11 October, 2013

Reykjavik, Iceland

For the Icelandic people there are not stories, all is saga. The history of every family, individual, thing and place, every journey and adventure has a saga that is its own. Some saga are factual recordings of historical events, some are fantastic tales of mythical creatures such as trolls and elves. Some are written, some are only oral tradition passed from elders to the young. Some have a moral lesson, all have a purpose. This website, the recording and sharing with you of my adventure to new lands, my journey in the world and perhaps within myself, is a saga all my own.

 

My pack is back in the black duffel for tomorrows flight to Glasgow. My hand luggage is nearly prepped, and in a few hours a bus will appear in the night to return me to Keflavik for the flight to Scotland. Reykjavik, after all, is only a layover between flights to the UK. This part of the saga, the beginning, is drawing to a close.

Thursday, I went on the Golden Circle Express bus tour. We made brief stops at Thingvellir National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Gullfoss waterfall, and Geysir Geothermal Field. The day was misty with low hanging clouds and was not the best day for sights in the highlands, but it did give me a small taste of the natural beauty of Iceland. Perhaps the most rewarding part of the whole day was learning the history from the guide.

Up this morning at 330 am following a 90 minute nap. The desk clerk was kind enough to make me a strong coffee when I checked out. On board a 757-200 as I write, and we are leveling off at just over 39,000 feet. Today’s flight is just under two hours, and there will be a friend I haven’t spent any appreciable amount of time with in almost twenty years waiting at the customs exit. To say I am excited is an understatement, and I know I am not the only one feeling such.

 

Back to yesterday’s express bus tour and the ending of the beginning of the saga.

The guide provided us with a brief outline of the history of the Icelandic people that I will not recount at the present time, rather I will get to the subjects of the pictures and impressions of the locations we visited.

Althingi, literally meaning “the Thing,” is the Icelandic Parliament, and is the longest standing democratically elected governing body in the world. In 930 CE chieftains from 30 clans and tribes around the island first met at Thingviller – “Thing Place” – on the 5^th day of the 10^th week of summer. The Thing lasted for one to three weeks, generally until the alcohol ran out. Thingviller is a rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and is very geologically active. During the Thingling – the yearly gathering of Althingi – the Law Speaker would stand atop a cliff on the western side of the valley at the “Law Rock” and recite one third of the law as agreed upon by the chieftains. Over a three year period the entire law would be recited. Eventually the oral tradition gave way to a written Book of Law. “The Thing” met at Thingviller annually for 853 years when it was disrupted by a massive volcanic event in 1783. It is estimated that 20% of the population left the island following the eruption. In 1789 Althingi reconvened in Reykjavik where it has met since.

After the guide counted heads on the bus as we prepared to continue on the journey, he told the driver we were all aboard. The driver responded, “Good, you can keep your job!”

The road to Gullfoss took us through rolling countryside featuring horse and sheep farms interspersed with Icelandic “forest.” This reminded me of the scrub-oak and sage of the high deserts of western Colorado and Utah. However, rather than red sandy soil, the ground in Iceland is black volcanic rock covered with moss, lichen, and short grasses. The trees and bushes are widely spaced in the landscape. The guide told us that the joke is what do you do if you are lost in an Icelandic forest? Stand up. When the Island was first discovered by the Norwegians, it was reported to be densely covered with a variety of trees. It is estimated that it took the Vikings only 170 years to cut the all the trees down to construct buildings, boats, and use as fuel. Since the early 20^th century there has been an ongoing soil erosion project to reforest the island.

Gullfoss is a spectacular waterfall cascading approximately 70 meters in two stages. The upper falls roll through a series of steps, and the lower plunge into a tight gorge. It was truly beautiful, and I could easily spend an afternoon there in the misty air watching the river and listening to the sounds of the water.

The last stop was at the Geysir Geothermal Field. The guide informed us of the correct pronunciation of the word Geysir (gay’-seer). The first recorded use of the word to describe such a geological phenomenon is in an Icelandic family saga detailing the geography of this area and its earthquakes, volcanoes, and geothermal features. The group gathered at an informational display to hear the guide explain a strategy for getting a good picture of a spout. I was very surprised to see “Steamboat, USA” listed as an example of different heights.

I am glad to have two more nights in Reykjavik on my return trip to the States. I hope one day to return with time to explore more of this beautiful Island.

Just over thirty minutes until our arrival in Glasgow. I am excited to see my friend and visit a land that has long intrigued me. Through a break in the clouds I can see the northern coast and beginnings of the Scottish Highlands. Our flight path will take us over the western end of Loch Ness. As we begin the descent, I look forward to sharing more of this adventure with you as the saga continues.

