ByGD
Adam Diegel (Mario Cavaradossi) in Tosca. © Elise Bakketun photo
Things so often disappoint in direct proportion to how highly anticipated they are. The Blarney Stone is a tourist trap; the Mannekin Pis is only a foot tall. That movie everyone raved about has a plot like Swiss cheese. Cheese from Switzerland – not really sweeter than cheese at home. But every now and then, a classic delivers everything promised. Like Tosca at Seattle Opera. Read More
ByGD
I’ve already written here and in other places about the close-knit Eistnaflug festival that drew me (and about 200 other foreigners) to a remote fjord in Iceland in July. Iceland really only has one main road outside of Reykjavik – the Ring Road, which, you guessed it, rings the island. The north route along the ring road to the Eistnaflug festival is only slightly longer than the south route; both take a solid day of driving. I would rather see as much of the country as possible. Wouldn’t you?
I caught a ride in a festival-sponsored van driven by the man responsible for Iceland’s Wacken Metal Battle. The organizational skills required to pull off a national battle of the bands was in evidence as we embarked on a customized, two day, heavy metal road trip, following the southern route to Eistnaflug, and returning along the northern half of Iceland’s ring road. This post is about the northern part of the circuit.
ByGD
Iceland attracts a lot of specialized tourism. Some people come just for volcanoes, or for glaciers, or for the sagas. Now with big festivals like Airwaves and ATP, music has become a big draw. This summer, Iceland was the destination for my heavy metal road trip. Read More
ByGD
I tried to curb my excitement, remembering stories of people who allowed their joy to flow too freely and attracted the attention of angry spirits, stories of children named Worthless to protect them from jealous gods. I know the danger of anticipating a show too intensely; the more you expect, the greater the chance of disappointment. So I was nervous all day. My favorite band, Sólstafir, was going to play Seattle for the first time in their 20-year career. Read More
