Following on from my post a while back about being positive, to counteract the tendency towards negativity that seems to prevail on social networks these days, I asked my Twitter followers to let me know of anything they’d done lately that they were proud of, that I could share. Paul Dunning, a freelance web designer and artist, has recently been working on a fascinating project based on the unique street name signs in his home town of Chelmsford in Essex. You can read more about it, and see some of the fruits of his efforts, in this Flickr set.
If you have something you think people should know about, let me know!
The enduring popularity of black and white photography could, at first glance, draw similar criticism to that levelled at the current trend for Hipstamatic photography and its ilk. After all, in the digital era where all images are captured in full colour, isn’t converting to black and white also ‘fake’, and merely imposing an effect to replicate what was once a technical limitation? And is it not also true that many people convert a photo to black and white in an attempt to ‘improve’ a mediocre image?
These are valid points. But there is more to black and white photography than this. Many of the biggest names in photography are from the era of monochrome film, even though some of them (for example, Ansel Adams) built up large portfolios of colour film after it became available. So what is it that appeals about black and white photography? Continue reading Grey Areas→
When you’re as obsessed with a place like Iceland as much as I am, the people you meet who share that obsession become firm friends very quickly. One such person is Ed Hancox, whom I met online via Twitter and in person at Iceland Airwaves last year, and like me he likes to write about his experiences in Iceland. Unlike me, however, he has published a book.
The book is called ‘Iceland, Defrosted’ and is unlike any other travel book I’ve come across. It’s not a tourist guide, more an anthology of stories and anecdotes from his many, many trips to Iceland (and one trip to Hull!). I’ve only read the first four or so chapters so far, but have been taken in by his charming prose and wit. He has explored Iceland far wider and far deeper than I have, and has spoken to several people who live there, giving his stories much more to them than his own viewpoint.
You can buy the book from Amazon at this link. I’d highly recommend it based on what I’ve read so far (and on the reactions from others who have already finished the book). I’m looking forward to delving further into Ed’s Icelandic adventures.
A rare clear day in November over the city of ReykjavÃk and HallgrÃmskirkja church (click to buy)
To get you started on your first time in ReykjavÃk, I have put together a circular architecture and cultural walk of the city in Google Maps. For just $3 I will share it with you. Click here to buy and send me your Google account email address so I can share the map with you, along with an accompanying PDF that you can print out. (Please note: I will not use your email address for any purpose other than sharing the map with you).
Iceland is a bewitching country whose reach extends far beyond just those who have visited. So many people I speak to, a lot of them also photographers, have Iceland high up their list of places they want to visit, and I am often asked for advice on what people should look for when planning a trip. So in no particular order, here are ten things you should consider when planning your visit.
1. Hire a car
There are hundreds of tours operated by local companies from ReykjavÃk, from northern lights spotting to excursions as far as Greenland, but as good as the tours are, you are still stuck with the fixed itinerary and the crowd of people who come with you. To experience Iceland properly you need to experience the isolation, and having a car will allow you the freedom to leave as early or as late as you want, stop where you want, and return when you want.
Be very careful when driving in Iceland. Whilst the roads to the most popular places are asphalt roads, not all of them are surfaced. Some of them can be unpredictable and dangerous, and many are impassable by all but the most rugged 4×4 vehicles, so ensure you hire a car appropriate to the sort of roads you will be using, and always obey the local speed limits. Speeding fines are painfully high and the consequences of careless driving can be fatal.
2. Leave the capital
While it is possible to see a lot of what Iceland has to offer by finding a hotel or guest house in ReykjavÃk and driving out somewhere different each day, by booking accommodation in a farmhouse or rural guesthouse you can explore further, and also experience the local hospitality at first hand. Hey Iceland (formerly Iceland Farm Holidays) offer car hire and accommodation packages where you can pick from one of their tours or tailor-make your own.
