We’re back from our utterly amazing and mind-blowing vacation to Iceland. There are so many things to write and tell, and my brain is still slightly addled from the trip, so rather than blathering at you ad nauseum today, I figured I’d let the pictures tell their thousand words instead.
Here are the best of the bunch: JES and Family in Iceland, August 2010. (I generally do not like to use Flickr, but I’m too tired to set up a new travel page on my website right now, so this will have to do; for those who haven’t used it before, there’s a “next” button above the first photo that will take you through the whole stream).
And here’s a link to a text report about the trip: All about Iceland, JES Style.
To answer the most burning question that regular readers may have here: yes, Katelin and I did find the fermented and smoked basking shark, and yes, we did eat it.
J. ERIC SMITH 
From the Wikipedia page:
Really tells me all I need to know.
Can’t wait to read your account and look at the pictures.
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Welcome home! I hope you brought Donald a doggie bag.
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Thanks for nice feedback, all . . . it was a great vacation, and it’s equally great to be home . . .
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Glad that everyone is home safe and sound. What a great collection of photos (the shark tasting set was a genuine laugh-out-loud) — thanks for sharing!
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I enjoyed the entire photo album. I’m glad that you and your family had a great vacation, but it’s great to have you back!
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That is a gorgeous photo, Eric. Get some rest!
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What beautiful pictures. It looks like you guys had a great time. My son’s friend visited Iceland and Paris this summer with his Aunts and Iceland was his favorite!
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Great pics! Thanks for sharing. And that bunny (killer or not) was definitely the cutest ever.
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I had heard the killer rabbit from Holy Grail had retired to Iceland to escape the papparazzi. How did you get so close to him?
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“. . . and business is good”
You did miss Slayer, Megadeth and Testament while you were gone.
Will we be seeing a blog on Icelandic detal metal?
Maybe a blog on Svartidauði?
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“….Naval Intelligence.”
PFSH.
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I was an AW2(NAC) during my NAS Brunswick squadron tour, these were the officers I served with then, perhaps your roommate is among them:
http://vp-26.zerr.us/html/shipmates_found.html
Thanks for posting those pictures, by the way. Now I know that there really are trees in Iceland! Also, concur about the milk, we were able to get Nymjolk at the NEX.
I would have to be in extremis to try the Hákarl.
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Dan: Yep, he’s there . . . . Jim Jaquet.
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Beautiful pictures. And I thought my trip to Ireland was interesting, but not as interesting as Iceland. Can’t wait to hear more stories.
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On a serious note, one of the interesting things, politically, about Iceland was how accessible its ancient parliament, the Althing (often cited there as the oldest continually-functioning democratic institution in the world) and its members were and are to the people: the Prime Minister’s home number is listed in the phone book, for example, and the seat of Parliament is pretty much open to anybody who wants to walk into it. Government is far more transparent and transitive there, without being tightly controlled by the sort of professional political class that we’ve evolved here . . . which is probably, on some plane, a very good thing.
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J. Eric –
Please do blog about the Icelandic banking crisis or Wikileaks. Or maybe just post your report to Naval Intelligence. We all know you are still on the payroll.
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Don’t blow my Secret Squirrel cover story, Kevin McC, because I’d TOTALLY hate it if I had to gut you like a rotten basking shark . . . but, you know, my business is my business . . . and business is good . . .
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Dan: Is that a P-3 plowing through the snow at Keflavik? My room-mate at Annapolis was a P-3 backseat/NFO guy, and he spent a lot of time making the Brunswick to Keflavik run over his career . . . .
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This is the Iceland I remember:
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What a gorgeous country. Glad to have you back!
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Búðir is a great place specially in weather like you have there. It is very mythical and in area of great history.
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Welcome back from Iceland J Eric – welcome to Rainland, also known as the Capital District. 🙂
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Outstanding vacation album.
Damn, I’m jealous. You are the third person I’m acquainted with who went on a family trip there this summer… but the first to confront and conquer the dreaded hakari!
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