Welcome to the Eagle

What a magnificent spectacle it was to watch America’s tall ship, the U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle, come in to Reykjavik Harbor and to be able to sail with the crew for a few minutes as she came into port.  This wonderful ship brought with it a crew of 200+ sailors, many of whom are young cadets from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.   The Icelandic Coast Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard have a longstanding tradition of friendship and cooperation and this was evident in the camaraderie between them during the ride-in. The Eagle is open to public tours and I hope that many Icelanders will visit it.

U.S. and Iceland are strong Arctic Partners

"Ambassador Arreaga addresses participants
 at a welcoming reception for the 7th International
Congress of Arctic Social Sciences in Akureyri"

I attended the opening ceremony of and co-hosted a reception in honor of the “7^th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences“in Akureyri. The event brought together about 500 scientists and officials focused on Arctic issues. I am pleased to report that the United States had a robust contingent of representatives at the Congress including universities in Alaska, Idaho, Washington, Vermont, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona, Oregon, Montana, Virginia, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Massachussets, Maryland, South Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, as well as representatives from several U.S. government agencies such as the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, the National Science Foundation, and the North American Space Agency (NASA). The breadth and depth of U.S. participation constitute clear evidence that American and Icelandic cooperation on Arctic science and research is strong and my sense from multiple conversations I had with conference participants is that our cooperation will grow substantially over the coming months.

Bravo - Reykjavik Arts Festival

Last night my family and I attended the performance by American soprano Barbara Bonney at Harpa and it was absolutely incredible.  She mesmerized the audience with the works of Schumann, Grieg, and Strauss, all of which were beautifully accompanied by pianist Thomas Schuback.  This was the last performance of the series from this year’s Reykjavik Arts Festival. Our Embassy is proud to have supported Ms. Bonney’s performance and to have been a part of this year’s program. 

Visiting the West Fjords

The beginning of our trip to the West Fjords began auspiciously when we took the ferry from Stykkisholmur to Brjanslækur. We were treated to an impromptu performance by the University of Iceland choir.  Watching the majesty of Iceland's fjords while listening to the melancholy sound of Icelandic songs was an unforgettable experience and it set the tone for wonderful journey that took us to the Red Sands, Látrabjarg, Patreksfjördur, Bíldudalur, Dynjandi, Hrafnseyri, Isafjörður, Súðavik, Hólmavik, and back home to Reykjavik. The West Fjords are a must for anyone interested in exploring the many wonders that Iceland has to offer.

American connections in the West Fjords

I never ceased to be amazed at the American connections in Iceland. The Isafjörður Music School is a great example.  Its first director, Ragnar Ragnar, was an American citizen of Icelandic descent whose U.S. Army tour of duty brought him back to Iceland, where he decided to stay and share his musical talents with Icelandic school children. Then there is the Bolafjall radar site, which was built by the U.S. in support of NATO's operational needs, especially search and rescue operations. There is also the University Center of the West Fjörðs, where I met American students earning their Master's Degree in Coastal and Marine Management.  We are also proud to support the upcoming participation by the Ensemble ACJW (strings and oboe) from Juilliard School in New York at the Við Djúpið Music Festival. 

Delta brings the U.S. and Iceland closer together

Photo Courtesy of KOM

It was such a pleasure to be a part of the inaugural festivities associated with Delta’s entry into the Icelandic market.  The new route between New York’s JFK and Keflavik will expand opportunities for Americans to see the wonders of Iceland and for Icelanders to access every part of the United States and Latin America quickly.  It was fitting that the first flight from JFK was piloted by Captain John Magnusson, one of many highly successful Icelandic émigrés to the United States.   Delta’s commitment to corporate social responsibility is already evident with its sponsorship of one of Iceland’s premier events:  Culture Night.   I can’t wait to be a part of those festivities as well.

The thrill of driving an electric car

I have to say that getting behind the wheel of a 2011 Chevrolet Equinox with an electric motor was a dream come true.  I've read about electric cars and how some day they will revolutionize the automobile industry, but little did I know that day would come right here in Reykjavik.  Northern Lights Energy, an innovative Icelandic firm, is working with AMP Electric Vehicles in the United States to import more than 1,000 of these electric vehicles into Iceland.  The first vehicles arrived last week and I had the opportunity to test-drive one of them.  Northern Lights Energy and AMP Electric Vehicles are doing everything in their power to put Iceland at the leading edge of countries adopting electric car technology.  I was only too happy to be a part of this effort.  Yet another example of Americans and Icelanders working together.

American and Icelandic friends join to honor sacrifice

Last week, I had the honor to hike up Fagradall Mountain to lay a memorial wreath at the site where the plane carrying Lieutenant General Frank Andrews and thirteen other American servicemen crashed during bad weather on May 3, 1943. Lt. Gen. Andrews was the Commander of U.S. Forces in the European Theater of Operations at the time of his death and is widely considered to be the father of the modern U.S. Air Force.  It was moving to stand over the wreckage of the plane that took so many young and promising lives far away from their home.  The U.S. armed forces stationed in Iceland at that time were working with our Icelandic friends to ensure that critical war materials were safely delivered to our allies in Russia.  On his final mission, General Andrews was flying to Iceland to visit his forces.   I was especially touched by the participation of several Icelandic friends who thought it was important to join us on that hike.  I will never forget their gesture as it reminded me of the deep connections between Iceland and the United States.  These connections are worth preserving.