From left, Gutnin Sigunardoth asks what’s for lunch as Paul Correnty, Cindy Prescott, and Icelander Chef Hans Helgi Stefansson serve lunch at the Bromfield School. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)

From left, Bromfield students Zak Shields, Elizabeth Swain, and Conor Tingle take notes in an anatomy class as teachers from Iceland observe from the back of the room.

About 85 teachers from Mosfellsbær, Iceland, received a warm welcome to Harvard last Sunday. Grilled Atlantic red snapper—each fish so long it reached from one edge of the serving table to the other—was the main course of the celebratory luncheon prepared by Chef Paul Correnty at the Unitarian Church's Fellowship Hall. Bratwursts, hotdogs, and hamburgers also sizzled on the grill.

The visitors got a taste of local apples, both in Chef Paul's homemade cider and in the apple pies from the Congregational Church's sale, which were served for dessert. In addition, Mike and Joan Mintz brought a crate of Baldwin apples from their own trees to share with the visitors.

During their school's winter vacation week, Mosfellsbær's teachers are taking a combination of vacation and professional days to visit the Hildreth Elementary School, the Bromfield School, and Fitchburg State University. Later in the week, the group will spend several nights in Boston, exploring the city from a base in the Charles Street area.

The roots of this visit go back to April 2008, when Bromfield School art teacher Sharon Chandler joined several members of the Nashoba Valley Knitters Group on a trip to Iceland. Chandler visited a local school, and the teachers' shared interest in fiber arts became the first step to a broader cross-cultural exchange.

With about 8,500 residents, Mosfellsbær is a somewhat larger town than Harvard and is located 11 miles outside Reykjavik, Iceland's capital. To an American visitor, Mosfellsbær's most striking feature might well be its hot springs, which allow outdoor swimming year-round in their 86-degree waters.

And to the Icelanders, Harvard's most exotic features are its trees—not just their bright fall foliage, but their size and number. As one visitor explained, Iceland's climate and its grazing sheep have left the country with very few trees.

The visitors teach a range of subjects across the curriculum, from kindergarten to 10th grade. After 10th grade, they explained, Icelandic students begin four years of more specialized study in a program akin to a junior college. Some may concentrate on the arts, others on science, and still others on business. Once they finish their public schooling at age 20, students either begin their careers or go on to a four-year university program.

More than a dozen Harvard residents helped with the logistics of moving the large group from the hotel to the luncheon and later to Fruitlands, orchards, or shopping centers. Many of the teachers were eager to visit Target, Walmart, or Best Buy because prices in Iceland have skyrocketed since the country's banking crisis in 2008; by comparison, they said, prices in the United States seemed very low. Many planned to stock up on clothing and presents for children and grandchildren during their visit.

The visiting teachers brought thank-you gifts for their Harvard hosts. Among the surprises for the drivers were chocolates, samples of volcanic rock, and small vials of ash from Eyjafjallajökull, whose eruptions grounded airplanes throughout Europe last spring. The Icelanders also presented Chef Paul with a supply of Viking beer, as well as a bottle of another Icelandic beverage, reputed to be much more potent!