Iceland has bounced back from the housing bubble / economic melt down.

Their president let the banks go bankrupt: click on the link below to hear how.
Iceland currently has 3% economic growth & 5% unemployment!

Landscapes

It was a joy to drive on the winding roads.  I bought a deluxe road map of the whole island.  Next year it would be fun to drive around the whole coast, staying one night in each town.  

Icelandic Rock Art

I was amazed to see Iceland's lava rocks used as sculptural accents, on walls, in paintings, and in jewelry.

Volcanic Rock on a wall

Black lava rocks are polished and made into rings and necklaces.

Lief Ericson, born in a house like this replica near Budardalur

This was a great site to visit.  Leif Ericson was born in Iceland around 980 AD.  He is the first explorer to have set foot on Vinland / North America.  Vinland was the Viking name for North America.  There is archaeological evidence that the Vikings discovered North America 5 five centuries before Christopher Columbus.

Harpa, concert hall & conference center, opened 2011. Henning Larsen Architects & Olafur Eliasson - Artist Collaborator

I love the facade of this building which the Danish-Icelandic artist, Olafur Eliasson created.

Hallgrímskirkja, Cathedral of Hallgrimur (Hallgrimur was a Clergyman &Poet)

We took an elevator ride up to the observation room in the Cathedral.  This view looks up from the entrance.

The architect Guojon Samuelsson was inspired by lava flows.

The interior has few distracting images as prescribed by Lutheran beliefs.  

The focus is on the inner life and the words of the gospel.

These two icons are on either side of the steps at the altar.  

They are not frontally visible to the parishioners.  

The view from the observation room at the top!

Metal Roofs

A contemporary Icelandic artist created this temporary art installation for the tower observation room.  These are the interior views of the glass clock faces.

Einar Johnson, 1874-1954, Iceland's most famous sculptor

Right next to the Lutheran Cathedral we toured the sculpture garden of the Einar Johnson Museum.  The Museum interior was closed that day but the grounds were open and they were breathtaking. This is some of the most inspiring sculpture I have ever seen!

     The  format of two different sizes of figures is very poetic.  This is called "Earth".

The grounds were beautiful.  The Art Deco museum building is in the background.

                                      

                        "Sleep" also has two sizes of figures.  This looks like a very difficult yoga pose!

                       

                                                             "Christmas" 

One of our favorites.

                                              

                                         

                                                                           "Protection", 1912-1934 

"Thor Wrestling With Age", 1939

                            There is something profoundly serious about this macabre and grotesque piece.

In Icelandic Norse mythology, Thor uses a mountain crushing hammer and conquers many monstrous foes.

Elinar Johnson in his studio.


Johnson's art work hints at mystical worlds based on Norse mythology, Christianity, and Icelandic folk tales. There are elfs, angels, and trolls.  The men and women are classically portrayed.  Elinar Johnson studied Art in Denmark and in Rome.

Under The Open Sky, pet hospital

Our apartment was next to this pet hospital with an interesting sculpture on the turf roof.  The sculpture appears to be a female satyr amazon unicorn, with a bandaged horn.

  The flat roof of the building had grass growing on it.  

Cats of Reykjavik