More Things to Do In Advance and Fun Facts

Here are a few more things to do in advance.

1) Get a few Krona just to have on hand. Maybe around $100 worth. It's always good to walk into a country with a bit of the local currency. You might want a salt cod snack from the airport. Or perhaps some chocolate covered licorice.

2) Always remember to contact your credit card companies a few days before you leave to let them know you're going to be traveling. You don't want them to turn off your card while you're so far from home.

3) Scan your passports and email the images to an email account you can reach easily. Should something go wrong and you lose your passports, you'll have a copy on hand with the click of a mouse. Do the same for credit cards and emergency bank international telephone numbers.

Did you know....

Iceland has the oldest surviving Parliament in the world! The Althing was founded in 930 AD. They established a constitution based on individual freedom, land ownership, and sophisticated inheritance laws. If you decide to join the snorkling/diving adventure in Thingvellir, you'll walk on the land upon which those early settlers met to govern. Even if you don't get into the water, you'll be amazed at beauty of this national park.

The Northern Light Inn is located in an 800 year old lava field. You'll know the exact age of all the land around you. Not something I often contemplate, but it's nice when you can figure it out.

200 years before the volcanic eruption that resulted in this lava field. Leif "The Lucky" Eriksson reached North America. Legend has it that he visited Winthrop. This is why the Winthrop School mascot is The Viking.

The Icelanders still speak the language of the Vikings (Old Norse, now called Icelandic).

Life expectancy, at 80 years for women and 74 for men, is one of the highest in the world, and a comprehensive state health-care system aims to keep it that way.