Thank You Icelandic Glacial

In April and May of this year, the central and southern regions of the United States were hit by a series of devastating tornadoes that left a trail of unimaginable death and devastation.  The areas affected included Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.   We were pleased to learn that Icelandic Glacial donated 43 tons of water in support of relief efforts in several of these areas.  To facilitate the delivery of the water, we understand that Icelandic Glacial partnered with Anheuser-Busch.  We are grateful for this donation and for Icelandic Glacial’s commitment to support the victims of natural disasters.

U.S. Arctic Research Commission visits Iceland

It was a pleasure to welcome Fran Ulmer, Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, and the majority of the Commission's members to Iceland.  The Commission develops goals and objectives for the U.S. Arctic Research Program.  Commissioners participated in the “The 7^th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences“ in Akureyri and traveled to Reykjavik to meet with officials from some of Iceland’s foremost research institutions (Marine Research Institute, the Icelandic Meteorological Office, The National Energy Authority, and RANNÍS).  They also were received by President Grímsson.  The visit is a concrete result of the May 17 Washington meeting between Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Skarphéðinsson where they discussed strengthening cooperation on Arctic research.

Honoring Icelandic and American Sailors

On the occasion of the visit of the USCG Barque Eagle, I had the opportunity to fly in an Icelandic Coast Guard Helicopter to meet up with the Eagle and participate in a wreath laying ceremony 30 km west of Borgarnes in Faxaflói at the site where the USCG Alexander Hamilton sank on 29 January 1942 as a result of war hostilities.   The Alexander Hamilton, which was protecting merchant convoys crossing the Atlantic, was the first USCG vessel sunk in WW II. Twenty-six sailors were killed instantly; six died later of their injuries; ten more injured men required hospitalization.  81 sailors were rescued by Icelandic fishing trawlers. The lighthouse Garðskagaviti in Gardur, which is the tallest in Iceland, was built in 1944 as a gift from US Coast Guardsmen in gratitude for their rescue by Icelandic sailors.  The wreath laying ceremony, which honored the sacrifices made by American and Icelandic sailors during war, was an opportunity to reflect on the ties of friendship between the United States and Iceland.

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.