Spiekeroog

Many years ago, when we went to Spiekeroog, I took this photo just before a storm that night. I still love it.

Monumental reflexion

In 2008 we spent a November weekend in Berlin.

This photo I took at the Holocaust Monument when the rain let up.

Water is everywhere - Part 1

Water is everywhere in Iceland. I lately wrote a little guest blog for the page www.inspiredbyiceland.com. There I wrote about one of the most important elements in Iceland: Water. Here is the full article - Part 1:

(Part 2 will follow tomorrow)

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Water is the most important part of Iceland for me.

Why? Yes, you had to ask. Water is everywhere in Iceland - and in fact - around it. And water is a large part of the experience when you get deeper into Iceland.

Well, it is about landscape and volcanoes, about ice, about the light, yes, of course. But nothing of all this is worth it, if you take away the water.

Water is such an integral part of my vacations to Iceland - five to this point, but I am not done counting - especially because you get into it. Deeply into it.

If people ask me, why I love Iceland, I tell them, that it is all about relaxing and escaping my everyday world. I love to hike, I love photography and I love to just enjoy the space and the light that is just not of this world. But no matter what, you have not been to Iceland if you didn't plunge in the water. All the time.

Icelandic baths are special. Heated by geothermal power, which mostly means that they are fed by hotsprings, each has a bit different of a water. Balmy, tangy, turquois or clear and lush.

Myvatn Nature Bath

If you miss out on the bath, you missed out on Iceland. I mean it. My favorit sporty-style bath is the Laugardalslaug in Reykjavik. This large and well equipped pool is just outside downtown and conveniently right next to the campground and the youth hostel. Reykjavik has more pools to offer. I never counted, how many. Well, I do admit it. I do swim a few laps there, but I really just want to lounge in the hot pots. That's the key for me in Icelandic pools. Oh, and the fact that they do not have clorine in the water. It's all fresh and that's something that you get no where else I know.

Organized city swimming pools are great. But it does not stop there, it does not even beginn there. There is an enormous amount of local hotpots. Natural hotpots, those that are maintained in some way and also those, where a local hotspring is detoured into a pool of sorts.

Snaefell Mountain in the background

I have been driving along dusty roads in the Westfjords. And what's on the map? A pool. Well, honestly, if you drive by it, that is your problem. There is nothing more refreshing than just taking a dip in there. And meet the people. We have had many a fun conversation at those pools.

Of course, when you are camping, pools are always welcome. You don't only get a shower there - and you neeeeed to use it. Thoroughly. No options. But you get to lounge in warming water. No matter how cold it is, there is such a revitalizing energy in warmth to the core. Of course you should also enjoy that feeling without a tent waiting for you. But I am always camping in Iceland as long as I am not coming in the winter.

If you think, you got the water thing now, well, the swimming part, then I am pretty sorry to say: You have not gotten the real deal quite yet. 

Landmannalaugar is a place I still have to visit, but I have been to Reykjadalur and therefore I did get my fair amount of soaking in a hot river. 

Reykjadalur

Reykjadalur is in hiking distance from the valley behind Hveragerði and an easy daytrip from Reykjavík. It has this beautiful alpine apearance and is strewn with Icelandic sheep. And through the middle there is a river. It starts boiling hot in the high end of the valley. And by boiling I mean boiling. Don't be tempted to even dip a finger in. The further you stay to the bottom end the cooler it gets. We usually hike up and down the stream and look for a place that is not too hot. And then, by evening time, the locals show up and go a good bit further up the hot part of the river. Then you know that you may be aspiring but not quite there.

Blue Lagoon Keflavík

Where or when it is cold or colder you want the hot water, hotter, longer, more relaxing. I have acutally been sitting in a hot pot or pool in Iceland while the snow falls around me and it's icy all over. Such a great contrast to enjoy. Also, watching a sunset in the mountains around Snæfell, waiting for reindeers to show up and meanwhile sitting in open air hot pots? Tell me what beats that, anywhere in the world.

Part 2 will follow tomorrow morning!

Inspired by Iceland

Hi everybody!

I got to write a little guest blog on Inspired by Iceland lately. It goes with the series of "Iceland by another name" that they are running for a while.

In this short article I am talking about water - and why water is such a dominating factor when seeing Iceland. Iceland is my waterland, that is the article, I am refering to.

Since the stories that are posted on this series of the Inspired by Iceland blog are relatively short, my full article had to be chopped. Too bad, I thought, though I understand it for the purpose they have.

Nonetheless I will give you the full article here soon. For now, check out my little text on

inspiredbyiceland.com:

Iceland is my Waterland

 

 

The photo I used for my article is one that I took at Myvatn Nature Bath on our frist trip to Iceland.