3. Learn the language
It is true that most Icelanders speak perfect English, and enjoy the opportunity to do so. However learning a few basic Icelandic phrases, such as ‘Góðan daginn’ (Hello) and ‘Takk fyrir’ (thank you) is a great way to show courtesy to the local culture. Most guide books will contain a section with a few choice phrases that will come in handy, but if you want to delve deeper into their language and its idiosyncracies, there is a free online course at icelandiconline.is.
4. Explore the capital
Iceland is famous for its wild scenery and vast open spaces, but also for its nightlife. ReykjavÃk is a vibrant, compact city with plenty of variety. During the day time you can visit one of the many museums, from the National Gallery (Listasafn Ãslands) and the Art Museum (Listasafn ReykjavÃkur) to the more special interest Phallological Museum. The view from the top of the tower at HallgrÃmur’s church (HallgrÃmskirkja) is very impressive, as is that from Perlan (the Pearl), a glass-domed public space built on top of six hot water tanks to the south of the city centre. The newly finished concert hall Harpa is a wonder of modern architecture and well worth a visit, at night as well as during the day (you’ll see why!). Even if you’re not attending a concert, you can relax in the cafe or browse the record shop, and take advantage of free Wi-Fi, something that is common throughout ReykjavÃk.
At weekends, the flea market Kolaportið opens where you can browse through hundreds of stalls selling food, arts and crafts, music, and knitwear.
Late at night the bars become very busy, and though the beer is not cheap, you don’t need to get hammered to have a great time as the atmosphere is invariably friendly. There are no night clubs as such but plenty of bars have live music – check the listings at the ReykjavÃk Grapevine to see what’s on. Be prepared to stay up as late as 4am if necessary!
Aerial view of Hvalfell extinct volcano with Hvalvatn lake (click to buy)
5. Take to the sky
Iceland from above is like no other place I know. I was fortunate enough to be able to hire a local pilot on my last visit and got some spectacular views on a beautiful clear winter day. There are various companies who offer aerial photography or sightseeing tours – all are definitely worth checking out. In ReykjavÃk you have Eagle Air and Atlantsflug, while further north at Mývatn there is Mýflug.
6. Eat on a budget
Like pretty much everything else, the food in Iceland is expensive. Eating out is a luxury most tourists can’t really afford to do every day, though there are cheap places you can go. Top of your list should be Bæjarins Bestu Pylsur (‘the town’s best hot dogs’) which is a small hot dog stand which serves the best hot dogs in Iceland, and possibly the world. Ask for ‘eina með öllu’/’one with everything’ (or two if you’re particularly hungry) and enjoy food fit for a president – Bill Clinton is a famous past customer.
Hamborgarabullan, the Hamburger Joint by the harbour in ReykjavÃk
Hamborgarabullan on Geirsgata is a hamburger restaurant which offers well priced and very tasty hamburgers and chips. You won’t find McDonalds or Burger King anywhere in Iceland, but after trying Hamborgarabullan’s food you won’t want to.
Hlöllabátar is a subway sandwich shop in Ingolfstorg which will fill you up without emptying your wallet. But for food on the go, your best bet is to visit one of the supermarkets (Bónus or Krónan) and buy some bread, cheese, coleslaw or other sandwich fillings and make your own picnic. Be sure to buy some pots of Skyr too – a dairy product like a cross between yoghurt and cream cheese that comes in several flavours.
If you’re on the road, most service stations in the larger towns you visit will have similar food for sale so you can top up on provisions.
7. Make the most of the time of year
Iceland can be enjoyed at any time of year as each season has its own charms. In summer the weather is milder than you’d expect at these latitudes, as the Atlantic gulf stream carries warm air from the Caribbean meaning you can expect temperatures in double figures (Celsius). The days are very long, often with only a few hours’ twilight between sunset and sunrise, though even this is shorter in the north of the country. If you want to see the aurora, this would not be the time to visit. However many of the less-accessible parts of Iceland, such as Landmannalaugar, are only open in the summer.
