Where am I to start? Great theme – but so much to choose from.
Let’s go to Iceland, to Skagafjördur and Glaumbaer farm. For hundreds of years, a farm has been standing here, being changed and rebuilt in periods in the 18th- & 19th-centuries. This style of the turf construction was universal in rural areas of Iceland until about 1900, when it was gradually replaced mainly by reinforced concrete.
Glaumbaer farm had the priest of the village living here until 1947. Interesting too, is that the first woman to give birth to a white man in America, had lived here at Glaumbaer. Her name was Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir, and she travelled with Leif Ericsson or one of the following expeditions around the year 1000. So the old documents in Iceland tell us, and they were very good at documentation, the Icelandic people.
More about Glaumbaer here: http://www2.skagafjordur.is/default.asp?cat_id=1123
More interesting architecture here: http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/08/09/travel-theme-architecture/
Leya 
Fascinating & lovely at the same time! I want to jump into your pictures and mosey about.
Ha, ha, you’re funny! But yes, they do look soft!
Interesting, I wonder what inside is like. I really love the look of the exterior with the vegetation.
If you follow the link there are some interior pictures too!
Very interesting. I should have gone onto the link, surprising how organized the rooms and seems like the guests had better accommodations than the family. I was wondering how the buildings survived weather elements – the roofs are better constructed than what we have today with modern technology! So glad you posted the link – thanks for sharing.
I’m happy to understand you liked it! And, as you say, everything is certainly not better today in 2013!
This turf construction looks perfect for the climate. Surely, reinforced concrete is a poor substitute!
Yes, I would say so too. In the old days people knew how to build and what material to use. Material that breathe and live with its inhabitants as well as its surrounding nature.
such a surprise, and a gem of innovative practical design, thanks for showing us all! we built an earth-sheltered studio at our previous house, my husband ran his busy architecture practice there for 20 years and it worked very well climatically 🙂
How smart and interesting! Yes, climatically it is perfectly constructed.
Wow, this is very impressive and interesting. Glad you shared this.
Thanks!
Fantastiskt bra val till utmaningen! … Och i vanlig ordning en informativ text, sånt uppskattas av moi 😉 … Fattar inte hur du hinner med alla inlägg, bra är de också … Jag har stora problem att få iväg ett var 10;e dag 😉 // Maria 😉
Ha, ha, jag sitter ju på slutklämmen nu…det lär inte bli mycket framöver sen skolan börjat. Ångest till tusen och klarar nog inte att lägga mig ikväll.
Bättre att skriva ett riktigt bra var tionde dag än för många för att fylla ut. Det här har varit någon slags förberedelse och kompensation och frustration…men jag njuter av att skriva.
Det blir som sagt mindre av det nu. Men roligt att du tycker att de är bra. Dina är alltid bra, eftertänksamma och informativa. Ditt sätt att få bilderna att flyta in i texten och tvärtom…det är ganska unikt. Jag vet ingen annan som lyckas lika bra med det.
Har du tittat in hos Tammy i min blogroll? Hon har fantastiska bilder med story till, men ni har mycket olika approach. Det är ju det som är så fascinerande med det här. Ingen gör likadant som någon annan. Och njuter gör man av variationen!
Ni, har inte kollat hennes blogg men ska absolut göra det , tack för tipset… Stackars dig som ska börja att arbeta … Själv ska jag njuta av ytterligare 2 v ledighet . // Maria 🙂
Ha det gott! Jag brukar må bättre efter en vecka…
Du, tack för tipset om Tammy´s blogg! Himmel vad bra den var, helt i min smak. Otroliga bilder och sen har hon en gåva i att få till bra texter till sina bilder … Kommer absolut att besöka den bloggen mer än en gång! // Maria 🙂
Den är helt underbar – visst är den! Fantastisk fotograf och roliga och finstämda texter. Och så Lloyd förstås…hunden.
wonderful hairy buildings…they look quite like to old black houses on the Hebrides in Scotland. They were roofed with heather, but perhaps turf or peat was used sometimes….
I love the way they seem to grow out of the earth and cling to it….storms would just blow across leaving the inhabitants snug and warm 🙂
Exactly as you say. And I think it was a custtom and necessary to build them like that. Much wind and no trees in those areas. But, last time we went to Iceland they had got some trees to grow there. The climate is getting more favourable.
This is amazing, A-C! Never heard about before .. but on the other hand is there so much I never heard about. Checked out the website.
Those cottage will keep the heat during the cold months.
Have a couple of friends that been to Iceland and they loved, I wonder why it never been on my bucket list ????
Excellent choice for the challenge and wonderful post.
Thank you Viveka! And hopefully there is so much more we don’t know about! That makes life more interesting. I think!
Beautiful! And it makes a lot of sense!
Thank you – so it does. Icelanders are very strong, intelligent and handling an exquisite language!
I’ll put it on my list! 🙂 I’d like to visit Iceland one day. thank you for this great presentation!
You’re welcome, Dina. I am convinced that you would like it. Fantastic nature and eloquent language…as it was Norwegian vikings who settled there first…
This style of the turf construction is so unique! Thanks for the links!
You’re welcome!
I would love to visit Iceland.
I think you would, yes. I could go back any day…