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 : )
기타 흥미로운 블로그
요쿨살론부터 비크까지, 꽃보다 청춘 5화
드디어 하늘씨과 쓰리스톤즈가 합류했는데요! 설원을 달리는 모습에 저도 아이슬란드가 엄청 그리워졌답니다. 빙하와 빛나는 요쿨살론 첫번째로 향한 요쿨살론(Jokulsarlon)은 아이슬란드의 대표적인 명소 중 하나랍니다. 영어로 Glacier lagoon 이라고도 하는데요. 방송에 나온 것처럼 눈 앞에 보이는 빙하는 빙하수가 흘러서 녹았다 얼었다를자세히 읽어보기스코가포스 폭포부터 오로라까지, 꽃보다청춘 4화를 따라서
여행 5일째, 포스톤즈가 처음으로 향한 곳은 아이슬란드 남부에 있는 스코가포스 폭포(skogasfoss)입니다. 아이슬란드 남부의 대표적인 폭포 중 하나에요. 방송에서는 들르지 않았지만 스코가포스 거의 바로 옆에 위치한 셀리야란드스포스(seljalandsfoss) 폭포와 함께 같이 들르곤 한답니다. 스코가포스 폭포는 폭포의 물줄기 끝까지 올라갈 수 있단자세히 읽어보기꽃청춘을 따라서
요즘 인기리에 방영되고 있는 꽃보다 청춘 아이슬란드편! 저도 매주 빼놓지 않고 시청하고 있습니다. 많은 분들께서 포스톤즈의 발랄한 매력과 아이슬란드의 놀라운 경치에 빠져드셨을 것 같습니다! 이번에는 꽃보다 청춘을 따라서 아이슬란드를 한번 가보도록 해요! 사실 아이슬란드가 한국에서 그렇게 가기 쉬운 나라는 아닙니다. 거리도 멀고 항공권도 비싸고! 우자세히 읽어보기
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