A Room With A View

I am safely ensconced in my four room flat overlooking Tjörnin (the pond in the center of Reykjavík). It is situated in the approximate location of the fictional Brekkukot, the setting of Halldór Laxness’ glorious novel The Fish Can Sing (Brekkukotannal in Icelandic). My landlord says it is located a little further north and west from here but, at least in my mind, it’s close enough for me. The place is furnished with original art, and multifarious curios:

I spent some time yesterday getting to know the airbnb host, Björk (not that Bjórk), a delightful person who seemed to appreciate my Icelandic enthusiasms. I went to the pool, soaking in a hot tub with an Icelandic doctor, discussing the country music phase in Icelandic music about 20 years ago (he was impressed that I had seen Baggalútur in their full-country mode.) He was in the first line with Covid in Iceland, but he minimized it, comparing it to pneumonia and said that anyone in Iceland who died and had had Covid was listed as a Covid death, not mattering what the actual cause was. It made wonder how the county I live in in Minnesota, with about the same population as Iceland, had 7 times the deaths.

When I returned to my apartment Björk stopped by and told me there had been an increase in volcanic activity, right around the airport area, and that we had had a +4 magnitude earthquake while I was at the pool. I may be here longer that I expected! I built this little earthquake detector from a glass of water, when the reflected line starts moving, I'll know its time to get outside:

Later, I went out to see a photo show at a gallery by the harbour, helped a delivery worker by holding open the door for her, played a little soccer with a guy in a field by the Catholic cathedral, and then returned home via the old graveyard where I helped a tourist find the gate. She was wondering about when was the cemetery closed for the day. I smiled and told her “it never closes but I wouldn’t want to be in it after dark.” (Especially on Halloween!)

After dinner I went for a stroll downtown to check out the scene. There were numerous gangs of kids prowling for trick-or-treats:

I went up the hill to capture this shot of Hallgrímkikja, all done up in magenta lights:

Afterwards, I became trapped by a mob of about 100 young people heading for the Hard Rock Cafe!

Halloween

Sharon Spotbottom is back just in time for Halloween — and now in hi-def!
(Click to embiggen.)

Sharon Spotbottom ©Karen Heathwood, 2007, Used by permission.

Making the Scene

I attended an unusual concert last night.

Look at the Music! at the Tjarnarbíó theatre delivered a powerful set of choral music set to complement Sign Language. This was part of a year-long international project involving hearing and deaf artists with poetry in Icelandic Sign Language (ITM). I had never been in Tjarnarbíó before, it was a restored old cinema, seating about 250, a gem of a venue:

The 45 minute show was excellent; the music complemented the signing perfectly. There was even a “sing-along/sign-along” at the end. And there were balloons(?) Beforehand I hob-nobbed with the cultural elite over a bottle of Apelsin, a uniquely Icelandic orangey beverage that I have every time I’m here. It’s awful (shown on the table in the foreground) but I’m weak—I need it.

Tomorrow: More art.

Back on the Rock

Sharon channels her inner berserker upon her return to Iceland, still looking for her purse.

More on Iceland tomorrow…

Sharon Spotbottom character ©Karen Heathwood, 2007, Used by permission.

Reading the Fine Print

Icelandic swimming pool hygiene poster, c.2012

I'll be adhering to these precepts come Sunday morning.

Leaving for Iceland TOMORROW!

Eleven Years Ago Today on FITK

Sure, I could cash in my 401k and rent this place in the center of Reykjavík, right across the street from Tjörnin and next to Fríkirkjan. Fill it with friends, live the expat lifestyle, and...

...and it really is quite a mad idea. But what dreamer hasn't thought of pulling up stakes and starting over in some exotic locale? And if you aren't still dreaming, what does the future hold?

UPDATE: This property was sold, rehabbed and converted to the offices of The Fossar Investment Bank. My dream did not come true, but on my upcoming trip I will be staying in a house on the other side of Tjörnin…

Leaving for Iceland in THREE DAYS!

Raðhús Lovers

Reykjavík, October, 11, 2012

Leaving for Iceland in FIVE DAYS!

Runtúr

Reykjavík on a Saturday night (laugardagskvöld):

Leaving for Iceland in EIGHT DAYS!

