National Day

National Day is Icelandic Independence Day, which is celebrated on the 17th of June. There are a lot of festivities going on:a parade,balloons,music,fireworks,crowded streets and plenty of food.

Below are some photos from today.

Art of Living

Urban Life

Bug's Life

Bláa Lónið and Friendship Bridge.

When we were preparing to go to Iceland, a person who had lived there before told us not to do all the tourist attractions in our first year. “Space it out", he said. So we were postponing and postponing our trip to the Blue Lagoon, the ultimate tourist’s destination in Iceland. With two months left and five holidays upon us, it finally happened – we went there.

My first impression upon entering the building was, “Neat, it isn’t very crowded.” Then I found out that they had the coolest magnetic bracelets that close and open the lockers. Then I discovered that if I wanted to ask questions I had better address nude people - they knew what they were doing. Those who had their swimming suits on in the shower tended to be foreigners and were as clueless as me.

What can I say about the Blue Lagoon itself? It is much smaller than films or photos lead you to believe, but since we knew to scale down our expectations it didn’t catch us off guard. The bottom of the lagoon and its shore felt slightly slimy. Hmm, this word has a strong negative connotation; how about slick? Oh, better yet – slimy and slick? In short, you had to watch your steps in order not to slip.

Water was pleasantly warm 40° C (104° F) and murky white. It awoke the very odd impression of swimming in milk soup. It also reminded me of a folklore tale where an old king, desperate to become younger, jumped into a pot of boiled milk. It was the end of him. His protagonist did the same and became astonishly handsome. I kept my fingers crossed that the much talked about healing ingredients of Blue Lagoon didn’t act in such a treacherous manner. According to the Blue Lagoon's site, its geothermal seawater is quite magical. It contains revitalizing minerals, anti-aging algae, and silica that exfoliates and deeply cleanses. So, bathing in these murky waters regularly may have a lot of benefits. Of course, since it is mostly tourists who bathe there and they tend to do it only once during their tour, these benefits can be hard to prove.

There were boxes of mud along the shore, which you are supposed to put on your face and other bits of flesh that you want to rejuvenate. I covered only my face; my male companions (my husband and sons) eyed me suspiciously, partially expecting me to turn into a lizard right there on the spot. Instead I just blended into the ghostly white-faced crowd. I am not sure if the mask did anything to my skin, but it didn’t do any harm, which is a plus.

There wasn’t much to do in the lagoon, except to vegetate in the water. You can go for massages, but with kids in tow it wasn’t meant to happen. After about forty minutes we got bored and left. We didn’t feel much younger, but certainly reenergized and hungry.

Here, specially for my friend who wanted to see photos of my boys. Howdy W.

We proceeded to go to Reykjanestá and later towards the Friendship Bridge. I like Reykjanestá because it has a great view of the sea, a lighthouse and nice places to have a picnic. Going up towards the lighthouse or having a picnic was out of the question because of the terrible wind, so we just drove to the edge of the cliffs and enjoyed their raw beauty.

Friendship Bridge, or "A Bridge between Two Continents" as its name suggests, is the bridge between the European and North American tectonic plates. It was highly amusing to run from one side of it to the other and pretend that you popped to N. America.

And that was the last stop of our journey.

Clouds and Colours

It was a lot of interesting colours today in nature. The water had a beautiful mixture of silver, golden and blue, the horizon blossomed with tender yellow, and the contrast between pristine white of the snow and pitch black of the pebbles were beautiful.

Snowy Days

Today is such a striking contrast with just a few days before. Only on Sunday everything was so bleak and grey. Grey clouds hang in the sky, rain relentlessly drew its strokes, the streets were covered in grey ice, making moving around perilous, and the promenade by the pond took greenish grey tint under the layers of ducks droppings. To add to the to the atmosphere of a quiet gloom there were virtually no people on the streets. It was quite eerie, a perfect picture for nuclear winter.

