Things that are wet…great possibilities again from Cee. I came across an old picture …how wet is this?
For more things wet, click here.
Water
The Lark has Arrived –
They say the lark has arrived in Skåne – the southernmost landscape of Sweden. That is where I live, but I have not heard her yet…Every year they come early, trying to be the first ones to find a place to nest…and every year some of them will die – when winter will not let go. Nesting on the ground is dangerous in any case.
That is the way life works. You have to be brave and take risks in order to succeed. Migrating birds, people who have to leave their home countries in order to survive. But we all have to face this – maybe not risking our lives…but still.
And Winter has not loosened his grip, yet. We are patiently waiting…all except Totti. This is his season, his temperature, his joy. Lagotto Romagnolos do not come with a zip…
In Between
Rain, sun, snow, storm, sun, rain, and snow again.
A couple of days ago we had all of this on the same day, and then – One Glorious Day. I will take you for a walk that day…if you want to!
There was heavy frost in the early morning – but the sun promised a lovely winter’s day.
Some miles from home, all frost was gone – the sun had been working hard.
Inside the forest though, in the shadows, it was still very cold. I had to put on my gloves for taking photos.
Do you remember the hair frost? This is even a whole hairbrush!
Lake Värsjön is a lake I have never visited before – and it turned out to be a little gem. Lovely paths to walk and the ice like a painting.
The sun was very strong and made it difficult to even look at the ice. No sunglasses…unfortunately. I did not know I would visit a lake!
And, I found a tiny beach – but the water is not hot here…like in Iceland. So, no bathing!
Instead I enjoyed the silence and the warmth of the sun, listening to the creaky sound of the ice breaking up.
Time to return home for breakfast – to make scones, celebrating the joy of having the rest of the morning for my son and myself.
Shibaozhai – Precious Stone Fortress
In the Territory of Zhongxian County of Chongqing there is a rock on the Yangtze river, with a vermilion 12-storey pavilion built against it.
No post was made on this, because I thought the weather was too bad and my shots could not give a fair picture of its beauty. Tonight I happened to find this pavilion again…and a post just had to be written. This is a beautiful piece of art – try to forget about the miserable weather conditions and just enjoy.
Built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), Shibaozhai consists of a gate, a pavilion and a temple.
The bridge out to the cliff is rather tricky to walk. A good advice is to walk in the middle…
…and then follow the marble reliefs.
The gate is covered with some vivid reliefs, and within the gate is the 184 feet high 12-storey wooden pavilion. It is the tallest specimen of ancient architecture with the most storeys in China. A breathtaking view when the pavilion comes in sight just around the corner.
Originally it was only nine storeys high,
but in 1956 three more (called Kuixing Pavilion) were added. A spiral staircase in the pavilion can take tourists to the top to reach the temple.
Inside the pavilion, there are steles and inscriptions of past dynasties on each floor. And on your way up, you can also admire the Yangtze River from the windows of each floor.
At least some of it…in the drizzle.
Upon arriving at the top of the pavilion, there is a flat stone dam. Here stands the ancient ‘Lanruo Temple’ at the highest point of the Precious Stone Fortress.
The so-called Rice Flowing Hole has a legend to it. According to this legend, rice flowed from the hole every day after the temple had been built. A greedy monk wanting even more rice to flow from the hole made it larger – and from that day no more rice appeared.
After the water level rose because of the Three Gorges Dam Project, millions of people had to leave their homes for ever, and the Shibaozhai too was threatened to disappear in the water. Thanks to measurements to protect the pavilion, we can still visit this masterpiece today.
Go back to the first photo again – and you will realize that the whole village beneath the pavilion is now submerged.
SL-WEEK 32: Trash
CFFC: Things that are Hot
As I have just been soaked in the hot pools in Iceland, I quote: ”Some Like it Hot”…
For other hot spots – click here.
Hot pools in New Zealand and in Iceland. The difference is that you should not put your foot in the NZ pool…you might lose it.
Cold and Hot Shocks – Gullfoss, Pools and Coffee
Gullfoss (the Golden Falls) has its origin in the glacier lake Hvítávatn (the White River Lake) at Lángjökull glacier about 40km north of Gullfoss. The river Hvítá flows into a wide curved three-step ”staircase” and then abruptly plunges in two stages (11 m and 21 m) into a crevice, seemingly vanishing into the earth, 32 m down. The crevice is about 20 m wide, and 2.5 km in length, and the average amount of water running over this waterfall is 140 m³/s in the summertime and 80 m³/s in the wintertime.
Over the years, there has been much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. However, the investors’ attempts have been unsuccessful, partly due to lack of money. The waterfall now belongs to the state of Iceland,
Legend has it that Sigríður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of the former owner of the falls, Tómas Tómasson, was determined to preserve Gullfoss as it had always been, and even threatened to throw herself into the waterfall. The story of the saviour of the falls is unfortunately… not true. But beautiful it is – there is even a statue made of Sigríður, standing close to the site.
