Our guide, Stephan Stephanson, was a great storyteller who bragged that he could make children cry! He told us many stories animatedly while showing us related items and explained how commonly known fairy tales were often based on Icelandic tales. We even touched on the Nordic gods, signs, and symbols. His friend, Thora, joined us, and we discussed Icelandic history, historic architecture, politics, and social reforms. Some of the highlights were the Elf Stones, the Noel Boys and Noel Cat, the original birch trees of Iceland and why they were wiped out, and the historic Hólavallagarður Cemetery.

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Here are a few of the stories.

For dinner, we revisited another favorite from the foodie tour.

Chris had Atlantic Wolffish: Mushroom, paprika, grapes, white wine, cream cheese, cream, and black pepper.

I had the classic Icelandic cuisine, Plokkfiskur, with bearnaise gratin, rye bread, and butter.

For dessert, we had the best chocolate cake: Chocolate Cake Pistachio ice cream, pistachio nuts, whipped cream, and berries.

Why is there a mountain in so many of our pictures?

Looking North or Northeast from Reykjavik, you can see Faxaflói Bay, Kollafjörður. Fjord, and finally, two mountains.   Mount Akrafjall is to the west, and Mount Esja is to the east. Most of the pictures you see feature Mount Esja.

Esja is a volcanic mountain range made from basalt and tuff, about six miles from Reykjavik. It is a popular recreation area for hikers and climbers but can be dangerous in the winter, so we didn't hike it on this trip.