I Want To…

Crowd, Iceland Airwaves, 2023

… return to Iceland.

I’ve done pretty well in honoring my new year’s resolution to stop posting about things Icelandic on FITK. Perhaps my new feelings contain a bit of jealousy; in a couple of weeks The Weaver is off on a Scandinavian cruise—starting in Reykjavík! Or, perhaps, these ruminations are just a bit of stock-taking on my part.

I’ve taken nine trips to Iceland in the last twenty-five years. Each was great in its own way: each had moments of illumination, each made me look at the world in a different way. Some of their appeal was in just getting away from home and going to a place that, for a few weeks anyway, seemed like I was living in an enchanting world. Iceland is far from perfect; it has its own problems, and the people that I’ve gotten to know there certainly have their own tribulations. Still, the those Icelanders I’ve met and talked to have been a joy. I prefer going in late October/early November: airfare is cheap, the weather can be very fine, the theatre season is in full swing, and the Iceland Airwaves music festival is being held with 12 hours of music every day. Swimming outdoors every day (free for seniors!) and talking with the locals is great, meeting with old blog-pals is nice (if bittersweet at times), and there is a place where I could stay that I love. And the rush of being in a crowd of friendly strangers is a definite plus:

Crowd at Lucky Records, 2023

On the other hand some negatives are:
Earthquakes.
Volcanoes.
The world situation.
The weather in Iceland can be horrid (I have been unbelievably lucky in the past—how long can that streak continue?)
Icelandic theatre has taken a bit of a downturn in the last few years.
The music scene, especially Iceland Airwaves, seems to be a hollowed-out shell of its former glory.
I’ve exhausted my Icelandic correspondents’ hospitality; once every eight years is fine, every two years is abusing it.
The lovely place where I stayed last time is much more expensive now than it was in 2023, and is unavailable.
It is hard to put an exact price on trips such as these but what I used to do for under two grand is now closer to four—more money for a lesser experience—that math is not hard to figure out.

The other factor that figures in these considerations is my age. I’ll be 75 in July. I’m in good health now but that may change. While getting to Reykjavík is relatively painless, enjoying the city on foot requires a good set of legs and some stamina, with lots of hills and heavy winds. Will I be still doing solo trips in my 80s?

That last question may actually be a reason to do it now.

Despite all these misgivings, and while my musical tastes have changed over the years, I still find it thrilling to see a performer in the moment, stealing the show:

Jóhanna Rakel, Cyber, 2023, Iceland Airwaves