Tag: iceland

Vacation Retrospective

Confessions of a traveler!

As I selected Retrospective for this week’s TPC theme, I thought it would be nice to look back at countries visited during the 2010s! So here it goes!

Austria

Love atop the Stephanskirche!

Looking down from the shorter tower of the Stephanskirche provides an incredible view across all of Vienna!

Canada

Walking among the treetops!

In Vancouver, BC, I got to walk among the treetops, high up above the canyon floor (below…)

Scotland

Skye is simply stunning!

On the Isle of Skye, I got to see some of the most incredible landscapes, such as here, where I’m a ways up in the Quiraing range. I could sit here forever and watch the clouds change the landscape!

Israel

Apollonia National Park

I got some time in Israel to explore the Apollonia National Park in Herzliya; this amazing Roman settlement was a wonder to behold!

Italy

Looking across Massa Maritima

Our Italian trip was filled with amazing towns (idea for some posts…), such as Massa Maritima; the hill towns in Tuscany are just stunning! And the food was awesome too!

Netherlands

Centraal Station, Rotterdam

As can be expected, there have been numerous trips to the Netherlands, and Rotterdam is still among my favorite cities in this world!

Iceland

The Herring Era

Iceland is filled with amazing vistas, and I spent way too little time there (4 days) to scratch the surface. One of my discoveries was the Herring Era museum in Siglufjördur! It brought one back to a different time!

Czech Republic

Looking up in Prague!

Sometimes, travel doesn’t go as planned, and you get to spend an additional 24 hours in a location. This happened in Prague, which is not a bad place to find yourself in!

Ukraine

A view in Kharkiv

My visit to Ukraine was fantastic, as the hospitality was amazing and I got to see some of the sights, such as the view here!

England

Albert Docks at Night

Liverpool, England, was an impromptu visit that gave me the opportunity to see my favorite Premier League team play at Anfield, their home ground! A fantastic city too!

In less than 2 weeks, I will be in India, so the adventure continues!!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 190

Mist it? Yes, indeed!

Welcome to the 190th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

After all the hot Glow of the previous week, we really cooled down nicely with this week’s theme of Mist! As usual, you shared fantastic photos! The weather might have been foggy pretty often, if we believe all these photos! The good thing about this weather is that it provides a backdrop for creating beautiful photos! Thanks to everyone for all the effort you put into creating these wonderful posts!!

Here’s a produce of plenty of mist…

Waterfall of the Gods

Godafoss is a rather impressive set of waterfalls, and one of the top falls in Iceland; even at the distance that I still was from the thundering falls, I could feel the mist drifting over me. It’s well worth the effort to clamber down the slippery path to get to the water level, as you get a sense of the power coming at you from this vantage point.