Þingholtstræti — Day for Night

The Professor’s Reykjavík day-dream becomes a nightmare.

Leaving for Iceland in TEN DAYS!

Decorah on My Mind

Some random impressions from spending last weekend in this charming Northeastern Iowa town.

Birdbath at the Porter House:

Blacksmith shop, Vesterheim museum:

Log Cabin, Vesterheim:

Alley between Main and Water Streets:

Impact Coffeehouse patrons:

The city of Decorah and the surrounding area was featured in two of my novels, The Matriarchy and The Inheritance—please don’t hold it against the town.

Duality

Reykjavík
A crime story
By Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Translated by Victoria Cribb
Minotaur, 2023

Prolific mystery writer Ragnar Jónasson co-authors this novel with Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the prime minister of Iceland. This novel opens in 1956 when a teen-age girl disappears from a small farm on the island of Viðey (located in the bay adjoining the city.) After nothing turns up about the girl the story fades from public consciousness until 1986 when Valur, a struggling journalist, reopens the case in a bid to sell more newspapers (and keep his job.)

About midway through the book a sharp turn of events derails the story. I would be committing a crime to divulge any more of the plot but what I will mention, however, is the rich back-story of Reykjavík’s development, both private and public, that went on in that boom time. I first went to Reykjavík in the year 2000 where traces of the old city described in this book were plentiful. Much of the central city has since been redeveloped in the last 23 years and this novel is a vivid look back. That it also occurs in the time of the Reagan-Gorbachev summit adds further complications to the proceedings.

The writing is straightforward and there is a list of characters to keep things straight. Victoria Cribb’s translation is unfussy and focused. More FITK reviews of Ragnar’s books.

Recommended.

Sharon Hólavallargarður

Jumping the Halloween season, Sharon Spotbottom explores the old Reykjavík city cemetery and in the process manages to lose her purse.

Stay tuned for upcoming FITK coverage of Iceland Airwaves, Nov 2-4

Sharon Spotbottom character ©2007 by Karen Heathwood. Used by permission.

Eleven Years Ago Today

Crowd waiting for Lady Gaga, Harpa, Reykjavík, 9 October, 2012

RLBQ - Ridin' in My Car

This week in FITK The Rich Lewis Band covers NRBQ, December, 2018, vocal by the late Rich Lewis:

Remember last summer when we had the chance
To find each other, start makin' romance?
It didn't come off, 'cause you found another
Without one hand of the clock, what good is the other?

And I can't find no true love, oh, baby, it's so hard
And I still think about you every time I'm ridin' in my car (Ridin' in my car)

So I went to the place where everybody hangs out
To see what everybody was talkin' about
And over in the corner, all alone with you
Was the boy from last summer singin' songs to you

And he can't sing what I can sing, oh, it's so hard
And I still think about you every time I'm ridin' in my car (Ridin' in my car)

When I'm home alone, I can think of other things to do
But when I'm rollin' in forward motion, I think about only you

It's been a year and a day since I talked to you
I don't know how I made it, but I sure have been blue
Every time I think of what might have been
I jump in my car and start ridin' again

And I can't find no true love, oh, baby, it's so hard
And I still think about you every time I'm ridin' in my car (Ridin' in my car)
I can't find no true love, oh, baby, it's so hard
And I still think about you every time I'm ridin' in my car (Ridin' in my car)

         ~Al Anderson



More inspired music from the late Rich Lewis and his bands:

Music and Memories
Missed That Train
The Man I Used to Be
Midnight Mover
Can I Change My Mind
Ridin' in My Car
The Music Goes ‘Round and ‘Round
A Girl Like You

RLBQ — The Music Goes ‘Round and ‘Round

This week in FITK The Rich Lewis Band covers NRBQ.

Composed in 1935 by Edward Farley and Mike Riley with lyric by Red Hodgson, The Music Goes ‘Round and ‘Round is a long-time favorite of NRBQ fans.

Audio: The Rich Lewis Band live at Whitey’s Saloon, Minneapolis, 2019
Images: Covid Yard Concert, Minneapolis, 2021



More inspired music from the late Rich Lewis and his band:

Music and Memories
Missed That Train
The Man I Used to Be
Midnight Mover
Can I Change My Mind
Ridin' in My Car
The Music Goes ‘Round and ‘Round
A Girl Like You