In winter the temperature drops below freezing but the wind can make it feel much colder, so you will need to wrap up warm. The sun doesn’t make much of an appearance, but when it does, it has a beautiful golden colour as it stays very close to the horizon, casting long shadows. The air on a good day can be very crisp and refreshing, and of course the long nights mean you have your best chance of spotting the aurora. Roads outside urban areas can become treacherous though, even the asphalt main roads, so check before travelling at the website of the Icelandic Road Administration.
The day length still varies considerably throughout spring and autumn, but due to Iceland’s western location you get more light in the evenings than in the mornings, as they use GMT all year round. Weather-wise you can and should expect anything, from winds that can lift a person off their feet to clear blue skies, at any time of year.
8. Go native
Iceland is famous for its more unusual foodstuffs. Apart from whale and puffin which are served in many local restaurants, you can buy dried fish (harðfiskur) and fermented shark (hákarl) from most supermarkets, as well as the more accessible smoked lamb (hangikjöt) which is served in flatbread (flatkaka). If you ever find yourself at a loose end at the BSà bus terminal, the cafe there also serves svið – boiled sheep’s head.
Of the liquid variety, BrennivÃn (literally, ‘burning wine’) is the local Schnapps which is often used to wash down hákarl. There are plenty of local microbreweries (such as Borg and Bryggjan) that offer alternatives to the ubiquitous Egill’s Gull and VÃking beers – I personally recommend Einstök and Jökull beer (EDIT: turns out Jökull beer is no longer brewed). If you go at the right time of year, the seasonal beers Þorrabjór (served around the historical month of Þorri) and Jólabjór (served at Christmas) are also great tipples, but beware their strength!
The crowd at an FM Belfast gig at Ãðnó during Iceland Airwaves 2012
9. Get on the Airwaves
Every year, at the end of October start of November, ReykjavÃk plays host to the Iceland Airwaves music festival. What started as a one-off show in an aircraft hanger in 1999 has evolved into one of Europe’s biggest and most popular music festivals, hosting hundreds and hundreds of events in venues across the city, from the vast Silfurberg hall in Harpa, to a tiny mobile hut in Ingólfstorg with room for an audience of three. Iceland’s own thriving music scene is always well represented, but the event also features new bands from across the world, as well as the occasional unexpected special guest.
For just under a week the town fills with music fans from across the globe, and the atmosphere throughout is like one huge non-stop party. Even if you don’t manage to get a ticket for the festival itself, the off-venue concerts held in cafes, bookshops and hostels are all free of charge and feature many, if not most, of the headline acts. But make sure you arrive early – these places fill up very quickly.
10. Let go
Everyone who goes to Iceland will have their own expectations and lists of places to see. The best known sights—Gullfoss, Geysir, the Blue Lagoon, Jökulsárlón—are all well worth a visit, and should not be missed. However I often find that the more memorable moments come unexpectedly. Ask a local for ideas on what to do that most people wouldn’t consider, take a detour down a side road (ensuring first that it is suitable for whatever vehicle you are in)–try the unexpected and you may just find something special that you can keep as your own little secret part of Iceland.
Modern Iceland has a population barely exceeding 300,000 people. The vast majority of Icelanders (over 200,000) live in ReykajvÃk and the surrounding conurbation, which consists of Mosfellsbær to the north, and Kópavogur, Garðabær and Hafnarfjörður to the south. The next largest town is Akureyri, in the north of the country, which has a population of around 18,000, with the rest of Iceland’s population distributed throughout towns, villages, hamlets and farms scattered around the coastline. The interior, also known as Hálendið (the highland), is utterly uninhabitable, and impassable by all but the most rugged 4×4. In winter, the four routes through the middle of Iceland are closed to traffic completely.
The extremely low population density means that road maintenance, which is funded by taxpayers, is prioritised towards the more populous regions, and it is not uncommon to be driving towards a remote lake, waterfall or settlement and find the road surface suddenly deteriorate into a pitted gravel surface (heralded by the warning ‘Malbik Endar’). Recent years have seen a huge rise in tourist visitors to Iceland, however, and many of the more popular destinations are now serviced by fully surfaced roads.
