygone era, you will never forget. There are many good stories you can bring home from Iceland, your own Sagas, which you can also recite endlessly for your friends at the retirement home, when you reach that age.
BOOK FERRY TICKETS WITH SMYRIL LINE HERE:
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SMYRIL LINE >>
