Tuesday 15 October 2024

London Day 1: House of Bondage, Duck Coquettes, Garlic Mushrooms and a Side of Bugs.

 

 A Side of Bugs from Leicester Square Garden

After visiting London numerous times, it now serves as a gateway to other European Cities. This allows us to travel to the UK from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, saving ~ 10 hours of flying per round trip from Canada.  We take in special exhibitions at museums and galleries as well as musicals and plays. This trip was a much-needed break from the personal challenges of 2024 and day 1 was the ideal start to our fall 2024 trip. 

Day 1 Route

A recent find (thanks to hubby) and now favourite stop is the Photographers' Gallery (Photographers' Gallery), which has fantastic exhibits. It demonstrates that pictures can convey more than words and is a definite must for photography lovers. The exhibition we saw was House of Bondage by Ernest Cole, featuring his 1950s and '60s photos from a 1967 book documenting apartheid horrors.  He was one of South Africa’s first black photojournalists.  The exhibit was moving and thought-provoking (Ernest Cole). The exhibitions change every couple of months, in fact, a new exhibit commenced less than a month after we visited.

The next stop was an accidental find: the Royal Institution (Royal Institution) of Great Britain. As we passed by, we decided to visit on a whim. It was a delightful surprise and an interesting way for two retired scientists to spend ~ an hour.  Their library made me smile, as we once had bookcases filled with similar books in our home (donated to a local science library).

Library at the Royal Institution.

Photometer and Optometer at Royal Institution

Early dinner was next on the agenda.  We stopped at The Clarence, a Nicholson's pub I had discovered on an earlier visit with a friend. The reasons for the repeat visit were the lovely rose wine, the slow-cooked pulled duck croquettes and the garlic mushrooms on sourdough.  Though I must admit a couple of the pies did catch my eye, specifically the chicken & truffled oyster mushroom pie and the wild boar & chorizo pie.  Maybe next time! 

Our path to Leicester Square Station passed several beautiful and whimsical bronze sculptures. We passed the Beau Brommell sculpture just outside the Picadilly Arcade, the Horses of Helios on the corner of Coventry St. and Haymarket, and various bronzes in Leicester Square Garden. 
  
Beau Brummel on Jermyn Street 

Horses of Helios on the corner of Coventry Street and Haymarket


Bronze Sculptures in Leicester Square Gardens


Charlie Chaplin

Gene Kelly - Dancing in the Rain.

Harry Potter

Mary Poppins

Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean

Paddington Bear

Laurel and Hardy

If you look up at the buildings you will see Batman on the roof of the Odeon Theatre.  Alas, we were unable to spot Wonder Woman,  but it was a fun way to finish day 1. House of Bondage, duck croquettes, garlic mushrooms with a side of Bugs describes day 1 in London to a "T".

Sunday 3 September 2023

Day 8: The Long Way to Reykjavík

Day 8 Route (Hamarsvöllur to Reykjavík)

Snorrastofa museum in Rekholt

Day 8 was our final day in Iceland. We stayed the night at the Hamar Hotel in Hamarsvöllur just 79 km (1 hour 10 minutes) away from the Baron Fosshotel in Reykjavík. We began the day in Reykholt by visiting Snorrastofa and its surrounding grounds. It was an interesting place and a good start to the final day.  

Next up was the Hraunfossar (Lava Falls). Hraunfossar is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming out of the Hallmundarhraun lava field that flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull.

Hraunfossar Falls

Barnafoss on Hvítá River

Barnafoss is a rapid waterfall and a short walk from the Hraunfossar Falls. Barnafoss translates to the Children’s Falls and has an Icelandic folklore tale associated with it (Barnafoss Legend). The contrast between Barnafoss and Hraunfossar is striking; one is dramatic and angry, and the other one is serene and soothing.

The next stop was Deildartunguhver, the highest-flowing hot spring in Europe, located in Reykholtsdalur. It has a flow rate of 180 litres (380 pints) per second. The water at Deildartunguhver hot spring is a constant 97 degrees Celsius (207 degrees Fahrenheit). Much of the water at Deildartunguhver is used for heating Icelandic homes in the surrounding area. 


Deildartunguhver Hot Springs

Due to unscheduled delays while exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula the previous day, we returned for another afternoon of exploring. One stop was the Bjarnarfoss Waterfall (Bear Waterfall), a 262-foot (80-meter) waterfall, easily visible from Route 54. As with most Icelandic sites, there are locale legends associated with this beautiful cascading waterfall (Bjarnarfoss Legend). 

Bjarnarfoss waterfall

Other stops on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula included the Lóndrangar basalt cliffs (nicknamed the Rocky Castle), an abandoned farmhouse at Dagverðará, various craters and of course another view of Snæfellsjökull.  The two pillars at Lóndrangar are all that remains of a volcanic crater due to erosion.  The abandoned farmhouse is great stop for photographers so we weren't the only visitors that day.  After one last stop for a final view of Snæfellsjökull, we headed into Reykjavík.

