As the calendar switched from 1999 to 2000, some were concerned with the various forms of Y2K 'meltdown'. But not the Muntners. For them it was off to Iceland. They had heard that New Year's there is quite unique.

Staying in Reyjkafik, where most Icelanders live, they visited the memorial to Leif Erikson and the school house where Reagan met Gorby. At that time of year, there's not much daylight--'sunrise' at 11 AM and dusk at 3 PM. Never saw much sun.

And the landscape was stark, to say the least. To exist in this environment, Iceland has a unique breed of horses--short, muscular and long hair. Here's Judie making friends. But Iceland is a young island with lots of geologic 'stuff' to see. The massive waterfalls were frozen solid though at that time of year. We went to visit one of the glaciers and the geysers.

Besides seeing the countryside, there was the obligatory visit to the mall. Here's Judie and Carol Fine having a quick snack. Then it was off to one of the many neighborhood outdoor swimming pools. We also went to the world famous Blue Lagoon, also visited by Matt Lauer on the Today program. Although you may not be able to tell, the modest Icelanders do wear swimsuits.

But the highlight of the trip was New Year's Eve. Done differently from here and just about everywhere else, the celebration starts with huge neighborhood bonfires. Then it's off to dinner (around 9PM). As midnight approaches, everyone (and we mean everyone) goes home to set off their own aerial fireworks. From the vantage point on the roof of our four story hotel the surrounding sky erupted in multicolor explosion. The photo is a lousy representation.