Island holiday
Usually by sometime in the spring I have identified a vacation destination. This year late spring flew by without a decision. I thought and dreamed, and dreamed some more. There were two possibilities flitting through my mind, both islands, both to the north and east.
What two islands? Newfoundland, and Iceland.
Yes, I know, I went to Newfoundland last year. And I've never been to Iceland.
Eastern Newfoundland calls to me. I spent most of my visit last year in Gros Morne National Park on the west coast of Newfoundland, and while I do want to go back to Gros Morne my dream eye is focused on the east coast and on the islands north of the central coast. It's still in my mind.
Iceland? It's been on my "must visit" list for a long, long time. It was first added as a cycling destination, but it morphed into a photo and walking destination for me a number of years ago. A land of waterfalls, of volcanoes and glaciers, of a jagged coastline and fjords, in short, an island full of features that fascinate me.
Two islands that surprised me with their size - Newfoundland is slightly larger, at 108,860 square kilometers (41,700 sq miles), while Iceland is 103,000 square kilometers (39,769 square miles).
Two islands, north and east of my home, both filled with beauty.
Early in July, after bouncing back and forth (in my mind) between the two islands for months, I finally made a decision. 2010 is the year of the islands for me. I started with a visit to Hawaii in February, spent a bit of time in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island in May, and I'll be headed to Iceland in September.
I have reservations to fly, a car for linking wandering spots on the ground, and a place to stay for the first two nights. After that, it will be time for a bit of an unplanned wander.
Image courtesy of Google Maps and Daft Logic, showing a distance between Boston and Reyjkavik of 2436 miles, or 3922 kilometers.
Curious about Iceland? Here's a link to an article that might satisfy a little of your curiosity, at least until I start wandering - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland.