Lóndrangar basalt cliffs (aka The Rocky Castle)
  
Abandoned Farmhouse of Dagverðará at Snæfellsnes

Crater on Snaefellsnes Peninsula (near Bjarnarfoss Waterfall)

Final View of Snæfellsjökull

A Touch of Frost (near Barnafoss Falls)


Deildartunguhver Geothermal Energy Facility

Gamla Kirkjan, Rekholt (ca 1887)

Our arrival in Reykjavík was late afternoon, so we only had time for was a walk around the area.  At least one additional day was required to visit Reykjavík properly.  One reason to return in the future!  Our final photograph taken in Iceland was of a gyrfalcon (Iceland's national bird) on Laugavegur 70 Street. This beautiful work was done by Örn Tönsberg (better known as Selur One), one of Reykjavík’s most prolific street artists. 

Goodbye Iceland, Hello Faroe Islands!  

Gyrfalcon on Laugavegur 70 Street

Video Clip

Monday 8 May 2023

Iceland Day 7: My Comeuppance!

Day 7 Route (unpaved section highlighted in red)

Kattarhyggur Bridge (Cat´s Arch)

The distance between our hotels on Day 7 was just 212 kilometres or 2.5 hours away, so we decided to explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula that afternoon. I decided to trust my memory instead of writing down the intended route. That was to be my comeuppance; I made the mistake of saying to turn onto Route 55 (to get to Route 54) instead of Route 56. Route 55 was a gravel road, albeit in very good condition. At that time, I assumed that Route 54 was all paved, so it would not be a problem. Oops, it turned out that ~ 75 km of Route 54 was unpaved and we had to drive 40 kms on a rough section before returning to paved road. Two hours on gravel roads was unanticipated and unscheduled. All I have to say for myself is that it wasn't a gravel switch-back going up a mountain through the fog without guard rails. (https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/12/iceland-day-4-dramatic-skies-waterfalls.html). 

Our first stop since leaving Skagafjörður was at the Kattahryggur bridge, commonly known as the Cat´s Arch.  It was one of the first concrete bridges built in Iceland along the old Akureyri Road. This road was originally used for horse-drawn carriages and later motorized vehicles. The subsequent stops had beautiful views of the Baula and Litla-Baula Mountains; which are laccoliths, a type of intrusive rock with a domed top surface and a level base. These mountains are 3.4 million years old. 

Baula and Litla-Baula Mountains from Glanni Waterfall Trail.

Coming from a place where storytelling or "spinning a yarn" is so deeply woven into our cultural fabric tends to make people appreciate the stories of other cultures. I think Iceland could take the storytelling crown. Every location in Iceland, whether it's a waterfall, a mountain or a settlement, seems to have a story associated with it that somehow incorporates gods, elves, trolls and other mythical creatures. Our next stop was to visit Glanni Waterfall on the Nordura River.  Rumor has it that Glanni is home to elves and trolls, but you are more likely to encounter salmon since the Nordura River is known for great salmon fishing. 

Glanni Waterfalls on the Nordura River

Next up was our adventure around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The first stop was a quick view of Eldborg Crater (translated means Fortress of Fire or Fire City). This crater presents a regular oval shape with a diameter of 200 metres and a depth of 50 metres. The surrounding lava fields were created by eruptions 5,000 to 8,000 years ago. Eldborg Crater is a 5 kilometres (3 miles) round trip hike from Snorrastaðir farm.

Eldborg Crater (Fortress of Fire)

A couple of minutes past our stop at Eldborg Crater, we began our alternative route to the north shore of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. We transversed the peninsula via gravel roads (Route 55 and part of Route 54). The views were lovely but realistically stopping and taking Route 56 immediately would have been the sensible decision due to time constraints. In addition, the rental vehicle was small, a Kia Ceed. We saw a lovely church in a field by itself. Google maps identified it as Breiðabólsstaðarkirkja, either there are two churches with the same name or this one is called something else. Approximately 8 kilometres further we stopped to photograph a boat wreck across the water on an island. 

Breiðabólsstaðarkirkja (maybe but google maps says it is)
 
Boat Wreck on an Island 

It was along the unpaved section of Route 54 that we stopped to photograph one of the many stone cairns that we had seen. These stone cairns are ancient route markers made from lava rocks. In Iceland, these cairns (steinvarða) were traditionally placed along single-track roads to mark trails and date back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Tourism necessitated Icelandic Authorities to institute rules and rule 4 was “never dislodge stones or build cairns”. This article explains the reason and necessity for rule 4.  (https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/nature_and_travel/2019/07/05/tourists_warts_removed_by_park_rangers/)

Stone Cairns (Steinvarða)

Eureka we hit pavement again as Route 56 joined Route 54. One of our stops was Kirkjufell (also known as Arrowhead Mountain in Game of Thrones) and when we arrived it was crowded. We avoided the crowds the best we could, got the photograph and continued on our way.  Kirkjufell is very picturesque and while we would have also liked to have included Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall in a photo, crowds made that impossible.  Like many beautiful spots in Iceland, I suspect the optimum times to photograph them would be sunrise and sunset and not just for the ideal light conditions.