Then the snow started to fall and little by little grey turned into pristine white, trees dawned fluffy robes, and the clouds made their departure revealing the smiling skies. I think that sunny days should be automatically declared national holidays here, so people can go outside and bask in their glory.

Simple Pleasures.

There are a lot of small lakes in a lava field nearby and now they are covered with thin crust of ice. The kids and I went for a walk there and unexpectedly found a new pastime. Throwing lava rocks at the frozen lakes, watching who can break the ice or hit the same spot twice proved to be vastly entertaining. (With utter amazement I realized that it was my first time indulging in such activity. Skipping stones – yes, of course I’ve done it, throwing them at frozen water – never before.) The rocks either skate on ice or cracked it and sat there half submerged in water, or simply plummeted through it down to the bottom. As soon as a stone hit the surface, white shapes of air bubbles and water appeared under the skin of ice and began quickly move away from the epicenter as if escaping danger. They started as perfect circles and went through a series of transformations before turning into nothing near the bank. Their floating movements kept us entranced for a good half and hour.

Friends and Foes

Economic woes have been on everybody’s mind lately. Many countries find themselves in a financial pickle and are trying to come up with different solutions.

The Iceland Weather Report has been covering events in Iceland in great detail, not forgetting to take a jab, or two, or three at the US as usual.

It is interesting how fashionable and mundane it has become to criticize America. Everybody who is anybody does it regularly and relentlessly, and of course, a lot of Americans feel the need to apologize profoundly for things that they cannot really change. So, now the US didn’t come to the financial aid of Iceland – never mind that it is going through an intense financial crisis itself, never mind that Iceland will be better off with euro’s (the currency of most of its debt) than with dollars that are after all the hard currency of the US. No, nothing matters and Iceland “got pissed” and successfully sought a new best friend, Russia, which agreed to loan €4bn ($5.43bn) to Iceland. It seems like it isn’t a done deal but it is a curious development nevertheless.

Will this make the US change its mind and offer the financial help? Whatever the outcome will be, Iceland should be cautious in playing with Russia – such generosity never comes without a high price.

Celebrity Sight Seeing

Every person who has happened to live in Iceland for some time inevitably faces the question: “So, have you seen the Aurora Borealis yet?”, followed by: “What about Björk?” The Aurora Borealis proved to be an elusive phenomenon, but I saw Björk today at the opening of an art exhibition in the Reykjavik Art Museum. There was no way anybody could have missed her – she was dressed in a bright pink “Tibetan” outfit and really stood out in a crowd of mostly black. She was simultaneously trying to see a bit of the exhibition, deal with a small kid, and talk with people approaching her, which explained why she looked slightly frazzled. It would have been nice to snap a photo, but it didn’t feel like the right moment, so I just joked in passing that the kid seemed to have had enough art exposure. It is a pity my husband wasn’t there; he would have appreciated this celebrity sight seeing much more than I did. Now we just have to see the Aurora Borealis and our “to do” list in Iceland is done.

Musing

An article in the Reykjavík Grapevine about American expats living in Iceland caught my attention yesterday. The author interviewed some Americans leaving in the country concentrating mainly on what brought them here and how they felt about their second home. It was an ordinary article about lives of foreigners in a foreign land but for some reason one paragraph perplexed me no end, both in its style and substance:

“Iceland: where the busiest corner of the capital stations no beggar. Where no one starts her workday by shoving onto a hot subway car. Where grown men aren’t hawking cheap souvenirs. Where little boys aren’t washing the windshields of cars struck in traffic...”

Perhaps “the busiest corner of the capital stations no beggar” but Ingólfstorg certainly has a few. Considering that there isn’t a subway in Reykjavik it will be difficult to start a workday “by shoving onto a hot subway car,” will it? “Grown men indeed “aren’t hawking cheap souvenirs” – mostly because the concept of cheap souvenirs doesn’t apply to Iceland, they all are on expensive side here. “The little boys aren’t washing the windshields of cars struck in traffic”, true, on the other hand, there are plenty of teenagers working the cashier registers in Kronan, for example, and ... they make the check-out process insufferable.

