Elemental Scenery and culture
My two weeks in Iceland were magical. I enjoyed the contrast of biking with a group the first week and then travelling by myself to the North the second week. In the first week I had physical challenges and enjoyed the group observations; in the second week I lingered in places rather than moving on, was more independent and spontaneous and talked to more Icelanders.
Biking in Iceland is challenging especially when one has the wind against one. However it is fine way to appreciate the beauty of the landscape. I loved the blue lupins that were part of the landscape in the south. I also loved seeing the geology. The rock formations in Dyrhoelaey Island (July 5) were very memorable with some rocks looking like skeins of wool. I loved the waterfalls in the south, (July 4 and 7) they were so forceful and elemental. I enjoyed relaxing in the thermal baths at the end of the day and I was amused by the Nordic protocol of showering naked before one goes into the pool.
The contrast between the white snow and black soil from the volcanic ash has an austere beauty that I saw at the volcanoes but also on the mountains. The beach near Vik (July 5) was like a Rothko painting with black and blue sand and sea. Mountain landscape around was beautiful with the different coloured rocks. The evening light on the basalt columns of Skissholmur Island (July 11) which I enjoyed whilst having an excellent fish supper was memorable.
In the north I loved the fjords round Siglufordur (July 13) and going out whale watching on the grey arctic ocean. The northern town of Akureyi was lovely to explore with its house dating back to the 19c and watching the evening light on the fjord. (July 14-16) I enjoyed visiting Lystigardurinn, the world’s most northerly garden on the south side of the valley and with clematis and aquilegias in bloom as well as many alpines. This contrasted with the grandeur of the vistas
I was delighted by the museums and lively art scene. The exhibition in the museum of Culture in Reykjavik linking together historical and cultural themes was a great exploration of Icelandic culture. (July 10) The installation by Roni Horn using endangered glacier water to make a library of water was thought provoking. (July13) The textile museum in Blondous (July 13) was a treat with the wool art by xx. In Akureyi it was fun to be there at the time of art festival. I also enjoyed the fabulous fish meals, cod and haddock cooked with different vegetables and also Icelandic fish and chips.
I was also surprised at how easy it was to drive around the island and how I could enjoy the grand vistas. The driving reminded me of America with empty roads and dramatic scenery and isolated farmhouses scattered over the landscape.
I am sure that I shall be back in Iceland to complete my circumnavigation of the island and to enjoy more culture.
August 2016
Last morning in Reykjavik, shopping for knitwear, ceramics, visited the Art gallery. Bus out to the airport, flight home, beautiful Britain, late back.
Went out to the Icelandic wool shop and bought the green jersey I liked. I then wandered round the shops and bought a ceramic pot that captures the blue light of Iceland. I walked over to the branch of the Icelandic modern art gallery. This is set in a park and is a modern light filled building. People were around in the gallery enjoying the space. I browsed the exhibition of a famous Icelandic painter called Kjarval who had a modernist style. I liked the way he captured Icelandic scenes. There was also a huge Picassoesque painting with a large figure of a man, a woman with a whip, a couple dancing and other imagery. Interesting and complex. I got back to the hotel just in time catch my airport transfer.
On the flight home I had a fantastic view over Britain, seeing first the Hebrides, then the Lake District, then the vast conurbation of Manchester and then the Peak district. It was 29 degrees when we landed, a 15 degree temp difference from Reyjavik. I took the Tube home; it was full of people in summer clothes.
Good Reykjavik modern art gallery
Bad crowded airport
Surprising beautiful clear views of Britain
400 km drive to Reykjavik, covered by insurance for car, evening in Reykjavik
It was a dry day with sunlight and cloud. I drove past Akureyi university since buildings there had been displayed in the architecture exhibition. The buildings were small scale; the university only has 1500 students. There was an attractive sculpture of a bell.
The drive was lovely, the long sections through green valleys with small farms, then up hillsides. I also drove next to wide river beds. The scenery is American in some ways with a grandeur of scenery but small scale habitation. Even the towns on the R1 are small. I stopped in Blonduos and looked at a very attractive modern church built of grey stone and with clean lines. I picnicked high up and overlooking lava fields. I stopped in Borganes and had tea at the settlement centre. It clouded over as I approached Reykjavik, enveloping one of the glaciers I hoped to see. I struggled to find the drop off place for the car but managed by using my phone and a map to get there. When I did get there I told them about the damage and filled in an accident report, they were quite relaxed about it and pointed out that at least no one else had been hurt. The young man checking the hiring said that it was my lucky day cos I had taken out full cover for damage so I only had to pay £150, it would have been 10 x that without cover. I was v relived.
My last hotel is in the old part of town, Odinse. I enjoyed going out and browsing the shops, buying a Bjork CD and sitting in a cafe reading. Had a v elegant tapas type supper in a cafe I had seen last week, Reck, close to the big church, nice fish, mackerel and cod but v small portions. Had chocolate crepes in another cafe and so to bed. V pleased with my driving, it took about 8 hrs with stops, a bit longer than I had estimated.
Good thing the drive
Bad cloud on the mountains
Surprising the pleasure of being let off a huge damages bill for the car
Art galleries in Akureyi, supper at Strikkid, live music
I wandered through the town up to the old part to see the town museum. This had an interesting recreation of the town over the last 100 years. It is amusing to see the different scale of things in Iceland; Akureyi been a municipality when it had 249 citizens, now it has a pop of 15 000, it acquired a secondary school in 1904. It also has a university with 1500 students. There was also a rather worthy exhibition of the first female presidents' dresses. I then visited the house of the poet Nonni, a Victorian Icelandic house.
I had a late lunch at cafe Blaa Kanan, it was full of tourists because a vast cruise ship and docked a few hours discharging 3000 visitors into the town. I wandered through the summer art festival which was in local galleries. The Modern Art gallery had an exhibition about town architecture and I saw examples of recent work including one on the university and the cafe in public garden here. I also saw an exhibition called the “Conspiracy of Pleasure” which seemed to be mainly about sexual pleasures, with many phalluses in different forms. I visited a couple of art galleries, in one the artist had work that looked like a solid snowflake from that she called a mandala.
I visited Lystigardurinn, the world’s most northerly public garden. The garden is at the top of the hill and faces south. It has small trees and lovely flowerbeds with clematis, aquilegia and other plants. There were many tourists there noting the plants that could be grown here. It also had a lovely café with a large new window full of light. In the evening I had an excellent fish supper at a posh restaurant called Strikid which has roof top views of the fjord. I finished the evening listening to a popular Icelandic rock band (3 guitars, 2 keyboards, drummer, and vocalist) play. Their show comprised many jokes in Icelandic so I missed a lot of the humour and left after the first set. I had shared a table with two middle aged women (nurse and head teacher) who were friends and had come for the band. They were interested in my Icelandic travels.
Pacing myself for the long drive to Reykjavik tomorrow.
Good: the garden
Bad the Icelandic comedian (jokes incomprehensible)
Surprising: the art festival
Hotel Icelandair Akureyi
