Project #40 STAINED GLASS (Finally!)

I finally got my stained glass project photo done! I only had to go all the way to Iceland to get it, hahaha. This was in the church from the previous post. 

And speaking of glass, my next post will be on a building in Rekjavik made of colour-changing glass -  but more on that in the next post.

 Happy Friday everyone!

Project 39 - European Church

May I present one of the most recent additions to the Reykjavik`s skyline ......

Hallgrimskirkja!

Pronounced ``hal-grim-skir-cah``

Thanks to this church, with its 75 metre high tower, we were able to navigate the city quite well since it could be seen from almost everywhere! My flat was on the same street, so thankfully even with my severe lack of a sense of direction, I could always find my way home =)

The statue in front is the viking Leifur Eiriksson, one of Iceland`s first settlers.

Project 38 - This One`s For You, Serena!

 

The Icelandic Horse

Now, some of you may hate me after I admit this, but truthfully, most horses don`t impress me. Don`t get me wrong, I have a healthy respect for this powerful animal. Oh who am I kidding, I`m downright terrified of them!

I WAS impressed with the Icelandic horses, however.

Short but sturdy, the Icelandic horse arrived in Iceland with the early Norse settlers, and the country`s breeding stock is pure. This gentle animal is put to work during the country`s fall sheep roundup. (Which, let me tell you, is quite a job considering the abundance of sheep in this country!)

MY favourite thing about these horses?  They POSED for me!  I have never had such willing participants, hahahaha! I stopped along the side of the road, and they came right over and posed while I snapped away. They totally made my day.

If you`re curious about the title of this post, my friend Serena loves horses, and since I couldn`t exactly bring one back for her, I thought I would dedicate a blog post to her.

 This one`s for you, Serena =)

Project 37 - MYSTIC CLIFFS



And speaking if all things magical and otherworldly......

These cliffs and obscure rock formations lined the southeast shoreline along the famous Ring Road.  I loved how the atlantic waves breaking along the base of the cliffs sent plumes of mist into the afternoon sunshine, casting a mystical radiance over them.

Project 36 Nature's Rock Fortress (?)

Fun Fact: More than 60% of Icelanders believe in the possible existence of elves.

Well, I think I found their fortress, haha =) On the drive following the Ring Road along the southeast coast of Iceland, I came across this rock formation that seemed so unnaturally flat and symmetrical. It rose majestically from the flat plains on either side of the road, almost appearing ethereal by comparison to the surrounding landscape.

Project 35 - THE ICEBERG

Jokulsarlon, or "the iceberg lagoon" is seriously one of the most magical places on earth, particularly at sunset. I don't need to give a long description for this one.  After all, a picture says a thousand words.
Enjoy.

Project 34 - VOLCANO

Because Eyjafjallajökull is SOOOOOO easy to pronounce.....

This is the volcano known as Eyjafjallajökull, or more commonly known as "that big volcano that erupted last year and caused massive air travel problems for Northern Europe".

I personally found it incredible that the farm resting peacefully at the base of the volcano went completely unharmed, even though destructive mudslides of ash and meltwater raced down the mountain side from a glacier near the summit. The south side of the volcano where the farm sits was mostly untouched by last year's eruption.

Project 33 - GEYSIR

This is the original Geysir that all other geysers were named after, in Geysir, Iceland.
The scalding water (about 80 - 100 F) would erupt every 4-6 minutes, shooting the piping hot water on average about 10 metres into the air, and as luck would have it, sending a wall of steam blowing in the direction I was standing =)

Project #32 - GLACIER

A glacier on top of a volcano, in Skaftafell, Iceland.

I got to stomp around on this glacier (it was my first time getting to wear cramp-ons!) which was the most incredible experience ever. Which was also slightly unnerving considering the glacier was atop one of Iceland's active volcanos. But it was amazing.

 Here's more photos of my glacier adventure.....

Tying on my cramp-ons......