On June 15, Mr. Louis Arreaga, United States Ambassador to Iceland, hosted a reception for all attendees of the International Appalachian Trail (IAT) Annual General Meeting in Reykjavik on June 16. The event was held at the Ambassador’s embassy residence in downtown Reykjavik, and was attended by approximately forty guests, including Canadian Ambassador Alan Bones and Norwegian Ambassador Dag Werno Holter.
An informal social gathering in the garden was followed by a formal welcome and congratulatory presentation by Mr. Arreaga, and additional greetings by Ambassador Bones, Ambassador Holter, former Appalachian Trail Conservancy Executive Director David Startzell, IAT Chairperson Paul Wylezol, and IAT Founder Dick Anderson.
The reception provided an excellent opportunity for attendees from both sides of the Atlantic to meet each other face to face (in many cases for the first time) and to discuss the International Appalachian Trail. Dick used the opportunity to present U.S. Ambassador Arreaga with a framed map of the Appalachian-Caledonian terranes on both side of the North Atlantic, divided in two by Iceland’s Mid Atlantic Ridge. It was a terrific way to kick off the first IAT AGM outside North America, and we thanked Mr. Arreaga for being such a gracious host.
From the U.S. Embassy, the pre-AGM festivities moved on to the waterfront terrace of Menningarhus restaurant for additional refreshments in the midday sun!