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

  1. Sarah kicks off the festival of mist with some gorgeous photos in her post in By Sarah; the mist lends a bit of mystery to these photos!
  2. The haar rolling in at dusk is captured beautifully in Land of Images! The Isle of Skye is just filled with different looks that are all wonderful!
  3. The Himalayas are featured in a great post in Don’t Hold Your Breath, as the unpredictable nature of the weather in March produces a backdrop for fantastic photos!
  4. Xenia, Eivor and Pearl enjoy the highlands with a gentle blanket of mist in a gorgeous post in whippetwisdom. Xenia captured the sense of the scenes beautifully!
  5. Shelley writes us a rather detailed letter in her lovely post in Quaint Revival! Memories of dewdrops might freeze, but this letter surely warms our hearts!
  6. The post for this week’s theme in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery features mist in the valley, which is an absolutely gorgeous photo!
  7. Diane brings us the swans of the bard in her post in pensivity101, as they glide through the mist in Stratford-upon-Avon!
  8. Jackie shares some of the mist of Lake Ontario with us in her post in Junkboat Travels; great photos and awesome post!
  9. Na’ama’s poem in her post in Na’ama Yehuda is rather evocative, as one can feel the mist rising when reading these amazing lines!
  10. A fantastic post contains this week’s theme in the Jesh Studio, filled with unexpected and wonderful alike!
  11. Viveka really captures the sense of the mist in her photos in myguiltypleasures; the lights glowing in the mist ties us back to last week as well!
  12. Nandini definitely knows how to put together amazing haikus, as we can see in her post in queennandini; she really captures the mist!
  13. The post on this week’s theme in My Camera and I… underscores that the weather doesn’t adversely affect our fun, particularly in a great city, such as Budapest!
  14. London is featured in a wonderful post in Kanlaon, as we get to experience the (not atypical) mist in that great city!
  15. There’s something special about mist rising up over water on a cold day, as we can see in a magnificent post in A Day in the Life with beautiful photos!
  16. Chris gives a fantastic, somewhat old school photo featuring mistt in What’s (in) the Picture?; I love the classic grainy feel and sense of timelessness in the shot! Another classic is featured in Chris’ second post in What’s (in) the Picture?
  17. Brian almost leaves me misty-eyed with the stunning misty photo in his post in Bushboy’s World; that tree might get lost in the woods with this kind of weather!
  18. Lisa shares a wonderful photo in her post in Peace of Life Today, as we might want to go explore in these interesting conditions!
  19. The shot of the fields with the mist of dawn in theOnlyD800intheHameau‘s post is another amazing photo! Also, check out its companion shot!
  20. Nicole brings the cold of Winter through with beauty in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme; the mist adds to the overall ambience beautifully!
  21. Bren takes us back into his archives with a gorgeous, misty photo in his post in Bren & Ashley Ryan Photography; the scene is treated in such a way that it takes us back into a past that is palpable!
  22. Eric shares one of those iconic images in his post in Up North! His capture of the Golden Gate bridge in the mist is just amazing!
  23. David brings us another set of amazing photos in his post in David M’s Photoblog; he knows how to capture the essence of the world around him and I have to say that I am rather fond of the subtle mist in the autumn trees!
  24. Sandy takes us into the hills in her post in Out of my Write Mind, where the river meanders out from the mist among them… Wonderful photo and poem!
  25. TiongHan captures one of those truly amazing images in his post in TiongHan’s Blog; there’s almost a sense of the abstract in this image, as you take it into your senses!
  26. Tatiana takes us into Oregon to experience the mist of the Multhnoma Falls in her post in Travelways; that’s one steep and misty waterfall!
  27. Kristina captured an amazing photo in her post in looking for enchantment…, as we might disappear into the mist…
  28. Alice takes us for a ride on the Maid of the Mist in the 59 Club, which provides plenty of mist, as you close in on Niagara Falls!
  29. Deb shares a gorgeous photo with us in her post in Twenty Four, as we can sense the potential for alligators appearing out of the mist…
  30. Rupali brings us gorgeous pair of photos featuring our theme in Mazeepuran; that is a stunning capture!
  31. I really like what Woolly did with his misty images in Woolly Muses! The sepia treatment creates a rather special mood!
  32. Hammad has us disappearing into the mist in his post in the Blog of Hammad Rais; chairlifts might just be transports into another dimension!
  33. Ken finds misty horses in the menhir in one of his photos in Pictures without Film; stones in the mist make for an almost mythical setting!
  34. In another great post in One Letter Up – Diary 2.0, we find out what can happen when it gets really cold: Ocean Mist! The temperature has to be really low for the ocean to release its mist…
  35. Hannah’s post in Zebra’s Child really brings out the best in the mists of the moon with some gorgeous shots!

Please let all of these great bloggers know your thoughts about their posts!

Icelandic Wonders – Myvatn Geothermal Area

Shades of blue

Iceland is a place filled with wonders of geology, as it sits at the intersection of several tectonic plates; its volcanic landscape and mixture of fire and ice make for stunning landscape photography.

One of the side effects of this location is the level of geothermal activity that provides energy for much of the country. From famous bathing areas, such as the Blue Lagoon in southern Iceland to this stunning blue lake in the north…

Blue Lake near Myvatn

There are geothermal baths in the Myvatn Geothermal Region, but these are not them (as a matter of fact, just off-camera there is a sign warning of the extreme heat in this lake). In the distance, you can see the pipe crossing the landscape and see where the heat is collected for use by residents.

The stunning blue color of the lake is the result of silica deposits, which forms a soft blue mud and provides this stunning hue.

I will post more images from this area, as I continue processing them.

World’s Wonders on Wednesday – Iceland #01

The Gods at work…

As this week’s Tuesday Photo Challenge is on the theme of Fall, I thought it might be fitting to visit a waterfall. While going through some of my travel photos, I came across one of these from the amazing country of Iceland.

It took a bit of a clamber to get down to the level, from where I wanted to shoot this amazing set of falls that thunder down a semi-circular ledge; the view was very much worth it…

Waterfall of the Gods

This amazing sight is Goðafoss waterfall, which name translates to Waterfall of the Gods. This sight and sound of this much water flowing over the edge and past one’s feet is truly impressive. This is one of those locations, where I’d love to spend a number of days to get its beauty with various light qualities; the 30 or so minutes that I was there were just too short to do it justice.