There was one observation in the article that I haven’t heard before though – one of the interviewees mentioned that he had never heard thunder in Iceland. I have never paid attention to it but, yes, there is plenty of rain but no thunder here.

I thought about one more “never” – I have never seen a cockroach in Iceland.

Summery Day

The due date for the next review is coming close and closer, so today I had to go to the museum I’ve decided to write about and do some photos. It was such a lovely day – the sun was shining from the early morning, no clouds in the sky, no sharp wind. Perhaps that is why people were more talkative, more willing to smile and chat with one another.

I got acquainted with an elderly lady. I helped her with her walker when she arrived at the bus stop and gave her a sunny spot on the bench while waiting for the bus. We started to talk and naturally our conversation continued on the bus. She spoke in Icelandic; I tried my best to figure out what we were talking about and answered/asked occasional questions. (It is surprising how much you can understand and convey by listening carefully.) I found out that her name was Undur and she was 79 years old. She has 4 kids, 3 grandkids, and 2 grandchildren; some of them live in Iceland, some in Spain. She loves ballet and used to travel. She was going to her doctor appointment to check her hip and so on and so far.
She was such a sweetheart – petite, with curly short hair and blue lively eyes. She exuded such joy; it was such a pleasure talking with her that when we got off the bus, I strolled a bit more with her. We parted our way in Kringlan with hugs and kisses as if we knew each other for ages. I love such encounters – they stand on their own without any further development, as if their main function is just to brighten your day. Undur went to stroll around the mall, since she had some time before her doctor appointment and I went to the Asmundarsafn, Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum. It was a splendid day to go there. The reason that I decided to write about this museum is simple – it is one of my favourite places in Reykjavik and it looks absolutely gorgeous in summer. The greenery of the trees plays against the white walls of the building, and blue sky serves as a wonderful backdrop. The sculptures scattered around in the garden come to live under the rays of the sun, and the inside space of the museum is lit with golden light coming from above. The shape of the building, sculpture garden outside, abundance of light inside, sparse placement of the sculptures, their angular upward movement – every time I come here I feel reenergized.

The sculptor, Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893 – 1982), was one of the pioneers of Icelandic sculpture. His creations vary from massive stone sculptures to pieces constructed out of iron and steel rods, from realistic figures to pure abstractions. The museum itself was his studio and living quarters, which he donated, along with his collection, to the City of Reykjavik. Below is my favourite work of his and you can see other photos here

Botanical Garden is not far away from the museum so I strolled there. It was filled with families strolling, picnicking, playing and feeding the ducks. Here is a little mound house, which perhaps is just a storage area, but looks like a house of the seven dwarfs.

On the way to the Botanical Gardens I passed by a man sleeping on the pavement. He just lay there with his left hand under his cheek and his right hand between his knees, a red bandana tied around the lower part of his face. I was tempted to come closer and check his pulse, but decided to do it on my way back. When I returned in a half hour or so he was gone, I guess his nap was finished.

I finished my day in Kringlan, browsing some stores and having solitary but, oh, so peaceful lunch. (The summer break is fun for the kids but sometimes it is nice to have a break from their summer break.)

Summer Days

My boys and I do a lot of nature walks this summer. Today we found a new to us nature reserve, Ástjörn. It is a lake surrounded by lava fields and it is a home to more than 24 species of birds. Apparently this lake is the only regular nesting site of the horned grebe left in the Southwest of Iceland. The trails around it are closed for walking between the 1st of May and 15th of July so not to disturb its habitants. It was a bit disappointing not be able to come closer to the lake’s shore, but the guard in a little hut reprimanded us to strictly follow the path, so we did as we were told. We found interesting lava formations there, a forest of unusually small birch trees, miniature stone bridges, young pine trees and a sea of red clover. (Some photos are here) Clover caused quite an excitement because I taught the boys how to suck nectar out of flowers.
This summer is quite unusual. Most of the time summer is such a busy time – we are either moving to a new place or receiving visitors, or just working; there are camps and play dates, and other scheduled activities. But this summer is so not rushed. It reminds me of carefree summers of my childhood. Of course, there are errands and morning studies with the kids and I have to start thinking about upcoming review but in general there is a wonderful slowness in it, which let me just sit back and let the day take its own course.

