Saturday, September 1, 2012


Iceland is the country that I chose for my entry in the Challenge to Travel Blog Hop. I hope that you find the country as interesting as I do!

Iceland is a fascinating and diverse country...one that I've always wanted to visit! In high school, I was assigned to do a book report about the country of Iceland, so I learned, at 16, about a radically different country and culture and became very interested in going for a visit. Alas! This has so far not happened...and I'm well past my teen years! :) This is why I pick Iceland for my country of travel. Please read on to find out some of the unique facts about a very 'cool' place!...pun intended! 

An Icelandic sunrise.
The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2(40,000 sq mi), which makes it the most sparsely populated country in Europe.[6]  The capital and largest city is Reykjavík,[7] with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Reykjavík, is the northernmost national capital in the world. 

The Icelandic Flag.

Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior consists mainly
of a plateau characterized by sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers, while
many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by
the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just
outside the Arctic Circle

Eyjafjallajökull glacier, one of the smallest glaciers of Iceland.

Geologically, Iceland is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a ridge along which
the oceanic crust spreads and forms new oceanic crust. This part of the mid-ocean ridge is located above a mantle plume, causing Iceland to be subaerial (above the surface of the sea). The ridge marks the boundary between the Eurasian and North American Plates, and Iceland was created by rifting and accretion through volcanism along the ridge. 

                               
I was inspired by the pictures that I have seen on Icelandic landscape to create my necklace and earring set. The fire opal crystal rounds reminded me of the red hot molten lava,   in the many eruptions that have taken place there, where as, the Tektite nuggets are reminiscence of the lava after it has cooled. The donuts of Mexican Zebra Jasper that I chose represent what I think of when I saw pictures of the glaciers, the white in them, of the snow and ice and the black, of the rock. I also incorporated clear crystal chips to reflect the abundance of water seen in many of the pictures of Iceland.

Gunmetal Rolo chain was used to make the necklace adjustable from 18" to 21"  

                            
2012-08-26 19.49.07.jpgA close up...

Dainty earrings.

2012-08-26 19.37.51.jpg
The finished piece!
  
Many fjords punctuate Iceland's 4,970 km long coastline, which is also where
most settlements are situated. The island's interior, the Highlands of Iceland, is a
cold and uninhabitable combination of sand, mountains and lava fields. A geologically young land, Iceland is located on both the Iceland hotspot and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs right through it. 

Eyjafjallajökull major eruption, photo taken May 10, 2010

This location means that the island is highly geologically active with many volcanoes, notably Hekla, Eldgjá, Herðubreið and Eldfell.[37] The volcanic eruption of Laki in 1783–1784 caused a famine that killed nearly a quarter of the island's population;[38] the eruption caused dust clouds and haze to appear over most of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa for several months afterward.[39]

The Arctic Fox was the only indigenous mammal in Iceland prior to the arrival of human.
Animals of Iceland include the Icelandic sheep, cattle, chicken, goat, the sturdy
Icelandic horse, and the Icelandic Sheepdog. Many varieties of fish live in
the ocean waters surrounding Iceland, and the fishing industry is a major part of Iceland's economy, accounting for approximately half of the country's total
exports. Wild mammals include the Arctic Fox, mink, mice, rats, rabbits
and reindeer. Polar bears occasionally visit the island, traveling on icebergs from
Greenland.

Icelandic landscape.
An Icelandic horse and a geothermal pool.
Icelandic culture has its roots in Norse traditions. The country's cultural heritage
includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, poetry, and the medieval Icelanders' sagas. Centuries of isolation have helped to insulate the country's Nordic culture from external influence; a prominent example is the preservation of the Icelandic language, which remains the closest to Old Norse out of any other Scandinavian language except Faroese
An page of Njáls saga from Möðruvallabók. The sagas are a significant part of the Icelandic heritage.
                                                         
A typical Þorramatur assortment!
Þorramatur is a selection of traditional cuisine consisting of many dishes, and is usually consumed around the month of Þorri, which begins on the first Friday after 19 January. Traditional dishes also include skyr, hákarl (cured shark), cured ram, singed sheep heads, and black pudding.                       

I hope that you have enjoyed learning a tiny bit of information about the country of Iceland and seeing some pictures that represent it.

**All facts and pictures about Iceland have come from Wikipedia.

14 comments:

  1. The necklace suits the facts you mentioned so well. The rock, ice, fire... I adore that Arctic fox...

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  2. Your necklace is awesome. I love the inspiration behind it. Fire opal is one of my favorite swarovski crystals and I love how they look with the white and the lava beads.

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  3. I would love to visit Iceland one day. Wonderful blog. Love your piece.. Great job.

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  4. Great information on Iceland -so many interesting contrasts. Your jewelry pieces look great ;)

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  5. What a beautiful necklace. You can see how carefully you thought out each ingredient to come up with the wonderful design.

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  6. While I "knew" that Iceland was not overflowing with people, I had no idea the population count was so low! I think it is a beautiful country! Your bead selection is beautiful! Enjoy wearing your tribute to Iceland - I would!

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  7. What a fascinating country! I guess I just picture a barren icy expanse, but you have shown me so much more. I think that you jewelry is the perfect reflection of this beautiful landscape. Thank you, Miss Evelyn for joining me on this journey. Enjoy the day. Erin

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  8. Lovely necklace and earrings, I like that you were so inspired by the geography of Iceland!

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  9. Wow! How very interesting! I almost never think of Iceland when I think of places I would like to see. You have made this place so interesting. I love your piece, the combination of snow and shadow and the bright centers representing the volcanic contrasts. Beautiful!

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  10. Iceland sound like a beautiful place--well except for the fact that it looks very cold. I love the pieces you made with stones representing the lava and the glaciers.

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  11. Very fun creation, I love how you brought the fire in and it certainly brings me back to the first picture with the sunrise too. Neautiful country but I'm not one for cold so I'm happy to just explore as you've lead me here

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  12. Evelyn, oh my gosh, that traditional feast looks quite formidable, doesn't it?

    I think many people knew very little about Iceland, before the unfortunate volcanic eruption two years ago, that caused so much havoc with travellers! It was nice to learn a little more about their fascinating culture... isolation can result in a nation displaying great pride in their accomplishments.

    I love how you created a symbolic picture of the Icelandic geology with your well-chosen components. It makes for a dramatic set honouring a unique nation at the top of the world!

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  13. Hi Evelyn,
    Thank you for taking me along on your trip to Iceland. I enjoyed learning about the country. I love the necklace you made to represent Iceland's rugged landscape it is very pretty.
    Therese

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  14. Very nice! I have been to Iceland, and your piece is a fantastic representation!

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