Lens – Artists Photo Challenge #56 – Seascapes and/or Lakeshore

27 juli, 201923 februari, 2020 / Leya / 46 kommentarer

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.

– Jacques Yves Cousteau, Oceanographer

Amy shows some amazing seascapes from her cruisings, and challenges us to post our own memorable moments from seascapes and lakeshores. My images are from my Icelandic journey this July.

First I would like to thank you for sharing your dreams with us last week – amazing! Now some of my seascapes might continue in that dreamy perspective…but it certainly takes some time to wake up from a dreamy era!

Having visited Iceland several times before, we soon realised how lucky we were with the weather. So lucky, that Icelanders we met could not but smile and congratulate. – They told us that their own criteria for ”Good Weather” is No Wind.

My opening image was shot from the peak of Eldfell at Heimaey in Vestmannaeyar, looking out to the North Atlantic. Hiking the volcano is fairly easy and takes less than an hour. And you are rewarded with breathtakingly beautiful views – if the mist lifts, and this time it did.

All the other seascapes are from Snæfellsnes peninsula, West Iceland. The name of the sea or fjord added. And, there is no colour enhancing – this is true Icelandic blue!

Arnarstapi, Faxaflói

Lóndrangar, Faxaflói

Stykkishólmur, Breiðafjörður

Hvammsfjörður

Hvalfjörður

Hvalfjörður, and yes, this is the pier where the whaling ships unloaded – and still unloads the captured whales. In 1981 we were here to see it with our own eyes. A 50 ton whale was taken care of in less than three hours. I cried all the way. The only comfort was that every piece of it came to use – nothing was thrown away. Many skilled Japanese worked here in those days. We know that they still catch whales in Iceland, and this station was used last year. I was not happy to learn this. But, it seems there is some trouble with Japan, so, no whaling in 2019. Hopefully Icelandic whaling will come to an end, because they no longer depend on it for a living.

The sea lives in every one of us – Wyland

Welcome to join in – we are looking forward to seeing you!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Hill

22 juli, 2019 / Leya / 25 kommentarer

For Frank this week – I tried to squeeze in this prompt even if I am not at home (really)…

This farm had a spectacular setting up on a hill, and fleeting dark clouds on the mountains behind it.

Wordless Wednesday

17 juli, 201917 juli, 2019 / Leya / 6 kommentarer

Macro Monday – Fiery Flowers

15 juli, 2019 / Leya / 14 kommentarer

Abundant in Vestmannaeyar and the lava landscape –

Hieracium – fox-and-cubs, orange hawk bit, devil’s paintbrush, grim-the-collier…

…setting fire to the slopes!

Thursday Thoughts – Going Vestmannaeyar

11 juli, 2019 / Leya / 11 kommentarer

Vestmannaeyjar came to international attention in 1973 with the eruption of Eldfell volcano, which destroyed many buildings and forced a months-long evacuation of the entire population to mainland Iceland.

Approximately one fifth of the town was destroyed before the lava flow was halted by application of 6.8 billion litres of cold sea water.

About 1500 people decided not to come back to the islands.

In 1979 We visited Heimaey, in the archipelago south of Iceland mainland, which is the only inhabited island here, and home to Eldfell. You could still boil an egg in the lava ashes, and putting down a finger would make your skin peeling off.

Our plan was to revisit now, 40 years later, to see in what ways the island had changed.

The photos show the views from the ferry takeoff and in the header, you can spot the whole range of the archipelago islands in the distance.

Thursday Thoughts – Revival

27 juni, 201927 juni, 2019 / Leya / 17 kommentarer

The weather is very warm and inviting for bicycle rides these last days of June. So my daughter and I decided to spend some time with the old Flora in hand. When the children were younger, we always did every summer, so today meant sweet memories.

We brought water as well, and biked for some hours, just enjoying each others’ company in the lovely summer fields. And wow, how much one forgets about flower names…

I used to be very good at their names… We also fell in love with this little, quite lovely, mushroom – looking like it was planted right there by someone, on the road.

And, to our greatest joy, we met some Highland Cattle. My absolute favorites.

Somehow they always look so relaxed, and I love their colours. I am not really comfortable having to cross a meadow where they are grazing though – they are said to be rather grumpy.

A lovely day –

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #51 – Unique

23 juni, 201923 februari, 2020 / Leya / 47 kommentarer

Unique – ask a dictionary, and it says being the only existing one of its type or, more generally, unusual, or special in some way. The most unique place I have visited is the Galapagos Islands.

This Ecuadorian archipelago with 19 islands are all unique in their own way – both flora and fauna. They all have endemic species, and the animals let you come close without being startled or afraid. They do not consider humans their enemies. Unique.

Thank you, Charles Darwin!

Charles Darwins resa med HMS Beagle 1831-36, Galápagosdelen

Some of the strange and fascinating landscapes on the islands –

If you look closely, you might see the flamingo…-

We had a very unique opportunity to see the land iguanas eating from the giant cactii.

Not many visitors are that lucky – at least our guide told us so.

Unfortunately we came too late to meet Lonesome George. Every effort to help this last of his species failed, and he died 2012. But we met several other giant tortoises on the island Santa Cruz.

In the header, two marine iguanas – unique to these islands, but unfortunately on the road to getting even more unique. As the waters are warming due to climate change, their sea food is dying and their numbers are already decreasing.