10 October, 2013

 

Reykjavik, Iceland

 

Having breakfast this morning my mind keeps skipping back to the same thought: I am in Iceland. A place that for my whole life has been just an island on a map, or news about a volcano on the television is suddenly real, and beautiful and full of friendly people. I am glad that I took the option of a three day layover on my way to Scotland. This morning, I plan to book a room in the same hotel for my return to the States at the end of November.

 

Not much of anything epic to report on the day yesterday. Last night I was down at the harbor and in city center and have a few pics to share. The John Lennon Peace Tower was lit last night. Apparently Yoko Ono was there for the ceremony, which marked what would have been his 73^rd birthday. I have not heard if she was screaming and shrieking in his honor. The monument is on an island in the harbor, the light, of course, is visible from across the city. It is lit every evening from 9 October until 8 December.

 

I spent a while walking around city center (the old, central part of Reykjavik), and came away with memories of not just friendly people, but also a vibrantly colorful and well lit city. Given that half of the year the days here are very short, and the Sun is always low in the sky, it makes sense.

8 October, 2013

 

Reykjavik, Iceland

 

The flight was uneventful. Some informative videos about Iceland, and several hours of Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, and Rodrigo y Gabriella provided a soundtrack for my attempts to take several naps. I saw the Northern Lights for the first time through the window. Absolutely beautiful! An eerie green glowing curtain in the sky. I am in awe of the universe once again. I tried to take a picture, but the camera just wouldn’t cooperate. With any luck, the sky will clear while I am here and I will try to get a picture that probably won’t capture it.

 

Pre-dawn moonscape from the FlyBus. 

 

Wow, what a day. We landed at Keflavik before sunrise this morning. The airport was tremendously easy, there was a brief line for passport control, and then it was on to baggage claim. I was right on to the bus, where I used the onboard wireless to make a quick post and send a few messages of arrival. The drive in was almost surreal. The highway cuts through lava fields that looked like a lunar landscape covered in the season’s first snow.

 

 

I was dropped off at Reykjavik Lights Hotel shortly after 8 am local time (2 am in the Rocky Mountains where I had left nine hours earlier), and had no problem checking in. The room is fantastic – the bed is quite comfortable, and the shower has made me an instant convert to the rainfall shower head! I ate breakfast in the lobby, and took a brief nap before securing a pocket full of the local currency and catching a bus to the city center.

My room.  I like the modernity of Scandinavian design.

View across the harbor out my window.

Really cool bathroom with fantastic shower and heated towel rack. 

 

At the end of my first day here, I can say that I like this place. I cannot get over how beautiful and friendly the people are! I worked with a Frenchman many years ago who advised that a man should fall in love once a day. I don’t think I will be able to hold it to just once here in Iceland!

Hallgrimskirkja and statue of Leif Eriksson given to the Icelandic people in 1930, commemorating the 1000 year anniversary of the founding of the Althing (Iceland’s Parliament). 

 

As both the video on the flight, and the lovely Eda at the information office suggested, my first stop was to go up the tower of Hallgrimskirkja, the Lutheran church that sits on the hill in the old part of the city. From Wikipedia:

 

 The church is named after the Icelandic poet and clergymanHallgrímur Pétursson (1614 to 1674), author of the Passion Hymns.

State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson‘s design of the church was commissioned in 1937. He is said to have designed it to resemble the basalt lava flows of Iceland’s landscape. It took 38 years to build the church. Construction work began in 1945 and ended in 1986, the landmark tower being completed long before the church’s actual completion. The crypt beneath the choir was consecrated in 1948, the steeple and wings were completed in 1974, and the nave was consecrated in 1986. Situated in the centre of Reykjavík, it is one of the city’s best-known landmarks and is visible throughout the city. It is similar in style to the expressionist architecture of Grundtvig’s Church of Copenhagen, Denmark, completed in 1940.

 

Nave

Prayer Candles

5275 pipe organ

 

 From the church I ventured into the downtown and the shopping district.

 

When it came time to eat, I really had no choice but to go to the “Lebowski Bar.” It would have been very un-Dude of me to pass up the opportunity to steal one of their menus. (They said it was ok, they are not fancy or expensive.) The experience was clearly not about the “Walter Bacon-Burger,” though it was not bad and reasonably priced. The days of White Russians are behind me, and in a lapse of memory I did not inquire as to whether they had a good sasparilla, choosing a cola to go with my meal. I may have to return for a quick lunch and use of their wireless in the next day or so. The décor was somewhat eclectic; they could really use some rugs to tie the place together.

 

 

It’s been such a long day that I can’t really recall when it started – thousands of miles and six time zones away from here – nor am I precisely sure what day to call it. Tuesmonday? Goodnight!