66 Degrees North

66 Degrees north is what Iceland's latitude is on the globe, and there is an outdoor clothing line with that name. They certainly know cold here and how to dress for it. But I am pleased with all the merino wool from NZ I brought with me, and haven't had to invest in any of their non-merino, itchy variety. 

Today Wendy and I went whale watching just outside of Reykjavik. We didn't have to go too far before we came upon a bunch of minke whales, which we followed around for 2 hours. We bundled up in the provided red jumpsuits, which kept us toasty in the 40 degree weather ( at least it didn't rain). After the yellow rain suits of yesterday, the the red jumpsuits felt downright stylish. 

Minke whales come only in the summer, spending their summers in the balmy waters off West Africa. Unfortunately, some Icelanders started whaling a few years ago even though only about 5% of the population consumes whale meat. The rest is served to tourists. If the demand from tourists goes away, they won't be motivated to kill the whales. It's not a tradition or a traditional food in Iceland, like in some countries. So if you come to Iceland, don't eat whale meat! Go watch them in the wild, it's much more satisfying.