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 171

Straight lines, right angles…

Welcome to the 171st round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

Thank you for your patience! As always, I really enjoyed reading your posts and I have to say that there were a couple of posts that really surprised me with the novel, creative way, in which you approached the theme of Rectangle. Well done!! Thank you also for the excellent effort that you put in these posts! It shows in the quality and level of photography and prose and poetry that you produce.

Please enjoy each other’s posts and give some props to your fellow blogosphere community members!

Here are some more rectangles…

Colorful, yet foggy!

This scene is at the Herring Era Museum in Siglufjörður, Iceland. The town os Siglufjörður is a great place to visit; when you visit, you may notice that the two served as a backdrop for a significant number of locations of the Icelandic mystery series titled Trapped in English.

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

  1. Danny starts things this week with a large number of rectangles in his post in Danny James Photography; he’s cruising!
  2. Erika has her own collector of rectangles in Nora Vista, who also makes something rather nice out of those rectangles!
  3. Sarah probably has the most delicious rectangles in her post in By Sarah; which flavor speaks to you?
  4. Jez captures a great variety of rectangles in his post in Jez Braithwaite; the combination of curvature and rectangles really speaks to me!
  5. Modern architecture in Abu Dhabi looks amazing thanks to the great photo in theOnlyD800intheHameau! Wonderful curvature too!
  6. Plenty of rectangles to be found in pensivity101‘s post, as the boat was a great place to find them!
  7. Michelle brings us a lot of metal in her post in her blog Take a Walk and Discover...; neatly arranged in their rectangular cubby holes!
  8. Ann-Christine has another wonderful view of Iceland in her post in To See a World in a Grain of Sand…; look closely and you will see a steeple in the pattern…
  9. Elizabatz has an exhibition opening up on August 7 that will be shown during the entire month of August. The poster is in Albatz Adventures; if you’re in Vancouver stop by the Brittania Art Gallery on Napier Street and enjoy!
  10. Ken features some amazing, ancient rectangles in his blog Pictures without Film; this abode in Melin Llynon, Anglesey, is truly interesting!
  11. Another great post in iBallrtw shows us tons of rectangles, as the containers are stacked in Lucayan Harbour!
  12. This week’s amazing post in Don’t Hold Your Breath takes us to the Museum of Tiles in Lisbon, Portugal. The tiles are pure works of art!
  13. Klara takes us to Brussels in her post in Sliku soju ljubim II, where we get to enjoy a festival of lights!
  14. Maria finds rectangles everywhere with a great shot of the new building of Uppsala University in her blog Kamerapromenader!
  15. In this weeks’s entry in Chateaux des Fleurs, we get to see a creative approach to the theme, as the framing of the image creates the rectangle!
  16. Jackie finds us a lot of creative rectangles in her post in Junk Boat Travels, which are amazing pieces of art in their own way!
  17. In another fantastic post in the blog The Jesh Studio, Jesh brings us a sense of serenity and a beautiful rectangle!
  18. Na’ama truly captures a sight to behold in her post in Na’ama Yehuda, with a poem that shares what is really important!
  19. Jase goes on a surfin’ safari in another cool post in Proscenium, as the fun of paddle boarding is explored!
  20. As we can see in a lovely post in radhikas reflection, rectangles are everywhere, even in some delicious places!
  21. The memorial that we get to see in Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery is certainly on my list to visit; it’s a stark reminder of what happens when people follow the wrong leaders. A wonderful post!
  22. Brian definitely captured some wonderful rectangles in his travels, as we can see in Bushboy’s World; I particularly love the ones with great texture next to them.
  23. Nicole shares a wonderful photo of Notre Dame de Langonnet in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme; excellent post!
  24. Anita posts an amazing set of warm photos in Anita’s Images; I can imagine how wonderful it must be to traverse those streets!
  25. Debbie takes us to Tiraspol in Transnistria in her post Travel with Intent, which is a city and country that I didn’t know about. It’s a great post! In another post, Debbie takes us back to Moldova in Travel with Intent, where curves and straight lines intersect!
  26. Xenia manages to find rectangles in Nature, which is not that easy; her post in WhippetWisdom features great scenery and whippets!
  27. Robert’s photos in Photo Roberts Blog are simply stunning, as they bring rectangles into view in a wonderful composition!
  28. Another cool post in the59Club stacks the rectangles pretty well…containers are very adaptable!
  29. Sandy’s post in Out of My Write Mind has an amazing photo and also contains a great poem!
  30. Marie showcases some wonderful architecture in her post in the New 3Rs: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect; these are classic houses in Denmark.
  31. Irene photographed a beautiful windows for her post in Heaven’s Sunshine; those windows really set the mood!
  32. David shows the benefit of looking up in his post in David M’s Photoblog; sometimes the rectangles are just overhead!
  33. When one visits New York City we find what we see in a cool post in A Day in the Life: rectangles are everywhere!
  34. Hammad gives another great post in the Blog of Hammad Rais, where decorative, colored glass panels make for great rectangles!
  35. There’s nothing like getting a combination of curves and rectangles, as we see in a lovely post in Heart 2 Heart!
  36. A fun post in sgeoil provides really interesting interplay between lines and some great rectangles!
  37. Clearly, these rectangles create a place where one doesn’t want to cast the first stone, as we can see in Land of Images; fantastic post!
  38. Cee’s post in Cee’s Photography features yet another wonderful set of photos with great subject matter!
  39. Deb locks into a great view of rectangles in her post in Twenty-Four; sometimes they are right there with us!
  40. Woolly breaks out his own challenge in a cool post in Woolly Muses, so go visit and see, if you can solve the puzzle!
  41. Debbie presents us with another great post in forgivingconnects, where she focuses on some important rectangles: money and how forgiveness and self-care is critical!
  42. Viveka shares a stunning photo in her post in MyGuiltyPleasures, which is a lovely blog!
  43. The exhibit that was visited might have been Ansel Adams, which made the post in One Letter Up – Diary 2.0 even more appropriate, as art was found in unexpected places!
  44. Teressa finds rectangles in one of my favorite places in her post in Another LQQK; I love the texture and feel of those buildings!

