Obscure Reykjavík #8

Hótel Borg

No, this isn’t a really obscure spot in Reykjavík. For many year this hotel was the premiere traveler’s accommodation in Reykjavík: for diplomats; for celebrities; for high-rollers. It was  the crème de la crème until Marriot’s ultra-chic Edition opened in 2023.

It holds a special place in my memories because it was where the Weaver and I first slept in Iceland—25 years ago! Then it was a $75 upgrade to a $299 3-night package deal and worth every krona:

It has been redone since we were there and is now part of the Keahotel chain. No more FLW art prints on the walls, now the rooms are all done up in greige. Rooms are still pricey though (about $300 a night and up) but are somewhat less today than they were a few years ago—before there were so many new hotels downtown. While it may not be the greatest anymore, it still overlooks Aüsturvollur square, the Alþingishúsið, and the high church Dómkirkjan:

Image: Wikipedia

You could do worse.

Obscure Reykjavík #7

Reykjavík University

Far from the beaten tourist trails (unless you are headed for a swim in the North Atlantic at Nauthólsvík) is the relatively new campus of Reykjavík University.

I had lunch there once with a dear blog-pal where she was a student, still learnng (at 52) and so was I (at 72) The lunch area where we sat had a window that over-looked a café where I had my initial immersion in Icelandic Culture 101. My feelings during that lunch were not of Deja Vu—things have changed a lot in the last 20 years—but this area, south of Öskhulíd and Perlan, holds a warm place in my heart and remains a worthy destination for the ambitious pedestrian:

Obscure Reykjavík #6

Tombstone For a Child

Hólavallgarður, Reykjavík, 2015

Hér liggur það sem eitt sinn var blíð sál,
Innan um hvísl trjánna.
Sanngjarnt barn sem kunni gleði og hlátur,
Og er nú vögguð um alla eilífð.
En ljós andans mun aldrei hætta,
Dauðinn sannar aðeins leyndardóm lífsins.

Obscure Reykjavík #5

Drekinn

“Dragon” convenience store, Reykjavík

This corner store makes up for its lack of taste with a big surplus of chutzpah. I first discovered it through Maria’s excellent Iceland Eyes blog in 2007. It was a “Pepsi” store back then:

There are still a number of small corner shops like this in Reykjavík, somehow managing to survive in the era of big box stores:

Obscure Reykjavík #4

Most Dangerous?


Jófriður Ákadóttir at Faktorý, 10 October, 2012

Silk-rock.

As good a name for a genre. The translated title of the newest Samaris CD is Silkidrangar. Produced by Friðfinnur 'Oculus' Sigurðsson, this album continues music in the vein of their earlier self-titled release: a background of Þórdur Kári Steinþorsson's trippy electronica overlaid with Áuslaug Rún Magnúsdóttir’s clarinet and Jófriður Ákadóttir’s breathy vocalizations.

It’s pretty good. A few of the tracks are a bit “clubby” (noticeably the opening track Nótt) and the chord modulations are simple (lots of minor sevenths). This would be unremarkable trance electronica if wasn’t for the singing of Jófriður Ákadóttir. Is she The Most Dangerous Person in Icelandic Music Today? Or is she a New Icelandic Music Messiah, here to conquer the world with her inspired interpretations of 19th century Icelandic poetry? I wouldn’t put it past her. She's only twenty, and it looks as if she is capable of accomplishing anything she desires. I can see her being an absolute monster in ten years. Her work with Pascal Pinon has been discussed here before; this group takes an entirely different approach but the constant in both is Jófriður’s innate melodic sense. The standout tracks on the CD are Ég vildi og fegin verða and the wonderful Vögguljóð—performed with an expanded wind section in the studio version.

Do I recommend Silkidrangar? Yes, with reservations. Electronica has a not undeserved bad rep for being lazy and monotonous. This album doesn’t escape that trap completely but it does contain plenty of interesting material, enough to satisfy this cranky old curmudgeon. It is far better to catch them performing live in a small Reykjavík nightclub.

Samaris is featured in NPR podcast @11:45.

UPDATE: As of 2016 Samaris is no more but Jófriður continues to perform as a solo act, JFDR, show here last november at Iceland Airwaves:

Obscure Reykjavík #3

Örfirisey

Örfirisey is a small industrial district north of the old harbour.

Large fuel tanks dominate the area but there are also some small industrial buildings. These are often home to starts-ups, their occupancy rate rises and falls with the economy. When I captured this image, it was a few years after the big crash of 2008-2011 and there was still a lot of vacant commercial property there. Since then, the area has undergone a resurgence and is now thriving.