Painted Pebbles

We are going on a lot of nature walks these days, most of them end up near the sea. There my sons have found their first amulets of good fortune - rocks penetrated by a hole. I remember hunting for them during summers at Crimea. Those rocks considered to be a specially good luck along with "devil's fingers", smooth cylindrical form pebbles.



We picked some flat rocks for painting .....

and here are the results.


The kids inspired by the meeting with an artist, Josh Simpson, who creates small glass planets and hides them in different locations (he calls it Infinity Project), decided to paint rocks and put them in lava fields. We will have a busy summer ahead.

You Know It Is Summer in Iceland

• When lava fields blossom with colours;

• New ducklings appear in the stream;

• The kids have time to fool around with their food during breakfast:

Look at those bread and blueberries creatures

• One can read sitting on a cliff ;
  

... still in a jacket though

Hafnarfjordur's Birthday

It was such a beautiful day today – sunny, no wind. The temperature climbed to + 15 C and people poured out on the streets, not willing to miss such a rare occasion.

At six o’clock in the morning someone tried to start firework. You couldn’t possibly see anything – it is broad day light at that time- but the sounds were unmistakable. It reminded me that today the town we live in, Hafnarfjordur, celebrated its anniversary. One hundred years in cities' years is really nothing, but a birthday is a birthday. The streets were decorated with baloons, children choirs sang in the mall, various cafes served chocolate and coffee free of charge, bands were playing downtown, and people could satisfied their thirst by drinking water from bottles, designed specifically for that occasion.

On completely different subject, at about 16:00 o’clock we literally felt the earth moving under out feet - Iceland experienced its biggest earth quake in decades. According to Earth Quakes site we were in a 6.7 magnitude quake.

The First Day of Summer

The First Day of Summer was celebrated today in Iceland. The name of the holiday is ironic, considering that the temperature hasn't yet risen past + 10 Celsius. The holiday itself refers to times when, according to the old calendar, there were only two seasons in Iceland, winter and summer. In the midst of winter here there is only 4 hours of daylight, so it is understandable that arriving of summer with its endless daylight was a reason for celebration.

The weather today didn't comply with all scheduled activities - it was rainy, so even strolling in downtown area weren't as much fun as it could have been on a sunny day.



This duck, warming itself on a lamp, seems to have similar opinion:

A Bit More on Antoni Gaudí

Not long ago I wrote about La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Since then I became interested in seeing more creations of Antoni Gaudí, and this photo session is the result of my curiosity as well as a starting plan for a future visit to Barcelona.

Below you can see Casa Vicens (1883-88), his first important work which was built for the owner of a brick and tile company Manuel Vicens. The house is constructed of rough red bricks, and colored ceramic tiles in checkerboard and floral patterns. This house is still a private residence, so, unfortunately, its interior can be seen on Saint Rita's Day, May 22, when it is open for "neighbors and citizens". I read that it went on sale last year -the asking price was 30 million euros.

This striking façade belongs to the Casa Batlló (1904-06). I am taken by its curving form , splashes of bright mosaic, oval windows. It was originally designed for a middle-class family, which must have had a good taste in addition to open mind. The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones) - there is indeed something skeletal about it.


Casa Milà (1906-10), nicknamed the Redrera ("Quarry), is an apartment building, which shapes are so serpentine that it has no corners. Strangely though it is massive, it reminds me of a sand castle.