Please let all of these great bloggers know your thoughts about their posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 152

The wonder of it all!

Welcome to the 152nd round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

You were all simply wonderful! I very much enjoyed reading what fills you with wonder and seeing those stunning photos that you provided as evidence of the wonders. Your interpretations were very creative, as always, and there were many that brought a smile to my face. Thanks to each and every one of you for the work you put into these posts!

So, stop wondering, and go discover the wonder that lies in these posts!

Here’s another location that filled me with wonder…

Myvatn Hot Water Spring

Visiting Iceland was a magical experience from a photography perspective, as it is filled with stunning vistas. If you go just a little bit off the beaten path, you are often rewarded, such as this blue-hued wonder that presented itself to me. This hot water spring is surrounded by signs that warn people to not enter it, due to the excessive heat that can occur in this spring.

The following were this week’s participants in the challenge with links to their posts:

  1. Starting things off this week, Sarah’s post in By Sarah is filled with wonder as the balloons fill the sky. One really stood out for me!
  2. Nicole brings us the wonders of Nature in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme, which is gorgeous!
  3. In Junk Boat Travels, Jackie goes for one of her favorite wonders in her life, as she features a handsome guy!
  4. Shelley brings us the wonder of post-vacation blues in Quaint Revival; based on the pictures I think that the vacation was wodnerful!
  5. John’s post in Midnight Rider brings us one of the wonders that we might all enjoy: backyard critters!
  6. Ann-Christine’s brings us the wonder of Spring in her post in To See a World in a Grain of Sand with an amazing photo of a hazel bud!
  7. Sandy takes a really cool approach in Out of My Write Mind, as she explores the wonder of shadows!
  8. Na’ama’s post in Na’ama Yehuda explores the wonder of ancient construction, and the precision that is amazing!
  9. We get to enjoy the wonder of Nature in a great post in pensivity101, as those ducks are simply precious!
  10. Xenia shares a pair of wonderful posts with us this week. The first in WhippetWisdom brings us the wonder of growing. The second, in Tranature is filled with green wonder!
  11. In another awesome post in Another LQQK, Teressa takes us to the wonder of the new buds, and did I see snow?
  12. In Don’t Hold Your Breath‘s stunning post, we are introduced to the wild asses of Kutch!
  13. Danny’s post in Danny James Photography is just amazing and filled with the wonder of Canyon de Chelly National Park!
  14. This week’s entry in Chateaux des Fleurs shares the beautiful Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar, which is one of the wonders of the world!
  15. Kammie sees wonder in several interesting vistas in her post in Nut House Central; which of these wonders is your favorite?
  16. Jase shares a terrific wonderwall in Proscenium; then there is some wonderful food too…yummy!
  17. I really like Go Outside Today, and this week’s entry is amazing, as it takes us to Bagru, Rajasthan; do you wonder?
  18. This week’s post in Heart2Heart takes us to a truly wonderful place, as we straddle the Arno!
  19. We get to enjoy the wonder of an amazing landscape in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery; mountains fill me with wonder!
  20. Yinglan really fills us with wonder in her post in This is Another Story; there’s nothing more wonderful than looking up to the sky!
  21. Stella brings us some wonder from Nature in her great post in Giggles & Tales; beautiful photos!
  22. Irene’s photo in her post in Heaven’s Sunshine shares her wonder and fascination with the butterfly; I can relate!
  23. A really interesting photo is central to the post in Land of Images, as the caterpillar does look a bit confused!
  24. Maria’s photo in her blog KameraPromenader is truly amazing, as she captures the wonder of a spider’s web in a spectacular way!
