viking broomball

Last night we got word that the glacial flooding was so severe that it damaged the ring road bridge. Looks like that route will be impassable for a while. Instead, we'll be heading north with a whole new itinerary. Impressed with F and the tour group for patching all this with basically zero turnaround time.

Today was science & history day. We first visited a geothermal power plant. (30% of Iceland's power is geothermal. The remaining 70% is hydroelectric.) "Is it warm inside?" asked someone before we left the van.

"It's very cold," said F. "They want to give you the full experience. No. It's warm. It's a geothermal power plant."

Inside, we got the spectacle of 14 people trying to figure out how to sign in to the free wifi, scan a QR code, download a self-guided tour app, and start the tour. We pooled our computer mana and made it. At the plant, they have a carbon sequestration program, pumping waste CO2 into rocks underground to fix/capture it. They import CO2 from other countries for this purpose. Apparently there's a plan/proposal to do the same back home, but farmers have objected (what if the carbon pipeline breaks and ruins their crops?) and there's now a powerful counter-lobby. Everything is more complex in the States.

We also visited a lore museum where we heard the saga of the Viking Egill. Grimdark stuff. When Egill was a teen, he and his best friend bested Egill's father (the great berserker Skallagrimur) in a game of broomball. Skallagrimur flew into a rage, killed Egill's friend, and was about to kill Egill until his nursemaid intervened. Then Skallagrimur chased the nursemaid, who leapt into the bay, and Skallagrimur threw a boulder at her, killing her. (The bay is named in her honor.) As retaliation, that night, Egill took an axe and chopped Skallagrimur's favorite servant in half. The entire tale was like that.

Then we did a short hike to a waterfall canyon! It's always gorgeous view around here.