Arrowhead Mountain in Game of Thrones (AKA Kirkjufell)

Our next major stop was Hellissandur, a fishing village dating back to the 16th century located on the north-western point of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Our reason for stopping here was decidedly modern; street art. Street art transformed Hellissandur's closed and abandoned buildings due to the fishery downturn into beautiful and colourful works of art.  A few pieces are showcased below.  (https://vimeo.com/311365999). 

Arctic Tern on Bird House by Ban Pesk 2019

Fears Conversation by Ban Pesk 2018

Terrors of Fróðá by Natalia Moguel, 2018

Bardur Protector of the Snaefellsnes by Camilo Arias, 2018


Crazy Birds by Ban Pesk , 2018

Bárðar Saga (Half Human Half Troll) by Nikki 10, 2018

This was the point where our side trip along Route 56 caught up and the time crunch had arrived.  We headed to our hotel outside of Borgarnes to prepare for our last day in Iceland.  A few quick photo stops was all that time allowed.

View of Snæfellsjökull 

Video Clip

Sunday 15 January 2023

Iceland Day 6: Reflections

 

Lake Ljósavatn, Lake of Light

Day 6 was a day of reflecting on our first 5 days in Iceland, enjoying the views as we travelled from Reykjahlíð to Sauðárkrókur. Day 5 had been an incredibly busy day, so we left later than normal and took our time as we headed towards Sauðárkrókur. The landscape along this section of the trip was not as dramatic (though still beautiful) as previous days and that provided a respite from landscape sensory overload.  The day started out as cloudy with sunny breaks and ended with rain showers, not unusual for our time in Iceland.  

Day 6 Route


Wooden Sculpture
Berjaya Mývatn Hotel
Goðafoss Waterfall and Lake Ljósavatn

Our first stop was a Lake Mývatn Viewpoint, only us enjoying a last goodbye to the Lake Mývatn area. Our second stop was a quick return to the magnificent Goðafoss Waterfall in the Bárðardalur Valley, mid morning just prior to the arrival of tour groups.  

Next up was Ljósavatn, a lake in Ljósavatnsskarð Pass near the mouth of Bárðardalur Valley. The light and weather conditions were perfect for taking pictures of lake reflections of the surrounding mountains. This was such a beautiful place, our stop was longer than normal, pure relaxation. Lake Ljósavatn was formed because of volcanic eruptions and the resulting lava blocking a depression or valley.   

Lake Mývatn Viewpoint


Goðafoss Waterfall in the Bárðardalur Valley


Eyjafjörður Fjord

From Lake Ljósavatn we traveled to Akureyri, bypassing the Vaðlaheiðargöng Toll Tunnel. We took Route 83 and 84 crossing the mountains over the Víkurskarð pass. As we were traveling in early September and had mild weather, this route was safe from snow at this time while offering a scenic view of the Eyjafjörður Fjord. Akureyri is located on the Eyjafjörður Fjord in North Iceland, known as ‘The Capital of the North’ is a mere 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the Arctic Circle.

View of Akureyri from Across the Eyjafjörður Fjord


Öxnadalur Valley

After leaving Akureyi and heading west, route 1 passes through the 30 km Öxnadalur Valley. The most prominent feature of Öxnadalur Valley is the Hraundrangi Spire in the Drangafjall ridge that has an elevation of 1075 meters (3,527 ft), 80 meters (260 ft) higher than other points in the ridge. The Hraundrangi Spire and the Drangafjall ridge are what remains of Háafjall Mountain after it collapsed in a massive rockslide near the end of the Ice Age. 

The Hraundrangi Spire in the Drangafjall Ridge

Views of the Öxnadalur Valley


Glaumbær Turf Houses

Our next stop was Glaumbær Turf Houses. In the past, everyone in Iceland would have lived in a turf house, regardless of social standing. The Glaumbær turf house was occupied until 1947, when it was declared a protected site and a farm has been located on the site since the settlement of Iceland in approximately 874. The style of the buildings at Glaumbær date back to the 18th and 19th centuries with the oldest dating back to ~1750 and the most recent from 1876-79. The Turf Houses were built out of stone, wood, and of course, turf. Turf construction evolved in Iceland owing to acute shortage of large trees (acute is an apt describe of its tree status). The buildings at Glaumbær are a thin wooden shell (the wood would have been imported), separated from each other and insulated by thick walls of turf, and roofed with a thick layer of sod. The design of the turf houses had to take into practical considerations of wet and dry periods on the turf and sod. The Glaumbær Turf Houses are well worth a stop, a step back into Iceland's history. This site has useful information of the turf house construction as well as the farm's history (https://nat.is/glaumbaer-skagafjordur-folk-museum/ ).

Glaumbær Turf Houses

Glaumbær Turf Houses

Glaumbær Turf Houses

Glaumbær Turf Houses

Glaumbær Turf Houses

From Glaumber we headed to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

The following websites provide additional information on various topics concerning Iceland: