I’m so sick of everything to do with recession and depression and IMF loan and the charade that passes for politics in this country that I feel like I want to HEAVE every time I think about it. Seriously, I’ve had it.
At least until next time I feel compelled to proffer an opinion.
I can’t even remember what I used to post about before fricking Glitnir went belly-up and everything started to revolve around the Icelandic [and world] economy going down the toilet.
So instead of posting anything about any of the above, I’m going to post the pictures I took today when I went for my [rather brisk] stroll around the golf course.
First, a picture of the Big Sky as I set off from the parking lot:
I soon came to the ratty old outlook post that the British constructed during WWII, for keeping an eye on enemy ships. Looks kind of like the Icelandic economy these d… D’oh!! I used the ‘E’ word!
… As you can see, it was snowing. I went inside, changed lenses on my camera, and took a couple of shots of a flock of birds flying past:
Back outside, a winter road and a view of the Reykjanes peninsula [the road you take to and from the Keflavík airport] with Mt. Keilir sticking up like a [volcanic] cone:
A bit further on, I chanced upon this lil’ guy, lounging on a rock in the freezing cold:
Here he is in relation to the town:
I was almost the full way around, turned a corner, and what did I see but a freighter sailing on dry land [at least that's what it looked like]:
No doubt laden with all the cars and heavy machinery that Iceland is exporting these days. Back at the parking lot, I couldn’t resist one shot of cold and majestic Mt. Esja, towering above the Medical Museum [the one with the black roof].
That building was the home of the first surgeon-general in this country, way back when there were no industrial buildings cluttering up the background.
Okay, then! That concludes our little tour of the tip of the Seltjarnarnes peninsula. Presumably I don’t have to elaborate too much on the weather today, 1000 words and all that. Right now windy, VERY icy roads, temps 0°C [32F]. The sun came up at 10:13 am and went down at 4:12 pm - right around the time those pics were taken.
[The full set of pictures is here. Also, if you click on any photo, and in Flickr on "all sizes" it will show them larger.]
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
It is 62 degrees here right now and is supposed to get somewhere around the mid 50’s tonight. Farenheit, need I say? Where: southeastern US.
We start some nasty whining if the weather gets below 50.
I’ve been using some of your photos as my wallpaper. Hope you don’t mind!
Thanks for getting back to your “roots”. Its a great escape for me even though it looks similar here. Not as volcanic, but wintry with ships hugging the shoreline. Howling wind and -10C.
This may sound like a silly question - but does Iceland have much in the way of trees? Is there anywhere in the country where there are enough trees to call it a wood, or even a forest?
Andrew - have you ever heard this joke? (sorry, it’s so lame)
Q: What do you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest?
A: Stand up!
I told you it was lame. But at least we’re not talking about the economy! Yay!
I loved this little tour, thanks!
You take such amazing photos! I love the one with the birds and the sun gleaming through the dark clouds.
Beautiful pictures. I especially love the one of the medical museum with Esja as the backdrop. It’s very atmospheric.
Very nice. Thanks. Fairly stark contrast with Pacific Palisades, California today at about 17-18C. In short pants and t-shirts.
It’s warmer there than here (I’m in ND at my mum’s). The pix are beautiful. As for the “e” word we could either go with the theory that when you have hit bottom any way is up, or you could go with my mum’s theory “it’s never so bad it can’t get worse.”
Comforting, huh?
@Andrew
- According to Wikipedia, it mentions this about the flora in Iceland: “Approximately three-quarters of the island are barren of vegetation; plant life consists mainly of grassland which is regularly grazed by livestock. The only tree native to Iceland is the northern birch Betula pubescens, which formerly formed forest over much of southern Iceland. Permanent human settlement greatly disturbed the isolated ecosystem of thin, volcanic soils and limited species diversity. The forests were heavily exploited over the centuries for firewood and timber. Deforestation caused a loss of critical topsoil due to erosion, greatly reducing the ability of birches to grow back. Today, only a few small birch stands exist in isolated reserves. The planting of new forests has increased the number of trees, but does not compare to the original forests. Some of the planted forests include new foreign species.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland
Great photos, thanks, and this is only encouraging me to get back to Iceland faster! What is it about the striking skies there?
If anyone is on facebook, you can join my “Trees for Iceland” group. Its started off as sort of a joke. I was taking a class on NGO management and an Icelandic exchange student and I came up with an advocacy group to raise funds for the Icelandic forestry department. We even had a fundraising concert that raised about $100. But when I wrote to several officials asking where to send the donation, I never received an answer. Maybe I should try again now, post-meltdown. Or just hit YT’s donate button :)!
My dad visited Iceland about fourty years ago, and he said the only tree he saw was in the botanical garden in Rejkjavik.
So, it’s encouraging that nowadays new forests are planted. Good move, imho.
Ed, hmm, I might be able to find out where you can send the money
Donate button seems a good idea too, though.
Yes, there are forests here, the biggest ones (except for Reykjavík itself - which has actually the most trees, in people’s gardens) being Hallormsstaðaskógur in the East of Iceland, and Vaglaskógur up north.
Before reading Dietmar post, I would have answer there are only imported trees in Iceland. So there are a few of local ones.I should say that Iceland has probably not the best soil to grow trees.
Great pictures. There is nothing more beautiful around this time of the year than layers of white above everything. I´m happy that the rain from Wednesday changed into snow.
I had suggested to friends that Icelanders thought money grew on trees….then found they hadn’t any.
Sorry
Absolutely stunning photos Alda. What a unique place.
While on the subject of trees, has anyone heard about a group of extremists who want to cut down the trees at Þingvellir? I’m talking specifically about the pine trees — apparently, since those types of trees are not native to Iceland. From what I’ve heard (from my Icelandic boyfriend) the group thinks that only the native species of Birch should exist on national park lands. And god knows how long it takes for a tree to grow in Iceland! We’ve nicknamed this alleged group “Tree Haters”. Has anyone else heard about this or is this total crap? It would be such a shame for an entire mini-forest of pine trees to be slashed to cater to the whims of some zealots.
Ahhh what wonderful photos. I looked at them all on Flickr, they’ve helped soothe my Friday morning headache. I *heart* Iceland
It’s been snowing here in northern England this morning. I drove to work in a blizzard.
Thank you, everyone! What a great response.
Abby - no, not in the least. Be my guest.
Andrew - I trust you’ve received the answer to your question?
Ed - what you experienced is so typical for Iceland. I know many readers will agree that it’s INCREDIBLY frustrating to try to do business here, ESPECIALLY if you want to propose something new. Clearly even if you have money to throw at people, it’s still the same. Conclusion: I’d say the ‘donate’ button is your best bet. I promise I’ll use it to buy an Icelandic Christmas tree (which means that around five more will be planted).
Gray - was your father given to exaggeration?
Jessica - never heard anything about that until now. Surely it’s just a bunch of quacks looking for attention.
What a relief to read something different for a change. Love the photos.
PS - if you click on the photos, and then on “all sizes” in Flickr, it will show the photos larger.
I have been reading this blog for quite a while now and with great interest in your knowledgeable coverage of the recent events and the somehow gloomy days. But your fotos remind me of what I like about Iceland most and let me look forward to my long planned visit to Reykjavik in december. Hopefully the roads will not be too icy then.
Alda, you should check this out:http://www.visir.is/article/20070716/FRETTIR01/70716067
Indeed the weather finally got colder on my last day there. But it is still colder with more fresh snow back in Canada.
There are small “forests” here and there. I saw a number of them on the slopes near Hveragerði. One side of the valley had the iconic snow and ice on the mountain and the other side had hundreds of steam vents that kept the ground warm enough to melt the snow. Patches of trees dotted the slopes. The trees were taller than what you normally see. I suppose it is like the patches of ice that are in micro climates of wind and shade, the opposite is true of some active geothermal areas of warmer ground.
Having the right combination of sun, wind, warmth, and soil to grow anything is a delicate matter in Niceland. The people on the other hand are much more likely to be friendly and warm to wandering strangers such as myself. Sometimes they are taller than the trees.
Sigvaldi - Cor blimey! I must have been on vacation when that came up. (Indeed, I see now that I was - on my trek across Sprengisandur.)
I had the great fortune to intern at two locations in Iceland this past summer doing …… forestry work! First was in the Thjorsa Valley east of Selfoss where I worked 6 weeks for Skograekt Rikisins. We did a lot of tree planting, mainly Birch and Rowan. I lived in a forest right there and worked in one on the days when we weren’t planting in the ash fields of Hekla mostly.
Second was at Solheimar Eco-Village, where they have an organic tree nursery and reforestation business. They supply seedlings to groups who are reforesting Iceland, and they also sell to the general public. What a great time at both locations!
Those photos are awesome. I would really love to travel and see you land.
Thanks for sharing with us.
~K!
Beautiful shots! Thanks for sharing these! It’s so amazing that you can just walk outside to these breathtaking views.
Yes, I know. You see? We Icelanders are still rich in so many ways.
These are great photos - I especially like the ones of the sky with the illuminated clouds etc. - these photos remind me once more why I really want to visit Iceland again next year. Iceland is such a wonderful country - and your pictures show that time and again.
Could you provide us with a photo of an Icelandic tree!?
Andrew - sure thing! This was taken in Heiðmörk, just east of Reykjavík.
Andrew, here is a picture of some more Icelandic trees: http://www.ismennt.is/not/jonasg/hallormsstadur/
Wonderful! I hope they don’t get cut down for Christmas trees.
Here’s some photo albums from my summer in iceland, some of the photos show us working in the forests!
http://s73.photobucket.com/albums/i229/franklenraymond/Initial%20Iceland%20Impressions/
http://s73.photobucket.com/albums/i229/franklenraymond/Iceland%20One/
“Gray - was your father given to exaggeration?”
No, quite to the contrary. He’s an analytical, technical guy. But how good is your memory of Iceland in the late 60s?
Btw, the first two hits of this Google search for Iceland tree show the same tree, photographed by two different people. Now, try that with searching for “Easter Island” tree . Different trees. Very telling.
Well, I remember there was more than one tree!