"To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live."
Hans Christian Andersen
After the visit to the Liston's studio we went and had lunch in Grundarfjörður. As always we had wonderful conversations and great food. In a true surprise Sigriður and Jón invited us to their home. Their home is right on the water with beautiful views. We walked down the driveway near the nesting Arctic Terns(we're trained professionals for that experience now) and went inside their home which is filled with Jón's art including the small clay sculpture he just sculpted the previous day which sat in the mini self-portrait/still-life in the photo.
Although we really did not want to leave, and I personally volunteered to house sit for them whenever they needed it, we headed off to the town of Stykkishólmur. Before we arrived there we made a quick stop in a beautiful moss covered lava area. I have some great photos from that, but the files are too big, so someday I will figure out how to post those. In Stykkishólmur they were having a Danish Festival so the town was filled with Danish flags and had different activities. We had a chance to just wander around and explore. One the activities I saw while wandering was seaweed soccer. They had a tarp down on the mini field upon which they shoveled seaweed on top then sprayed it with water. It was pretty funny to watch the kids attempt to play soccer. So the rest of the images are from exploring Stykkishólmur.
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Our first full day on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula back on June 24 began with a stop at Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall. Game of Throne fans may recognize some of the landscape from north of the wall. Another remarkable waterfall with 360 views. From there we went into the fishing village of Grundarfjörður. In Grundarfjörður we were met by a former Member of Parliament and Ambassador to Canada Sigriður Anna Þórðardóttir and her husband a pastor and artist Jón. The first stop they took us to was the church which they arranged to be open so we could see inside. The design on the inside had beautiful had painted woodwork, an organ which came from Germany, and a stained glass window which was purposely designed so that you could see the views. We began to walk around the town and Jón also showed us a mural he painted. From there they took us down to the studio of a local artist, Lúðvik Karlsson, Liston. He works in stone, painting, and other materials. His studio was surrounded by large stone carvings. Inside his studio he had a mini gallery where everyone purchased some of his work. I´m running short on time again so will continue about this experience in Grundarfjörður later.
Our final planned stop in the Westfjords was to Rauðisandur beach. This is a red sand beach where you can walk for 10 kilometers apparently. So here's my sidetrack story about our rockstar bus driver Linda and the details that we found out later(for which I'm glad). We have been riding in a fairly large bus which has been nice as it is easy to stretch out and spread out during these long drives. Many of the drives throughout the Westfjords were on gravel roads where often it is challenging to have 2 cars going in each direction much less a large bus. So on the 23rd we had our long bus ride on our way from the Westfjords to Snæfellsnes peninsula which started at like 9am and we didn't reach our next hotel until around midnight. That day it was cold, windy, and rainy and at some point the bus got very dirty so much so that you couldn't see out the windows. The gravel road down to the beach was the steepest I have seen with tight switchbacks that only had enough room for 1 vehicle, preferably smaller is what we learned later. Anyway, Linda managed that drive slowly negotiating the switchbacks, stopping at one point to calculate the maneuver she would need to get through one particularly treacherous section. So those who could see out the front of the bus described it like looking like we were about to go over the cliff. I couldn't really see anything out my window, for which I am glad. So when we reached the beach at the bottom we took a short stroll before getting back on the bus and heading back up the steep cliff. So during dinner last night Linda told us how nervous she was and that how apparently a fan belt on the bus broke so while we were leisurely enjoying our stroll she was fixing the fan belt. She also talked about how glad she was that we didn't run into any other vehicles along that road. Linda is a rockstar. So photos of the beach and a few more random ones from the drive.
After viewing the Dynjandi waterfall our next stop was Latrabjarg, one of Europe's biggest bird cliffs. The views were stunning and the birds were plentiful all around. So here are some photos from the hike up the bird cliff.
The experiences in this Fulbright journey continue to be phenomenal with days that are full of opportunities to learn, see, do, and one of the best parts, reconnect with these talented US Educators and the Fulbright Iceland staff. So I'm several days behind in my posting, but will continue to share experiences as I have time.