Obscure Reykjavík #2

Symmetry

Hitt Husið, “The other place”, once a youth center, is now a food hall, Pósthússtræti:

Skólabrú guest house:

Hallgrímskirkja (rear):

Obscure Reykjavík #1

Reykjavíkur, 2012

This is the time of year that my thoughts usually stray to Iceland.

It’s the best time to plan a trip in the fall in order to secure the best lodging and to plan ahead for cultural activities. Not this year, however. Barring some unexpected twist of fate, I will sit this one out—the law of diminishing returns has started to make itself apparent. While last year’s trip was memorable, it was only an echo of the previous two trips.

For the rest of the month I’ll just have to make do by revisiting pictures from previous trips, with an emphasis on the odd and unusual. The display workers pictured above (in the Reykjavík city hall—2012) were creating an exhibit honoring the founding of Icelandair, 75 years ago. I shot it through an enormous picture window, definitely click to embiggen.

Return to Sheperd’s Harvest

An annual Minnesota festival of fibers, although this harvest is held in the spring. It has been five years since I was last there but things have, for the most part, remained the same.

An enthusiastic presenter:

StevenBe is the most flamboyant vendor:

There was no shortage of mysterious foodstuffs:

And, of course, SHEEP:

Photo Shoot

Another spring, another place, another era. A photo shoot of a doomed band.

A reformed band, trying to make a new start. No backers, no label, only possessing the chippy self-confidence of youth.

This configuration would barely last the summer but the next iteration did have some success.

Alas, it too, was doomed.

Ten Years Ago on FITK

Art-a-Whirl 2014

Another year, another Art-A-Whirl.

I’ve started to burn out on this event.

The good artists seem to be fewer and fewer while the growing attraction of this Northeast Minneapolis event is a proliferation of brew pubs. Not that there is anything wrong with a good microbrew, I’ve been known to indulge in one myself, but it turns the focus away from the artists. The same holds true, but worse, with the growth of music stages. Not only do they generally feature bad music, but the sound pervades throughout an entire building, effectively driving out any lofty thoughts about art one might entertain. It can become a bit too much for the younger attendees:


Solar Arts Building

But there were many nice visual moments; the artists’ galleries tend to be in re-purposed industrial buildings which have their own aesthetic:

Alexandra Bildsoe

At times the overall effect is astonishing:


Solar Arts Building, painting by Caitlin Karolsczak

And some patrons become truly overwhelmed:


Casket Arts Building

Salton Sea Redux

A look back at my 2017 California trip:

The Salton Sea is a body of water dying from salinity and pollution from agricultural run-off. It is a weird place, from a distance it appears inviting, but up close everything is dead.

There are still a few towns on its shores, one of which is Bombay Beach, which is half-deserted but still has a vibrant restaurant:

Inside, the money pasted on every flat surface gives the place a false sense of prosperity:

Since my trip, Bombay Beach has experienced a resurgence of interest from day-trippers and even some willing to try an Airbnb there.

Animal Life

A Novel

By Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Translated by Brian FitzGibbon

This is the fifth novel by Auður that I’ve read; she is one of the most-respected modern Icelandic authors. This book consists of vignettes and ruminations of a middle-aged midwife in Reykjavík.

In the days leading up to Christmas a terrible storm races towards Reykjavík. Midwife Dómhildur delivers her 1,922th (typo?) baby. She has inherited an apartment full of memories from her grandaunt, also a midwife, who had a reputation for her unconventional methods. Dómhildur’s paternal side was filled with undertakers causing her to have a deeper perspective on the coming and goings of life. Dómhildur discovers decades worth of letters and manuscripts hidden amongst her grandaunt’s clutter. Her anxious meteorologist sister and her curious new neighbor compound things as Dómhildur digs into her grandaunt’s archive and discovers strange and beautiful reflections on birth, death, and human nature. And, like the previous Icelandic book I just read, there is a playlist!

And, as far as plot is concerned, that’s it, but plot is not the point of this book. I’ll let you discover these subtle truths for yourself, it would be a literary crime to quote them out of context. I will say, however, that the text is firmly grounded in the City of Reykjavík; with a decent map you could exactly follow her on her trips throughout the city. This evoked strong memories in me; something that a casual reader might not share. Aside from the aforementioned typo, FitzGibbon’s translation is fine, even poetic at times.

Qualified recommendation, if you liked her other works, you’ll love this. If you like plot-driven novels you might pass this one by.

Ten Years Ago on FITK

Art in Bloom

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts annual "Art in Bloom" was held last week, an event where florists create arrangements which complement the art in the galleries:



We attended on the day before the opening, when the people watching is usually better:



There were several groups of teens in the galleries as well:

Although their commitment to art may have been less than wholehearted, it was good to see them make the museum as comfortable as home: