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A WALK UP Öskjuhlíð IN REYKJAVIK

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Did you know that Britain invaded Iceland in Wold War II? I certainly didn't know that until I visited Reykjavik in September last year. The discovery came as a total surprise to me, and I stumbled upon it by accident.

When I visit a place, I don't usually go for the tourist traps, but I like to seek out places where I can experience the natural beauty and I also like to learn something of the history and culture of the place. I like to take a walk rather than a tour bus! Join me then for a pleasant walk I took in Iceland last year. I thought I was just going to see some nature, and a landmark building at the top of the hill, but I also got a lesson in WWII history on the way.

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A typical nature scene on the hill walk

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

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View of Reykyavik from the top of Öskjuhlíð with the imposing Hallgrímskirkja rising above the skyline.

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

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I stayed at the Icelandair Natura Hotel, which was literally across the street from Öskjuhlíð, a 200ft (61 meters) high hill with Perlan, a famous Reykjavik landmark at the top. If you take a tour to Perlan, it will likely take you right to the top, but if you are planning on staying anywhere in Reykjavik, Öskjuhlíð is an easy walk away, and I highly recommend the walk to the top of the hill. You don't need a tour bus to get you there!

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Icleandair Hotel Natura from my walk up Öskjuhlíð

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

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If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city streets, you can walk or even cycle along the many footpaths that wind through beautiful pine and birch forest – something quite unusual for Iceland. The well maintained paths are well marked for either walking or cycling, so there should not be any danger of being run over by an avid cyclist!

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Footpath and cycling path clearly marked

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

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Perlan itself is a fascinating building built on top of six thermal water tanks! It features a museum, a revolving restaurant, a cafe, and a deck with breathtaking views of Reykjavik. I did not have time to go inside The Pearl, as it is sometimes called in English, but hope to do so when I visit again this summer!

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Perlan at the top of Öskjuhlíð

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

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Along the way though, you will see some curious ruins! They are relics from World War II, built by the allied forces after Britain invaded Iceland and used this hill overlooking the airfield for defense purposes. It is dotted with the remains of fuel storage tanks and bunkers.

But, why on earth did Britain invade this tiny neutral island country with no real roads, no airport, no armed forces and only 60 policemen to keep the peace? In a nutshell, the invasion took place on May 10th 1940 (with the assurance that the invasion would not be a permanent one, but only for the duration of the war) because the British were afraid that Germany would invade Iceland like they had just done to France and to neutral Sweden! The King of Sweden was also King of Iceland, so there were concerns that Germany would now be planning to invade neutral Iceland.

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World War II Relics Sign with the airport in the background

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

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World War II Relics Sign

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

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Iceland would have been the perfect place from which to stage an invasion of Britain! You can read about the details of it in this Wall Street International article.

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World War II Allied Ruins - Reykjavik Airport in the background

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

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Needless to say, there were mixed feelings about the invasion, but the Icelanders came to speak of WWII as The Blessed War. As a result of the occupation by the allied troops, roads, hospitals and the two airports were built and communications improved. Canadian troops soon joined the British, but the following year, the British and Canadian troops withdrew, and were replaced by the American California 6th Marine Regiment in an agreement with Iceland. There were more Americans (50,000 of them) in Iceland at this time than all the Icelandic men in the whole country!

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World War II Allied Ruins - Reykjavik Airport and Icelandair Natura Hotel in the background

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

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Throughout the war, British and Canadian planes were based at the RAF base in Reykjavik (now the Reykjavik Airport) next to the Icelandair Natura Hotel and across the street from Öskjuhlíð. Iceland also became an important staging point for the ARCTIC CONVOYS, ships of the American Merchant Marine and the British Merchant Navy, which were sent on a dangerous mission with provisions to allied troops fighting in Russia. The American ground troops stayed in Iceland for the duration of the war.

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Looking down on Reykjavik Airport

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

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As a result of the WWII happenings in Iceland though, English is a second language to almost everyone, so it has benefited from trade and tourism. I am looking forward to returning there in July with my husband to spend a few days exploring outside the city!

Although English is pretty much spoken everywhere, we are brushing up on some important phrases that I believe it is common courtesy to learn before visiting another country. Vinsamlegast means Please, Takk fyrir means Thank You, Já means Yes and Nei means No. that's the extent of my vocabulary so far, but I'm learning still!

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Another view of Reykjavik from the top of Öskjuhlíð

Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

All images were shot with my Canon 5D Mark II and the Canon EF50mm f/1.4 USM lens.

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Thanks to @tattoodjay for the #wednesdaywalk tag. Check out his latest post which also includes the rules for the challenge.

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Check out the theme and rules for this week's #wiwcontest.

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Thanks for taking the time to read this! I appreciate it. Please check out my photography-101 account here for tips and tutorials about photography.

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