  25. Donna brings us the wonder of Tuscany in her post in Wind Kisses; I agree that there’s much wonder there!
  26. Ken brings us the juxtapostion of two wonders in his post in Pictures without Film; modern and ancient wonders meet one another!
  27. Woolly shares some great wonders in his post in Woolly Muses; one of them, I have visited, and the others are on my bucket list!
  28. I great wonder is shared in the 59 Club, where tons of water cross every single second!
  29. Brian shares some of the makes him wonder in his post in Bushboy’s World; these are some great wonders, and Nature stands out above all for me!
  30. With another great photo in their blog sgeoil, we get to enjoy the wonders of Nature!
  31. In MyTravelCSP, we get to enjoy both human and Nature constructions in their choice of wonders!
  32. In another great post in Photography Journal Blog, we get to wonder what that button does, and we get a great photo!
  33. Debbie’s post in Travel with Intent is stunning! The Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid is turning 100!
  34. With another stunning photo in David Meredith’s Photoblog, we get to wonder about migration; that photo is amazing!
  35. Hammad’s post in the Blog of Hammad Rais has us wonder about the beauty of primroses!
  36. This week’s post in One letter UP – diary 2.0 shares the wonder of natural foods and their amazing nutrients!
  37. Olga wonders where Spring is hiding in her post in Stuff and what if…, which might be in the shadows…
  38. In another awesome post in Travel with Tech, we learn about little angels, and where they come from!
  39. Marie has travelled to great places, as we can see in the New 3 Rs: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect; that is a wonderful photo!
  40. Debbie brings us a surprise in her post in Twenty Four; of course, I wonder, if Wombats can read…
  41. Tracy has another fantastic post in Reflections of an Untidy Mind; in case you wondered, it was National Eucalypts Day in Australia last week!
  42. Susan’s wonder is captured in a great photo in Musin’ with Susan; Nature’s wonder in all its beauty!
  43. In a great post in Thief Images Photography Blog, we find some of the things that make this photographer wonder…
  44. Khürt brings us a fantastic report on Lance and Debbie’s Wonder Bar in Island in the Net; this post is nothing short of wunderbar!
  45. In another lovely post in A Day in the Life we get to hang with the ducks, who are just wonderful!

Please let all of these great bloggers know your thoughts about their posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round

Herring and hard work!

Welcome to week 150 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge.

It’s hard to believe that we’re closing in on 3 years of this challenge! After a tremendous week of layered goodness and creativity, this week’s theme came to me pretty quickly. I have to admit that I was surprised that I hadn’t used Round as a theme before, as it seems to be a natural! Of course, now you can make the rounds with great posts, of all shapes! Just think what a great Round up your contributions will make! (yes, that was punny).

Have a lot of fun with this theme and let your creative minds kindle the fires of your imagination!

Here’s a bit of roundness to get you in shape for the challenge…

Barrels from the Past

These barrels and wheel were outside the Herring Era Museum in the picturesque town of Siglufjörður on the Northeren coast of Iceland. The towns in this area were booming during the great days of the herring catch. Siglufjörður and the towns surrounding it are filled with charm from that era and are truly amazing to visit. It also doesn’t hurt that this area is stunning and a dream for landscape photography!

The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the tl;dr:

  • Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
  • Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
  • Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
  • Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!

Looking forward to see what comes round the bend this week!