Tag Archive Iceland

ByGD

Museum Tuesday at Airwaves

Maritime Museum in Reykjavik

Maritime Museum, Reykjavik

Tuesday was supposed to be a journo day, but I ended up with only one interview scheduled, and that at 8 pm. So it turned into Reykjavik museums day. I took it easy in the morning, walking along the harbor with a latte and taking as many pictures as my frozen fingers would allow. The wind picked up on Tuesday, and I had to drop my “It’s not that different from home,” refrain. Read More

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Crowded Little Rock

rock in ThingvellirA rock theme seems to be emerging here. I guess geology is a little hard to ignore in Iceland. I’m trying to break up the tourist posts with a little bit of reflection, and today I’m thinking about crowded little rocks. I’ve always had a fascination with isolated island nations, and have over the years been infatuated with Japan (before it was popular), Sri Lanka, and now, Iceland. Developed almost in a vacuum, external influences on these places can become disproportionately significant, transformed beyond recognition. Read More

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Keeping the Sabbath in Iceland

HallgrimskirkjaYou didn’t really think this post would be about church did you? My Sunday was all about music.

After spending Saturday evening in journalistic research and preparation, I took three melatonin, put in earplugs and went to bed at ten. And praise God, I slept until 9 am. I joined my new roommate, Amandine the French fashion-finance whiz, for breakfast, where we talked about food standards, immigration, and social programs. Read More

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Rocked by Disappointment

Thingvellir Law Rock

The Law Rock

My family has a history of being disappointed by rocks. Read More

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My First Golden Circle Tour

I left the pub after 11, a little before rúntur got started. I had wondered if Icelanders dress up for Halloween – either Reykjavik teens really top rave fashion, or the answer is “yes, on the closest weekend.” But I didn’t stay to find out more; I had a Golden Circle tour booked for 8 am pickup Saturday, and didn’t want to miss the bus. So I was in bed by midnight.

A slamming door woke me at 3 am. At 3:30, I got up and went to the kitchen for a drink of water. Then I tossed and turned for a long time. I thought to myself, I’ll just check the time, and if it’s after 4:30, I’ll get up. It was 5:15. So I got up, wrote up some notes, ate a big breakfast, and caught my bus promptly at 8 am. Read More