Ancestors

Toot

Written by alysonsee 🌻 on 2025-01-18 at 06:16

Landed in Iceland! Now on the bus into Reykjavik. So pleasant, calm, and easy.

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Descendants

Written by alysonsee 🌻 on 2025-01-18 at 18:39

Thanks for the recommendation to bring my big coat, @samerfarha . The wind warranted it today. Even so, with the right gear, the Reykjavik weather was totally doable. I walked a whole week’s worth of steps in one day. (Partly due to going off plan and then getting lost, but no regrets.)

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Written by alysonsee 🌻 on 2025-01-18 at 20:33

The Harpa Concert Hall really is something. Plus the views!

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Written by alysonsee 🌻 on 2025-01-18 at 21:05

These swans wonder why their Florida cousins never call and invite them over for a visit.

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Written by alysonsee 🌻 on 2025-01-18 at 21:08

The aurora chasing excursion was cancelled due to unfavorable conditions. Which means I can go to bed at a civilized hour. Yay me for staying awake all the way until 9 PM (15 and a half hours since the plane landed). I packed a lot in today.

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Written by alysonsee 🌻 on 2025-01-19 at 04:03

Yesterday, I wandered into a sound bath. Actually, it was the museum of the life work and former studio of Ásmundur Sveinsson. The main space is a dome with attached extensions, making sound travel in a way that feels very intimate. There were maybe 4 museum goers wandering around, accompanied by ~8 people improvising on wooden flutes. It wasn’t a concert. There were simply there to create sound and listen to each other in this beautiful space. It was really something.

The pictures are only of the outside. Using a camera inside didn’t feel respectful to the vulnerability and spontaneity of the flutists or to private experiences in a communal space.

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Written by alysonsee 🌻 on 2025-01-19 at 04:15

When I walked back into town, I matched the street signs at a major intersection with the wrong streets, and then wandered wayyyy off track. I didn’t have a data plan or a map with me. But no worry, I felt safe and could spot the tall tower of Hallgrimskirkja to get oriented again.

Two and a half miles later, I went straight to a bar that specializes in gin and said, “I like gin. Make me something please.” The alchemist behind the bar tried to get specifics out of me. But I did not have the energy to make decisions and assured him that I would be happy with anything he created. He did some mixing and shaking and singe-ing of a rosemary sprig. And this emerged.

He later showed me all of the ingredients and said that it was fun for him because it’s rare that someone gives him full reign to concoct.

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Written by alysonsee 🌻 on 2025-01-19 at 21:36

A few, final, random observations:

• Although I’ve spent plenty, I have not seen any Icelandic Krona. When I arrived, I asked the front desk at the hotel where I could change some money. And she said, “You don’t need it. Only tourists pay with cash.” Indeed true.

• I haven’t felt the need to wash my hair. Probably thanks to weather. It’s cold and windy enough that I haven’t gotten sweaty, and it’s humid enough that my ringlets have stayed intact.

• I like salted licorice ice cream more than I thought I would. I thought the “rye bread” ice cream would be my thing, but it just tasted like … ice cream.

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Written by Tom the ailurophile on 2025-01-18 at 07:07

@alysonsee

Enjoy yourself!

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Written by Deborah Pickett on 2025-01-18 at 11:44

@alysonsee Have fun! Gorgeous country, friendly city.

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Written by Hollie 🌲 on 2025-01-18 at 19:55

@alysonsee Oh heck that's just beautiful, WOW!

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Written by M. Darkside on 2025-01-19 at 00:57

@alysonsee @bmacDonald94 hmmm … looks familiar. 😉Beautiful place and great memories.

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Written by @pineywoozle (s) for HARRIS on 2025-01-19 at 02:48

@MrBirch Cool photo. @alysonsee @bmacDonald94

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Written by Lydia Schoch on 2025-01-19 at 00:02

@alysonsee They look a little disgruntled. 😂

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Written by Jo on 2025-01-18 at 21:31

@alysonsee have fun!

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Written by Hollie 🌲 on 2025-01-19 at 04:10

@alysonsee That sounds amazing! Wooden flutes sound so beautiful, I bet it was just transcendent.

I love that you listened to your inner sense about taking photos inside. :)

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Written by Jo on 2025-01-19 at 11:18

@alysonsee and was it nice?

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Written by T. J. Bombadil on 2025-01-19 at 21:39

@alysonsee Iceland is great! How long do you have? If you can get beyond Reykjavik, you’ll thank yourself.

Have you tried the fermented shark? It’s horrible.

We dutifully changed money at the airport and then had trouble spending it all. Everything uses credit cards.

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Written by alysonsee 🌻 on 2025-01-19 at 22:13

@c_dan4th Leaving in the morning. So just in Reykjavik. When I made the plan, my intended destination was Glasgow (for a work thing). The best flights were on IcelandAir, and they let you stay up to two nights and still count it as a layover. It worked out perfectly, and I’ll be adjusted to the time change in time for work tomorrow.

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Written by T. J. Bombadil on 2025-01-20 at 00:38

@alysonsee Smart thinking. Also Iceland in January is probably not as appealing as it was last summer.

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Written by alysonsee 🌻 on 2025-01-19 at 22:14

@c_dan4th Also, no fermented shark. Not even tempted.

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Written by T. J. Bombadil on 2025-01-20 at 00:38

@alysonsee It was pretty horrible, but I’m glad I tried very small bit.

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