We were walking near Akureyri's harbor area when Brad took this photograph. Akureyri is at the end of a long fjord (Eyjafjörður) and is surrounded by high mountains. The climate in this area is similar to one that is more inland than coastal which results in greater variations in temperature (warmer summers, colder winters) than in many other inhabited parts of Iceland. Because the mountains shield Akureyri from strong winds, the resultant warm climate allows the Botanical Gardens to flourish without need of a greenhouse. The area around Akureyri has one of the warmest climates in Iceland even though it is only 60 miles from the Arctic Circle.