Mother & son adventure
Drawn to Iceland by a marathon

Author: Elin and Arni Chambers, Detroit, MI

Elin Chambers (née Josephson) and her son Arni visited Iceland in the summer of 2024 when Arni ran in the Reykjavík Marathon’s Half Marathon, participating in Culture Night, two guided tours in Southwest Iceland, and a mother-and-son journey to North Iceland, visiting with family and friends along the way. For Elin, it was “a dream come true,” and for Arni, “the trip of a lifetime.” For the rest of us, their story reads as nothing less than a delightful adventure.

For Elin, “a dream come true”
It was a dream come true, to have my son Arni come to Iceland with me and share our Icelandic heritage. I could write so much about our experiences there, but can’t say it any better than what Arni expressed here. I will add that, while I have been to many of Arni’s marathon and half marathon races, to be present while he ran on the lava island of our ancestors was deep; and to visit just a few of the many museums showcasing Iceland’s art, history, and culture was special.

We began our visit to Iceland with a four-night stay in Reykjavík with Marathon Tours, which included two tours: the South Coast on Friday, August 23, and the Circle Tour on Sunday, ending at the Blue Lagoon. Saturday was the Reykjavík Marathon (Arni ran the half marathon) and the amazing Culture Night (Menningarnótt) in Reykjavík. On Sunday night, we met my cousin Kathryn Gail Lesyk’s (née Oleson) daughter Laura and her son James from Winnipeg, who happened to be in Iceland on a trip to celebrate James’s graduation from high school, for an outstanding dinner at Messinn Seafood Restaurant.

We then rented a car on Monday and drove up north to Akureyri. On Tuesday, we took a side trip to Mývatn, stopping at waterfalls and driving back around Lake Mývatn. I had also wanted to go to Hólar í Hjaltadal, where my maternal amma was born and where Prof. Haraldur Bessason, my professor of Icelandic at University of Manitoba, is buried, but time did not permit it. On Wednesday, we drove back to Reykjavík where we stopped to visit Svanlaug Baldursdóttir, my friend from Háskóli Íslands days. For our last night we treated ourselves to a stay at Hótel Borg before returning on Thursday to Keflavík for the flight back home to Detroit.

When I asked Arni, what for him was the highlight of our trip, he found it very difficult to choose any one highlight, but he mentioned his early morning run in and around Akureyri, knowing that was close to where his great-grandmother was born, and the drive back to Reykjavík through clouds and magnificent scenery.

I attended Háskóli Íslands (University of Iceland) as Elin Josephson in 1963-1964 on a scholarship from the government of Iceland after graduating from the University of Manitoba.

Then, in the early 1980s, with assistance from Iceland’s chef Hilmar Jónsson, I started up a business to import Icelandic lamb and Iceland Waters food products. Unfortunately, I later had to abort those efforts. I had not returned to Iceland since the early ‘80s, so this was very special to return with my son. 

For Arni, “the trip of a lifetime”
I’ve been blessed with many experiences in life, but among the top is definitely the trip to Iceland with my mother. The older I get, the higher value I place on traveling to new places – near, far, and beyond. Having the opportunity to visit Iceland, with my mother, it is a blessing beyond measure. My great-grandparents, on my mother’s side, were born in Iceland. It’s been a longtime wish of my mother’s for us to visit. By God’s grace, it’s happened.

The land is beautiful. The people are beautiful. The food is magnificent.

During our first night’s stay, there was an earthquake and volcanic eruption. I slept through the quake and awoke to the news. Four days after the eruption, while on tour, we drove by the eruption site and the lava fountain could be seen from the road. A week after the eruption, on our way back to the airport, the same flow was active.

The water in Iceland is astonishing. There are flowing rivers and countless waterfalls. Water can be seen flowing and falling from mountaintops and powerful waterfalls rush through valleys.

At Culture Night, the people of Iceland and the City of Reykjavík put on a party for the ages! This year, Culture Night was on Saturday, August 24. It seemed as though the entire island of Iceland converged upon Reykjavík for this celebration of the city’s anniversary. Every 300 meters, there were DJs or live music with people dancing in the streets without care and will all love. This was all day. The celebration started with the marathon and ended well after the near-midnight fireworks. Quite frankly, the entire scene of the day was amazing.

We spent Friday and Sunday on tours of the western and southwestern regions of the island. Our tour guide, Sori, had a wealth of knowledge and definitely had the gift of gab. As it turns out, Sori is a 12th generation relative of mine, an 11th generation relative of my mother.

Sunday night, we had the pleasure of having dinner with my cousin Laura and her son James. I haven’t seen Laura in 40 years. As God’s luck would have it, we would be in Iceland the same time Laura and James were vacationing, prior to his start of university. It was a wonderful dinner – great food and great company!

On Monday, we drove to Akureyri, which is considered the capital of the north. Spending four and a half hours driving though the lands and mountains of Iceland with my mother was absolutely priceless, as was walking the city with her.

The following day, we drove to Mývatn, which is like a whole new world. Mývatn is an area of active volcanism and has a high amount biological activity. Many areas of Mývatn give the impression of being on another planet. Driving back from Mývatn to Akureyri, we were able to stop at Goðafoss, a waterfall of spectacular sights. It was priceless viewing!

Driving back from Akureyri to Reykjavík, we literally drove through the clouds at one point. Intimidating mountain driving, perhaps, but sights to remember. Another four and a half priceless hours of life, driving with Mum.

Arriving back in Reykjavík, we stopped to visit a university classmate of my mother’s. To see these ladies greet and converse was worth the trip to Iceland alone! We were greeted with waffles and whipped cream and coffee. Again, priceless!

The final day in Reykjavik was a day of relaxation and great food. On my final morning, I took one last long walk up the streets. As I walked, I heard a café playing The Roots’ “What They Do.” I had to stop and grab a cup. I continued the walk, pleasantly.

There’s so much I could write about this trip, but I wouldn’t know where to stop. It was truly the trip of a lifetime.