Day 2-Part 2, City Tour (more)

More on the free tour: Hey, did you know that trolls aren’t real but elves are? Elves are not short but look like normal humans. They are happy, have great jobs, and great homes. You can only see them if you believe in them. Iceland actually has 1 full-time elf specialist who is consulted for certain decisions. For example, road construction was halted on one project because campaigners warned that the homes of elves and a chapel would be disrupted if the road continued on its present course. A local elf talker talked to the elves who agreed to the project as long as the chapel was moved intact, which it was. Btw, there is an elf school that one can attend in Reykjavik.
Of particular interest to tourists is the very tall and looming: Hallgrímskirkja Church. The Icelanders took 40 years to complete the building. They began in 1944 when they declared independence from Denmark which was Nazi occupied at the time and Iceland knew they couldn’t do anything about the declaration. Anyway, determined to show that Iceland could function on their own, they did not seek any help in building the church so it took a while.
The women’s right to vote began in 1913 and earned in 1915, about 5 years before ours. They weren’t allowed to join any political party so they formed their own. Picture 3 depicts their symbol which was knitted and given to some of the activists. In addition, they have absolutely no armed forces (NATO protects them) but they do have 3 Coast Guard ships for fishing/water issues.
**** Picture 4 is the Blockhead statue, a representation of a bureaucrat (I hope you get the joke)
Pictures: 1-grey coast guard ship; 2- Hallgrímskirkja Church; 3-symbol of women’s lib
4-our guide; 5-blockhead; 6- Hallgrímskirkja ChurchRead more