Back on June 23rd, after our days in the Westfjords, we spent a long day of travel making some remarkable stops along the way. The first stop was the Dynjandi waterfall. I have never met an Icelandic waterfall I didn't like and this one was no different. We were able to hike up the edge of the waterfall looking at the various pools and rocks. Opposite the waterfall was a beautiful vista of the coast. So here are some photos of that experience. Hesteyri is an abandoned village in the Hornstrandir nature preserve. This village was abandoned in 1952, but still some houses remain that are maintained as summer homes. It is a location that is now known for it's Arctic foxes. We arrived at the dock on the evening of the 22nd and took a tour from a guide that lead us around the beach, church, cemetery, and back to the old doctor's house where we were served dinner. Once again there were amazing 360 views with a waterfall. We were also fortunate to have beautiful, warm sunny weather to enjoy our visit. After dinner we hopped back on the boat for the ride back to Isafjörður.
On the 22nd we rode a boat first to Vigur Island then went from Vigur to Hesteyri before heading back to Isafjörður. In between our stops at Vigur and Hesteyri we had an unexpected whale spotting, actually several whales. In our previous Fulbright visit we went whale watching and saw some whales and it was wonderful. I couldn't have ever scripted just coming across several whales while riding the boat in this return trip. Then on the way back into Isafjörður we had a beautiful sky. I hesitate to say sunset because that only somewhat happens around 2am and this was around 9:30pm. I'll try to post some of those photos then more about the visit to Hesteyri later.
On the afternoon of the 22nd we took a boat ride to Vigur Island. This island is a wildlife sanctuary and eider colony. Once we reached the island we were greeted by the man who owns it and is the caretaker along with his family. Right off the dock you notice birds everywhere who seem remarkably comfortable with human presence. He took us to the building where they process the eider down they harvest. From there we did a hike around the island. Before we set off for the hike we each had to grab a long stick with a mini flag at the end which we held near our temples above our heads. This prevents the Arctic Terns from attacking your head as it protects it's nest. So sticks in the air we headed off and, yes, there were many terns swooping and making all sorts of sounds. In addition to the terns we saw puffins and watched them fly with fish bringing it to their burrows. The caretaker described to us that they like to show off their fish making several passes by us with fish in their beaks before entering their burrows. We saw many other types of birds along the hike. Our visit ended with delicious Icelandic Wedding Cake, which was kind of like a crumb cake filled with rhubarb topped with cream, yum.
I have so much to share from wonderful days which have been packed with activities from morning until past 10pm or like last night close to midnight. So I will attempt to share in small chunks which may take a while to get caught up. Plus I'm working with really slow WiFi at our current stop.
So working backwards let me tell you about the visit to Isafjörður Primary School which took place on June 21st. We were given a tour by the principal Kristjan Arnar Ingason. We went through several classrooms and the library, listened to a presentation, and had time for a discussion. The school building was a beautiful building which had a combination of older and newer areas. It had several sort of open areas which the principal described as "not really usable space" with views of the surrounding mountains and harbor. In the walk through we got to see general classrooms and the Living Skills(Family Consumer Science), Industrial Tech(construction), Art, Computer Lab, and Library. One of the most interesting things was the shoe rack where students and staff place their shoes right in the entryway. It was interesting to hear the strengths and challenges for the school. One of the challenges was with staffing as they have not been able to hire a science teacher in over a year drawing strong comparisons to American teacher shortages in certain areas. The principal also talked about some new curriculum a group of teachers are developing and piloting on building resilience in students. Later in this trip we will get to talk with a group of teachers again, so I am looking forward to hearing more about public education in Iceland. I have many more photos, so eventually when my tech issues are resolved I will post more. It's 11pm and we just got back to our hotel. I need to pack up as we head to a new location tomorrow.
What a day! I feel like I say this everyday and I still have not even added any photos from the school visit and told about that wonderful experience. I'm also continuing to have issues with the large file size. Anyway, I will work to resolve that somehow, but before the day ends here I wanted to at least share a few photos. Stories and information to follow, but packing and sleep first! |