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““Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.””
Faroe Islands
Spring 2019
Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of Iceland, and the environmental impact of mass tourism, the Faroes have quietly become a new frontier for those searching for untapped nature and primordial landscapes. This extremely remote archipelago in the north Atlantic features dramatic landscapes with tiny villages throughout. Though the population is small, the country is as technologically advanced as any place in mainland Europe, boasting some of the fastest internet speeds around - even in the most remote parts of the country. It also benefits from robust transportation infrastructure, including many ferries, government-subsidized helicopter service, and even highway tunnels beneath the ocean.
In April of 2019, just prior to my visit, the country shut its doors to conventional tourism for a week in order to provide maintenance to some of its attractions and trails. However, it DID allow some tourists to come in exchange for their assistance and labor in performing maintenance duties. This act of “voluntourism” provided visitors with room and board in exchange for their help. The popularity of the program has attracted over 5,500 applicants from 95 countries for the 2020 season. It seems like this concept could hold valuable lessons for places like Iceland.
Iceland
Spring 2019
One trip to Iceland was not enough. I had to return to for a couple of reasons. One, I wanted to see the grandeur of the landscape without snowpack - Iceland is green and Greenland is ice after all. Also, it happened to be the transfer point to my final destination of the Faroe Islands.
What I discovered on this trip was an even more vibrant display of natural wonder and greater insight towards this country’s heritage and approach to climate change. The stark, sublime, monochromatic images of winter had been injected with the green of spring, and the waterfalls raged even more violently with a torrent of glacial meltwater from the increasingly warm temperatures.
In the past, I have paid close attention to the geologic signatures abound, ranging from the textural differences of rock formations to the geomorphology of vast landscapes. During this trip I saw evidence of a country grappling with many of the same climate change-related issues that burden my native midwest USA.
Reindeer imported from Norway in the 18th century for farming purposes now run wild all across the country, having an impact on the establishment of vegetation.
Carpets of indigo stretch across miles of landscape in the form of lupine imported from North America in the 1970’s. Intended to thwart erosion (much like kudzu was in the southern US), this airborne-propagating plant has invaded the native landscape and has choked-out the fragile mosses, lichens, and native grasses that are the typical pioneer species of Iceland.
Foresters experiment with introduced species of trees for the purposes of harboring the growth and regeneration of the native Birch, which has struggled to mature past the size of a large shrub since the Vikings stripped them from the land hundreds of years ago. Managed properly, these trees present an opportunity for timber production to support building and development.
Glacial pool opens to the Atlantic Ocean
Black layers of soot in the ice provide a timeline for volcanic activity
The toe of the glacier as it meets the glacial pool
An iceberg that has recently flipped, exposing its clear and sooty underside.
The white appearance of the ice is due to weathering. As the top melts, the bottom (underwater) remains relatively the same until the iceberg becomes unstable and flips.
Glacial flood plain
Glacier in the distance
View towards Þórsmörk (Valley of Thor)
View from glacial ice cave
Melt water from glacier
View from glacier
Glacial ice wall
Ice cave
Origins of a stream
Continental divide between North American and Eurasian tectonic plates
Original location of Parliament, founded 930 AD
Iceland
Winter 2017
Basalt columns on the southern coast near Vik
Iceland in the dead of winter? That is what most people asked me when I informed them of my trip. I was drawn to the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’ for its surreal and bleak character. I am also interested in the Country’s response to climate change, and wanted to get up-close and personal with a glacier.
The experience was more than I could have imagined. Standing in any number of locations throughout the southern coast felt like being on another planet. The raw beauty of the landscape, and the awesome power of nature was almost overwhelming at times. Iceland is a dynamic place. Natural processes are continually churning about as the earth shakes, lava flows, wind blows, ice breaks away rock and then retreats again.
As I stood atop Europe’s largest glacier (Vatnajökull), looking out to the North Atlantic, I was struck by the thought that I could see visual evidence of tens-of-thousands of years of the land being shaped (the terminal moraine in the distance), and the beginnings of plant life (moss-covered stones on the surface of the glacier) all in one view.
While much of the world is struggling with global sea level rise, Iceland itself is actually gaining land through the process of post-glacial rebound. This coupled with the pulling apart of the island, which sits along the mid-Atlantic ridge, makes me think it is a good time to buy real estate there! With the massive influx in tourism, and the rather modest level of infrastructure available to handle such an influx, it seems that the Country could certainly benefit from the work of landscape architects!
Costa Rica
Winter 2016
The tropical rain forest in the Arenal region
Costa Rica is an incredibly green country; in more ways than one. This lush tropical paradise is covered in rain forests, and has a diverse array of plant and animal species. It is also one of the most sustainable countries in the world when it comes to renewable energy generation. In fact, in 2017 the entire country ran on 100% renewable energy for over 300 days. This is impressive no doubt, but it does not completely tell the whole story as the country relies heavily on auto transport, producing CO2, and many of the locations are remote and spread out.
. Regardless, the people of Costa Rica (at least the ones I came in contact with) seem to wholeheartedly embrace the notion of sustainability. They also seem to fully support Ecotourism, one of the Country’s core economies. Staying at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, an Eco-Resort in the rain forest, I learned about regenerative agriculture processes, the issue with harvesting palm oil, the health benefits of turmeric, and the traditional process for making chocolate. I also had quite the thrill zip-lining down Arenal Volcano!
Argentina
Winter 2012/2013
La Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is a massive city. It is a collection of large, densely populated neighborhoods with distinct characters and ornamentation, large monuments, a storied past, and the widest street in the world. You could land a plane on 9 de Julio Avenue, and crossing it on foot takes some time, with intermittent stops at pedestrian islands along the way. The city is vibrant in its culture, displayed as much in the bright colors of many buildings as it is in the occasional impromptu tango at San Telmo Market.
As a student of urban design, I could see the evolution of the City in its neighborhoods, expanding from the village-like atmosphere of San Telmo to the cosmopolitan high-rises of Palermo. Monumentation is bold in Buenos Aires, with subtlety rare to be seen. I spent a fair amount of time in Recoleta Cemetery, which may sound rather morose. However, if you have been, then you can certainly appreciate the detail and the sublime beauty (and sometimes humor) of the burial vaults and sculpture.
