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Confessions of Crystal

Vestmannaeyjar: "The Pompeii of the North"

3/12/2016

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It took me four tries, four times purchasing a ferry ticket before the ferry actually sailed to Vestmannaeyar (Westman Islands in English).  My first attempt in May was foiled due to the weather and it wasn't until Thanksgiving Day this year, that the weather finally cooperated (barely) in order for me to actually visit the island!
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The hills of this island are both mystical and magical.
 If you want to book a ferry to the island, you can do so here. I highly recommend frequently checking their Facebook page, where all the latest updates on the schedule are posted.  Sometimes they do send out text messages or emails with changes, but I have found these notifications to be inconsistent and the English translations rather inaccurate.  This time, the ferry did depart for the island at the planned time, though it was a very bumpy ride.  It also left the island three hours earlier in an attempt to avoid bad weather.  If the weather got worse and the port at Landeyjahöfn  closed, our ship would get diverted three hours to Þorlákshöfn.  
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The blurriness of this photo shows just how rainy and rough it was on the journey to the island.
On the journey home, we were holding our breath as they made the announcement in Icelandic about where we would arrive.  When the Icelandic passengers were laughing and smiling, I hoped that meant it woud be a 35 minute journey and not a 3 hour one and that was fortunately the case!

Vestmannaeyjar is best known for the 23 January 1973 eruption on the main island of Heimaey. Thanks to stormy weather the day prior, the fishing boats were docked on the island, and the 5,300 residents were able to escape with only one death.  The eurption lasted for six months and 360 homes were buried.  
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A modern day Pompeii incident left the city in ruins
Housing these ruins is Eldheimar, a volcano museum.  I've visited Pompeii twice and was fairly certain Mt. Vesuvius was about to wake up during my most recent trip.  I somehow always find myself around an active volcano.  During a geology class my last semester of university, we had a unit on volcanoes.  My professor had a slide with various volcanoes and asked "Has anyone ever been to Mt. Etna in Sicily?" Me: "Yes." The rest of the class: "No."  "What about the Poas Volcano in Costa Rica?" Me: "Yes." The rest of the class: "No." "Has anyone ever been to Iceland where the Eyjafjallajökull volcano caused all those air traffic problems a few years ago?" Me: "Yes, and I am moving to Iceland in January." The rest of the class: "No."  "Did anyone go see the Pompeii exhibit when it was in Denver?" Me: "No, but I've been to Pompeii." The rest of the class: "No."  I don't actually seek out active volcanoes, I just sort of gravitate to them.
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The fog descends on the volcano museum.
Aside from hanging around an active volcano, there was a bit of time to explore the town.  I was surprised at how populated it was (by Icelandic standards of course).  I finally got a handknit Icelandic peysa at Gallery Heimaey.  The peysa I selected was 16000 ISK, far cheaper than anything you'd find in Reykjavik!  The lady working was helpful and had quite the selection of handknit clothing. 

The hills were gorgeous, but there wasn't enough time to explore much without missing the boat.  And we didn't want to miss the boat because the Emerald Isle was calling...but more on that later.
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Other Writings and Features 

2/12/2016

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Iceland - Recommended Blogs

Expat Focus compiled a list of blogs recommended for those interested in moving to Iceland and Stranger in a Strange Land made the list! Published in December 2016. 

17 Alternative European City Breaks

 You know you are lucky when you find yourself bored in Venice! Check out why I prefer Padova to Venice and 16 other alternatives to European tourist hot spots in this collab post by The Wayfarer's Book. This post was published in November 2016.

The Best Brunch Around the World

Icelanders like to sleep in, so it is no surprise brunch is a popular Icelandic meal.  Check out the best brunch spots in Reykjavik, as well as other places around the world in this collab piece from Migrating Miss. This post was published in November 2016. 

Expat Interview: Moving to Iceland, Another World

Also from Migrating Miss is this feature from her expat interview series, where I talk about my move to Iceland.  This post was published in April 2016.

ISA Student Blog Featured Blogger

During the 2014-2015 academic year, I studied abroad in London, with International Studies Abroad and was a featured blogger for their student blog.

Getting Fit Series

During the spring and summer of 2014, I regularly worked with The Oatmeal Artist to provide fitness tips from my years training as a figure skaters and adhering to a vegetarian diet.

Florida Weekly's Writing Challenge

During August 2013, I visited Sanibel Island for vacation and saw information about their annual creative writing contest.  I entered and in November 2013, I was notified that I was one of two contest winners!  I received the opportunity to return to Sanibel Island and attend the annual writer's conference free of charge.

EFCollegeBreak Featured Blogger

This is where my whole travel blogging obsession began!  I visited Europe with EF College Break on a trip to London, Paris, and Barcelona and blogged for EF College Break's Tumblr site during my trip.  This is also the first time I ever set foot on British soil! This trip took place in May 2013.
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    Crystal Chilcott

    Hi, I’m Crystal!  I love to travel and am currently a graduate student in Scotland. You’ll get all the best tips and insights from my experiences as a former ice-skating coach in Iceland and former study abroad student. Of the 27 countries I have visited, a type 1 diabetes diagnosis has been the strangest land yet.  Type 1 has not slowed down my travels and you'll learn how to take type 1 with you on the road! You can connect with me further on Instagram @CrystalChilcott, or send me ideas of where I should travel next via email: crystalmechilcott@gmail.comHappy Travels, Crystal

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