There are obviously much more images of Antoni Gaudí's work can be found on the Internet, but since I have to finish an article by Friday, I will stop here. Now, if anybody wonder why I am so fascinated with bright colours, rich details, opulent forms, the answer is below - t hat is what I see from the window.

Now and Then

Writing about Hallgrimskirkja church and its architect, Guðjón Samúelsson, made me want to find more of his work around Reykjavík. Today I was in one of the building that was designed by him - the National Gallery of Iceland. To be more precise, the building that now is occupied by the National Gallery of Iceland was designed by him. Back in 1916 it was designed for storing ice for the fishing company Herðubreið. Later it was turned into a dance hall, and successfully functioned in this capacity until the fire (1971) wrecked it. In 1972 it was bought to house the National Gallery. Of course, it went through the major reconstruction but the new building was modeled on the older one. And thus it went – from storing ice to storing the collection of art work.

Funny bit of today – the conversation took place in a kiosk where you can buy tickets or monthly passes for the buses.

- I would like to buy 10 children tickets, please.
- No. (Silence)
- Why not?
- You cannot do this. (Silence)

- Why?
- You cannot buy 10 children tickets, you have to buy twenty.

Morning Story

Today the kids were supposed to return back to school after their spring break. Yesterday in the evening they gathered their backpacks, laid out their clothes and decided what they wanted for a school lunch.
The morning went swiftly – everybody woke up without complains, were cheerful and cooperative and even had some time for reading before putting on their shoes and jackets. The only minor glitch appeared after discovery that our bread got moldy and school lunch plan had to be altered from peanut butter sandwiches to tuna in pitas.
At 7:35 the kids were all ready and near the door, but a little shuttle bus that usually pick up the kids were not there. No biggies – it is often late. At 7:50 it became mildly worrisome – I started to wonder if the kids truly supposed to return to school today or it was the product of my wishful thinking. The school calendar stated that is was today, but everything changes so easily here, I could have easily missed an important notice from school about additional professional day or such.

At 8:05 it was established that we didn’t confuse anything – the boys’ classmate called with the same question, “Where is the bus?” Things became clear again, we just need to find another mean of transportation for today, which, of course, we did.

By 8:40 the kids were at school.

And, the morale of this story – I have to start driving here.

The kids are waiting for the bus.

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday or as they call it in Iceland Long Friday. The flags fly at half-mast and almost everything is closed. I heard that several years ago the law was stricter – not only the stores were closed but also movie theatres, bars and the national pride of Iceland, swimming pools, as well; people were not supposed to have fun on the day that commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Nowadays the rules are more relaxed – some movie theatres, swimming pools remain opened and there are some functioning cafes and stores in the center of Reykjavik. (Tourism plays a major role here and they have to accommodate unfortunate soles who happened to be in the country during the Holy Week). It is interesting that the bars will be opened at midnight too, not sure till what hours though.

Russian Orthodox Church will celebrate Easter on the 27th of April; maybe we will do traditional eggs painting with beets or onions peels on that day. I think the last time I did this type of colouring was when my grandmother was alive. We never went to church of course but she liked to do all tradition Easter cooking including special pastries in the shapes of the birds, and kulich, special Easter cake.

For the Western Holy Week I don’t think we will do much, the boys are too big for the egg hunt and the Easter bunny doesn’t appeal to them. So, it will be just some chocolate eggs this time.

Rain painting

Just as I thought that I figured out the weather here: one gorgeous, sunny day, one grey and rainy; several rainy days came one after another.

Since I was writing about art work that depicted rain, the weather was in sync with my mood. I kept glancing towards the windows of our sun room, noticing different pattern. The raindrops hitting the roof, left a circular imprints and those on the windows kept their shape, reminding me of precious little stones. Sitting in the armchair surrounded by rain but being protected from it by the glass felt tranquil, I fall into the "lucid stillness". My attempts to capture the pattern of the raindrops on camera went surprisingly well and I took it one step further playing with colours.