Thursday Thoughts – Heimaey, Vestmannaeyar

/ Leya / 24 kommentarer

Some Thursdays ago, my post took us off for Vestmannaeyar – and now we have arrived!

The harbour of Heimaey was the only thing that changed for the positive after the eruption of Eldfell. It was walled in and became more protected against the sea. Click the link above to read the story in my first post.

Ships coming in – this is still a lively harbour.

There are birds everywhere on the spectacular cliffs. Gulls, puffins…

Common redshank showing us what happened here all those years ago
Eldfell

…common redshanks, golden plovers… The path towards Eldfell took us past signs showing the eruption and the remains or memories of buried houses.

Can you find the golden plover?
Life returning
So many different colours
Somewhere out there is Surtsey, the new island that was created from the eruption

We reached the peak easily, and were met with stunning views.

The rain had stopped and the mist lifted, displaying the many colours in all their glory. We even got a warming ray of sun as we admired the sea and the harbour from above.

To sum up, much had changed since our last visit in 1979. The lava and ashes were now filled with flowers and rich bird life, and Eldfell could no longer give us fried or boiled eggs directly from the ground. Life is returning.

Interested in visiting? Click here to read more.

 

 

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Rectangles

/ Leya / 17 kommentarer

For Franks weekly challenge – rectangles! Harpa, Iceland. Look closely and you will find the top of Hallgrimskirkja too.

 

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

/ 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

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!

 

 

 

 

Thursday Thoughts – The Reykjavik Concert Hall

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Harpa is the name of the concert hall and conference center in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The structure consists of a steel framework clad with geometric shaped glass panels of different colours. The distinctive colored glass facade was inspired by the basalt landscape of Iceland.

 

The opening concert was held on May 4, 2011. As this unfortunately was our last day in Iceland, we could not attend any concert this time.

Harpa was designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in co-operation with Danish – Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.

The building is the first purpose-built concert hall in Reykjavík and it was developed in consultation with artistic advisor Vladimir Ashkenazy and international consultant Jasper Parrott of HarrisonParrot. It houses the Iceland Symphonic Orchestra and the offices of The Icelandic Opera.

Needless to say, I was deeply impressed and in awe. The Icelanders are so aesthetically perfect, and so skilled at every possible art form.