 

 

 

 

 

in the blue waters

Traveling Iceland means to go to the pools. Next to local pools and hot pots there are two baths that lure you in with blue, blue, blue milky waters. As different as they are, I can recommend them both.

The well known Blue Lagoon is near Keflavík in the south. It's a short busride from the airport and I ususally went there right before my flight home.

This one here, is more remote, loacted in Mývatn in the North of Iceland. But seriously, if you ask me, it is the nicer and more cosy feeling of the two.

If you want to see the Blue Lagoon, check out this posting here: Blue Lagoon.

The waters of those two places do not have much in common. The blue lagoon is saltwater, the Mývatn Nature Bath is freshwater. The minerals and ingredients are totally different. But they are waters from natural hotsprings or from underground and they are milky and turquoise.

Do you agree with me that the Mývatn Nature Bath is the better of the two? What is your experience?

Iceland is wide

Volcanic landscape near Myvatn, seen from the Hverfjall ash crater.

These are my shoes after hiking the ash crater.

The Fuel Pumps

These fuel pumps are in the backlands of northern Iceland. I think they are very photogenic.

Last year a friend gave me a novel and asked "Do you know this already?" - meaning the novel. "Yes", I screamed, and ran to my computer. She thought, I was talking about the novel, too. But I was talking about the cover picture. The novel had these two pumps on the front. We got a good laugh out of it.

the mist of the fall

Between Myvatn and Husavík there is a row of waterfalls that are really impressive. This one was really great about the mists that keep steaming up. I am not happy with the quality of this photo that I took in 2008 with a different camera. It is just not sharp enough and not true to color.

But the waterfall is great.

a sign that means it

When you come by a sign like this in Iceland: you better take it serious. What if it means it?

This is close to Askja, well, as close as real roads get.

How did the holes get into the top sign?

out on the moon

The geothermal area of Krafla behind the Myvátn lake leaves you with the impression that you are out on the moon, all by youself. If there was less gravity, it would surely be even more eery. The mudpots and fumaroles (the steam vents) are special and definitely worth a visit.

A fumarole venting the steam out with really loud hissing noises. The smell of sulfur is not very strong. Not every volcano smells the same, we found out.

This looks like a lunar scene to me. This spot is close to the ground, downwinds from one of the big fumaroles. The rocks are covered in minerals and sulfur remains and have this unreal yellow orange color.

Some time steam comes out from the middle of this spot. The place must not be touched, since the surface could get damaged. The area is not guarded by anyone but there are some lines drawn and some signs posted.

A gigantic, blubbering mudpot. This deep hole sends out steam and bubbles grey hot mud. Like a grey version of tomato soup.

Dry cracks in the soil. This spot must - at some point - have been sending up gas or steam. But it was quiet, when we got there.

An overview over the area. Without that the people on the side you could get lost in planetary situations.

Here, more than ever, I thought of different orbits all together.

A mudpot that was very liquid but none the less dangerous. Falling into one of those would be the last thing you do - no matter on which  planet.

High flying steam infront of a sky promising storms. This place is ever changing.

This is seen from a different place in the same valley. The power plant of Krafla is collecting the geothermal powers around the valley and turns them into energy. Iceland is entirely self sufficient with electricity and heating. Electric energy is entirely gathered from geothermal power. Heating is only fuled by other means where absolutely necessary.

The Fisherman

This Icelandic fisherman is the museum warden in the fishing museum between Ísafjördur and Bolungarvík in the Icelandic Westfjords. He walks around the museum, wearing traditional the outfit and telling the stories of the fishermen of the Westfjords and the vilages around. I have only ever heard him speak Icelandic, but once our very kind taxi driver was being the interpreter for us and once a German group of adults was traveling around the area and happend to be at the museum at the same time. They had an Icelandic woman translate for them so we got to hear the strories. I loved his tales and facts of the old days - but was very embaraced of my fellow Germans. I pretended not to be on the same plantet with them.

If you care for the stories - of the guide and the Germans - I will tell them to you, but please be prepared that part of it is embaracing.

The fisherman, though, definitely is cool and a nice guy.

Doors, Doors, Doors

Doors over doors over doors

and they are al differnet and worth a look.

Lisbon, Portugal

Belém, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Alfama, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

Fulpmes, Austria

Lisbon, Portugal

Rothenburg, Germany

Venice, Piazza San Marco, Italy

Évora, Portugal

Venice, Ghetto, Italy

Venice, Italy

Peterborough Town Library, New England, USA

Venice, Murano, Italy, Glas goes into the fire

Cape Cod, New England, USA

Belgien / Belgium

Keene, New England, USA

Isafjördur, Island / Iceland

Èvora, Portugal

Évora, Portugal

Türen über Türen über Türen über Türen

- und alle sind verschieden und interessant.

Barn Concert