Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Ásmundur Sveinsson Museum
The said Á.Sveinsson is an Icelandic (dead) (but not stuffed) artist you can learn more about here courtesy of Wikipedia.
I'm getting to love that site more and more, because of the precious time it allows me to spend not searching for stuff I afterwards don't have to explain. So read it yourself if you will! :D
But yeah, just a few words. The museum is set in a small white sort of rectangularish house not far from Nordica. It is very bright and minimalist inside the building, the architecture and sleekness of which I really like. I also like the works of that artist very much. I'm not necessarily into sculpture usually but I really like the textures and material he uses (wood + metal, essentially)+ they are full of humour, and Mr. Sculptor looks like a total wacko, sort of Charlie Chaplin mâtiné d'un crazy Hitler en Charentaises.. Chweet.

Eruption is the name of this one


Well, since I've been here for a year now, a year and 5 days exactly, I decided to celebrate that "anniversary" with a little road trip to Snæfellsness, place I've already been to last year but really wished to go back to, because I love the glacier (which I still have never been to, it's always good to keep some stuff for later, not only between one's teeth) and just because.
The first adventure consisted in getting Alice's car stuck in litterally no snow, and feeling pathetic on the side of the road.
In actual fact, I didn't look pathetic at all, as immediately I sprang into action and started shovelling the snow away from behind the wheels and bespreading the afore-mentionned with little lava pebbles to give the tyres some ground to wheel away on.
I didn't even have time to test the absolute genius of my handling of the situation, as after aproximatively 2 minutes I was there (didn't even have time to get cold or pissed off) a knight in shining Range Rover stopped by the side of the road, jumped out, whipped out a rope and pulled me out in no time. Fortunate for me, but rather very unfortunate for tourist's reputation in Iceland... To say that I was embarrassed is an understatement.
I don't usually blatantly lie, but when the guy after noticing rather insultingly fast that I was definitely foreign and stating "ha! you don't speak Icelandic!", asked if I had been in Iceland long, I just answered... "hum, well, no, not really.. " *blushes*
After getting unstuck, I laughed and drove off into the not yet sunset, towards my next stop, Bjarnarhöfn, where one can admire the beautifulitude of the oldest wooden church in Iceland.
That's the one.
Apparently there are sharks over there as well, 'cause when I left, I bumped into an old grandpa (again in a Range) who was dragging two 2 metre long sharks in his trailer. Funny thing to take on a casual ride you'd say, but no, he was actually taking them to the farm, where I think somebody was going to prepare them into that revolting shark-O-mix they dare call food here. (sorry fellows, I still can't relate to the pleasure of eating squares of fish that would be toxic if they weren't left to rot until they taste like piss..)
Anyway, grandpa was fun to talk to, AND in Icelandic dans le texte.. *happy!*
Drove off to Hellissandur in screaming wind, the car was barely stable, and me neither as I'd hardly slept the night previous. Really wanted to stop in Grundarfjörður, in order to climb up Kirkjufell on Friday, but the wind was so strong I figured it wasn't even worth the try. Not suicidal. And it'll be a good excuse to drag Florian up there when he comes.
Stayed at Katja and Jón's in Hellissandur, from CS as well. Friday we went for a bike ride with Katja, and that's where I decided officially, mark my wordsI will NOT, EVER, go around Iceland on a bike. (unless I change my mind about it ;o) )
Christ!
Soft Jesus!
Crazy sjit!
Twice I was just blown off to the side of the road, and that's without luggage!! Yikes.
However, it was really nice, and fun. We cycled to this lighthouse in Öndverðarnes. Lighthouses are called "viti", and apparently it's so windy here that they are generically called "helvítis" as a joke, the latter word being a beautiful pun and meaning hell, basically.
I was really lucky with the weather though, as most of the time when I went walking it was sunny, then conveniently started raining as soon as I got back into the car.. :D
Sunshine out

Laugarbrekka
where Guðridur Þorbjarnardóttir was born. And who was she?
Apparently the beautiful mum of the first white offspring born on the American continent, and a heck of an adventurous woman traveller. (Respect!!)
And of course, all Icelanders descend from her (...)
Rain in.
Cute weather on the way back.
Oh, yeah, forgot to mention, it was Spring day!!
:D

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