Despite its low population, Iceland has a booming music scene, which reaches far beyond the much feted Björk and Sigur Rós. Something in the education system, possibly combined with the island’s isolation, means many people use music as a form of self-expression, and the parochial nature of even the capital means musicians don’t need to look far to find like-minded individuals with whom they can form bands. Another consequence of the lack of people means that many bands share members, and it’s not uncommon to see the same musician appear with two or even three separate bands at various times.
Iceland Airwaves - the highlight of the Icelandic musical calendar
Arrival
Winter in Iceland is an unusual time of year for people used to less polar latitudes. It’s common knowledge that through the winter solstice you get very little daylight at all. Even in late February the sun rises above the horizon for just 9 hours, and given that Iceland is further to the west than the UK, yet still uses GMT, the ‘day’ is shifted so that you get more daylight after midday than before. This also gives rise to a more regular ‘midnight sun’ during the summer months that would otherwise not occur, a sly marketing trick, I think!
Iceland’s main international airport sits at the western tip of the Reykjanes peninsula, near the town of KeflavÃk, and is named after Leifur EirÃksson, the man credited by many with discovering the Americas (though he named them Vinland). First time visitors, who have been informed by their departure airport that their flight is to ReykjavÃk, are usually in for a surprise as there is a half-hour journey by road through the barren lava fields of Reykjanes before they finally reach the capital.
I had met a young couple on the plane who, despite being well-travelled, had not visited Iceland before. I envied them their first visit to Iceland, an experience that can never be repeated. Instead, I picked up my rental car and drove myself to the capital, where I was meeting Inga, who had very kindly arranged my accommodation for the week in the 4-star Radisson 1919 hotel right in the middle of town.
Once settled in, I helped myself to one of the town’s, and possibly the world’s, best hotdogs. ‘Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur’ literally means ‘Town’s best hotdogs’ and is aptly named. If you ask for ‘eina með öllu’ (‘one with everything’) you get a bun with onions, ketchup, mustard and remoulade sauce smothered over a perfect hotdog sausage. As traditional Icelandic food goes, it’s not quite up there with dried fish or fermented shark, but if it’s good enough for President Bill Clinton, it’s good enough for me. (In fact, Slick Willie only wanted mustard on his, so if you ask for ‘the Clinton’, that’s what you get!)
Hot dog from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur - considered one of the best in the world!
As the sky darkened I decided to head for Setljarnarnes, the northwesterly point on the small peninsula on which ReykjavÃk sits, to see what the aurora was up to. When I arrived, there was a pale green arc in the northern sky, but little movement. I sat in the car for a few minutes to wait, and suddenly, I saw a portion of the arc start to brighten and move. It wasn’t long before the aurora started to put on a real show.
A Brazilian man who was there too seemed very agitated by the whole thing. He asked me if that was the aurora, and when I confirmed that it was, seemed to be overcome with emotion, thanking me passionately, as though I had personally laid on the aurora for him. He saw that I was taking photographs and ask if I’d help him do the same, but when he fetched his camera from the car, I had to inform him that his compact point-and-shoot wouldn’t be capable of the long exposures necessary. He seemed decidedly crestfallen by the news, but brightened up quickly enough when his attention returned to the celestial light show.
With aurora pictures sorted, what was I to do for the rest of the week? I had been hoping to capture some more photos with perhaps one of Iceland’s famous waterfalls in the foreground, but I knew I’d be at the mercy of the elements, and had probably been extremely fortunate just to capture what I had tonight.
The Aurora Borealis
Sadly, on closer inspection, the picture above is still slightly out of focus, something I only discovered once I uploaded the images onto my laptop back at the hotel. So I was going to have to try again at some point if I was to get the headline-grabbing images that I wanted.
