Wondrous Reykjavík Old Harbour
The Old Harbour in Reykjavík is a place for dreams.
Host of departures and homecomings.
Setting of the magnificent Harpa Concert Hall,
Seasonal haven for harbour seals.
Home base for Landsbjörg’s Search and Rescue training ship.
Old Harbour attracts contrasts – of old against new.
Simple, fast food- perhaps a quick bowl of lobster bisque at The Sea Baron:
The Sea Baron’s famous lobster bisque
Or a fine dining experience with multiple courses - such as a meal at Harpa’s Kolabrautin restaurant.
Whale watching ships at port right next to whaling vessels.
These two whaling vessels are tucked behind buildings and docked next to the long row of whale watching tour operators’ huts
This current construction of a luxury hotel is sited adjacent to Harpa
Every Old Harbour visit seems to reveal some new layer of interest.
A starfish on a slip of beach below Harpa
This has always been an active, everchanging place to watch and to explore.
Throughout the summer of 2016, a temporary art installation homed in on a stretch of derelict land by the harbour that has been destined for reclamation as a future housing development. The Travelling Embassy of Rockall fashioned their transient venue for artmaking with donated and found objects – shipping containers, wooden pallets, nets, cable reels, pavers, stones, fabric, wool and more.
With these supplies and a will to create, volunteers built a stage. Organiser René Boonekamp and his team planned many intriguing performance events.
I was thrilled to be invited to read some of my work at this venue, beautifully sited by the harbour. I read two stories I had written about whales and also presented some of my whale research.
This led to a good discussion. I was also delighted to receive an invitation from an audience member to go whale watching the next day! Thank you so much to Anthony for that introduction to Special Tours and a huge thanks to Special Tours and the captain of the vessel Andrea for this fantastic, unforgettable experience : )
The forecast was for rough seas. I was nervous about feeling unwell but it worked out absolutely fine. My top tips for a good experience on rough water are:
-accept the seasickness pill offered by tour operators
-sit somewhere comfortable outside on the ship, if possible, and try to stay there throughout
-wear one of the warm suits provided by the tour operator even if it seems unnecessary at the onset
-find the most stable part of the ship, which will probably be the central rear deck (ask your captain’s advice when you board)
-spend as much time looking towards the horizon as down at the water
Dress warmly even on a nice day!
During our sail, we briefly spotted three minke whales
It was also lovely to see a different perspective of Reykjavík from harbourside.
Heading out
Reykjavík
And what beautiful cloud formations that day!
Next to The Travelling Embassy of Rockall was another art project called The Maze of Yggdrasil, which was built by Huldufugl.
Envisioned and organised by artists and project leaders Nanna Gunnars and Owen Hindley, numerous other artists were also invited to design various areas/rooms of this outdoor installation. There were a total of 16 different but interconnected sections within the maze. The journey through was interactive, with lights and sounds in various areas. 3,000 people experienced this maze, with 1500 visiting on the opening day. Construction took five weeks, required 250 pallets, 4,000 screws and covered an area of 370 square metres. Performances, a cinema screening and some food events took place within the maze.
Nanna Gunnars of Huldufugl at the entrance/exit of the maze
I was fortunate to be able to visit this maze twice, once during daytime and once at dusk, which turned into night time while I was inside. My visits were a week apart and I noticed how beautifully the maze journey had evolved over that time.
Some images from my journey through the maze during daylight -
Amazing origami
Reminiscent of reflections on water
The long table
A trail of pieces and prints
Passage through a laying of un-hands
Banners from a knit-in
Spiral walk around the tree of life
Yggdrasil – the focal point of the maze
A room of readings from two sources – one in Icelandic and one in English
Way out
Some images from my dusk to night time visit a week later:
A visitor at the entrance
Twinkling curtains of light
Slivers of white
Tangles of flack
A queue of barriers
Incredible musical rocks for echo-making. My favourite spot!
Which of us is voyeur?
A sprig of green foreshadow
Another favourite moment – Yggdrasil, the tree of life, is greened by light : )
Bird flock glides through the reading room
What an awesome experience this maze was!
Reykjavík has a vibrant artistic culture. Be sure to investigate whatever events are happening during your time in town. By visiting an exhibition or attending a performance, perhaps something outside your usual range of entertainment choices, you could be supporting local artists and you may, as I did, discover a precious gem : )
其他有意思的博客
冰岛最浪漫的角落
对于很多人,遥远的冰岛有着世界尽头的神秘,有着区别于巴黎、马尔代夫、自成一体的浪漫。没有埃菲尔铁塔和蒂凡尼,没有热带沙滩,而是在冰川、火山、苔藓地的背景下蜜月旅拍、婚拍,甚至举办一场冰岛婚礼。来冰岛旅行,多是要跨千山万水、飞跃大洋大陆,很有一点“万水千山陪你走过”的史诗感。难怪很多人说,光是冰岛二字,就足够浪漫了。 冰岛虽然不大,但是地貌极其丰富,不同的自然景观自然有不同的气质。这一篇,就挑阅读更多从极光观测到摄影-到底该不该来冰岛看极光
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我在冬夏秋均到访过米湖,看过米湖的不同面。一直以来,米湖到底值不值得去是很多游客争论的问题。有些人觉得这里是来冰岛旅行的必去目的地,有些人则说米湖“太丑了”,连照片都不想多拍几张。那米湖到底值不值得来呢?到底怎么玩呢? 米湖的风景 北部的米湖,因地理位置相距首都雷克雅未克略远,很多来冰岛的短途游客选择放弃,其实米湖应该是和黄金圈、南岸沿线至冰湖齐名的冰岛景色,这里冷热相融,可谓最冰岛,尤其阅读更多
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