When visiting Gullfoss, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland, we were in for one of the most icy cold shocks ever. The air temperature maybe 8 degrees below zero – but the strong wind made it feel like -30 something.
Three of us ventured out of the car, well prepared, but faces and fingers still suffered severely. Not the best circumstances for good shots – despite sun and clear sky. We ”fired” for about five minutes, then tried to reach the car without breaking any arms, legs or cameras.
Fortunately the path to the cliffs was closed – trying to reach the ”platform” could have ended your life. During summer this spot offers a spectacular view of the falls.
But, surely you can see the golden light of the Golden Falls…even in winter?
The walk to reach the rails was not successfully made by more than 10-15 people during our short stay. It was not possible to come closer for another angle of the crevice.
Trying to regain some body heat, we were delighted to dive into the warm car and follow the glacier river Hvitá down stream.
The sunset painted the surrounding landscape using mostly short sweeps of the brush…
…leaving only few white light spots around the corner of the hills. Soon the Icelandic evening was upon us.
Our plan was to go to The Secret Lagoon for a hot bath – the perfect ending of any day. In fact, every day was ended off with bathing in hot pools – which is a great habit with the Icelanders. Their bathing culture is strong, and they make it clear to every visitor that they have to take off their clothes and shower thoroughly without swimsuit. This is a must before entering the pools.
Here a gallery of hot pools and earthen baked bread and hot coffee…I hope you are inspired!
100 degrees, 24 hours later
Rye bread, butter and cheese
Laugarvatn Fontana
Laugardalur, Reykjavik
Inside out…
Fresch vegetables and fruit
Most famous cafe – Mokka…
…interior from the 50’s
Facts on Gullfoss: Wikipedia
WPC: Vibrant
”This week, share a photo of something vibrant. Vivid colors, a lively portrait, or perhaps a delightfully colorful landscape, if you’re in a warmer climate. Let’s wash the web with a rainbow of colors to keep the winter gloom at bay.”
Naturally from the natural world – vibrant!
Landscapes of Iceland – Thingvellir
On our way to Thingvellir this cold and beautiful morning.
Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance. It lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, at the northern end of Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
AlÞingi, the Icelandic Parliament, was established at Þingvellir in 930, and remained there until 1798. The National Park was founded in 1930, marking the 1.000th anniversary of the Althing, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen in the cracks faults which traverse the region, the largest one, Almannagjá, being a veritable canyon. This also often causes the earthquakes in the area.
According to the Book of Settlements, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island. Over the next centuries, people of Norse and Celtic origin settled in Iceland, and as the population grew there was a need for a general assembly.
The foundation of the Icelandic parliament is said to be the founding of the nation of Iceland, and the first parliamentary proceedings in the summer of 930 laid the ground for a common cultural heritage and national identity. Þingvellir plays a central role in the history of the country.
Þingvellir was the centre of Icelandic culture. Every year during the Commonwealth period, people would flock to Þingvellir from all over the country, sometimes numbering in the thousands. They set up dwellings with walls of turf and rock and temporary roofing and stayed in them for the two weeks of the assembly.
The Drowning Pool for potential witches
Although the duties of the assembly were the main reason for going there, ordinary people gathered at Þingvellir for a wide variety of reasons. There were merchants, sword-sharpeners, tanners and entertainers – and ale-makers brewed ale to them all. News was told from distant parts; games and feasts were held. Itinerant farmhands looked for work and vagrants begged.
A flagpole on Law Rock marks the place where the law was recited from.
Þingvellir was a meeting place for everyone in Iceland, laying the foundation for the language and the famous literature – the Eddas and the Sagas.
A Law Rock of ones own?
In fact, still today, young people can read the old texts from the 12th century – not many languages have lasted that much unchanged. This is possible due to the conservative – and innovative and creative – use of the old words, combined with less borrowed words than any other language. As an example: vegabréf is a combination of veg (road) and bréf (letter) = passport!
The landscape around Thingvellir – magnificAent.
Short historical facts: Wikipedia.
Land of Ice and Fire
On leaving Vik, the landscape slowly turned into even darker earth colours. A last glimpse of the church half way up in the mountains.
Just around the mountain ridge, the landscape opened up to the sea again.
A glacier river graced the crossroads. Mýrdalsjökull in low light.
Arriving at Seljalandsfoss, Vestmannaeyar just sat in my lens…again.
The sun setting over the faraway islands, almost made me forget the Bride’s veil, Seljalandsfoss, waiting for us on the mountain.
Fire on the left hand side – and ice on the other..
I do not understand how someone could have managed to get behind the falls this day – the icy path made us stay away from trying…But, as you can see, someone did.
I wonder what sort of shoes you must wear to manage this! Where is the path? This is the rail to the steps…
Windows capturing the last of the setting sun over Vestmannaeyar.
We slowly returned to Reykjavik, silent and very satisfied with this glorious day.
Leya 
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