iceland – Page 2 – Something to Ponder About

Hypothermia – by Arnaldur Indridason

Book - The cop killer — Nordic crime fiction books

A Reykjavik Murder Mystery

It is a cold Autumn night, the ice has already formed in chunks on Lake Thingvellirvatn… In a holiday cottage a Doctor’s wife is found hanging. She has a history of depression and her Mother recently died of a terminal illness. But is it suicide… Erlender the gloomy and withdrawn Rejkjavik detective must decide. This case is unofficial, it won’t change the outcome of the case and everything is clear cut. Yet Erlender pursues it like a murder case with a drive to find out why the woman’s life ended in such an abrupt manner. As he begins to collects information, he again faces his own personal demons and confronts cold missing persons cases that have laid dormant for years with some suprising results….

The Good: A wonderfully written Scandinavian crime mystery; a delight for continuing readers of Indridason as the character continue their own personal story; atmosphere plus in descriptions of Glacial lakes, blizzards and cold desolate landscapes..

The Bad: Hard to find fault… but I am partial to this genre…

The Ugly: Predictable in parts, but not boring…. No happy ending…. but this is not ugly either…

Verdict: RECOMMENDED

Other titles by Indridason: ( these have been translated to English)

Jar city ( aka Tainted Blood)
Silence of the Grave (to be read soon I hope)
Arctic Chill
Voices
The Draining Lake

Environment

Daily Post – Converge

Nov 30, 2014 Forestwood

Converge

Man- made (Australia)

and natural!

Thingvellir National Park, Iceland – Eurasian continental rift

Visual convergence is a trick of the eye but still we spend time to ponder about it.

Community

Daily Prompt: Come Fly with Me

Nov 15, 2013Nov 17, 2013 Forestwood

Daily Prompt

Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.

65.6833° N, 18.1000° W

Dimmiborgir, Iceland

This is the further I have travelled away from home. A heavy metal band shares the same name. I travelled thirty hours in an aircraft and then another six hours in a car to get there. An other-worldly place that means “The Black Castle” or ” Dark Fortress”, reputed to be where the infamous Jule Lads ( mischevious Icelandic Santa elves) live. Covered, as it was this day, in snow and ethereal light, the place looks magical and menacing at the same time. Was that because I was told black magic rituals are sometimes carried out in the lava caves and formations?

Not far from the Arctic circle, and at a more northerly latitude than the southern areas of Greenland, visiting Akureyri and Dimmiborgir was a rare privilege for someone from “Down Under”. A snowstorm threatened to prevent our travel to this place and for a while, I was terrified out of my wits that I would end up frozen by the side of the road in a stalled car. I had already seen at least one car upturned at the side of the road, and the snowploughs were working overtime just to keep the road for disappearing in a “white out”. I have nothing but awe for the Icelanders who drive in these conditions. But made it, we did, and the skies lifted to let us in.

Iceland is a place where the people appear to survive on the very extremes of possible human habitation. Amongst the gobsmackingly special arctic scenery, the stillness and quiet of small, often isolated communities, is the obvious resilience of the population, despite incredible natural and physical adversity that spans many generations.

Kirkjan – Place of black magic

This post is dedicated to my good friend, Guðriður. Someone and something I will always ponder about. A unique experience so so far from home.

Community

Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon

Oct 27, 2013Dec 31, 2018 Forestwood

Iceland is a photographer’s dream, and to prove the point, the country will throw up a completely new vista on the horizon at every turn of the road, ensuring the tourist suffers an acute case of dry eye, from attempting to take in the 360 degree awe-inspiring natural beauty, that is Iceland.

The Daily Post provided me with an excuse to post this pic. Something to ponder on the horizon. Join in here.

More entries in this challenge:

http://sph3re.wordpress.com/2013/10/26/weekly-photo-challenge-horizon/

http://hopethehappyhugger.wordpress.com/2013/10/26/weekly-photo-challenge-horizon/

http://eastofmalaga.net/2013/10/26/weekly-photo-challenge-horizon/

Community, History & Traditions

Proverbial Thursday – Proverbs and Quotes from around the World

Oct 17, 2013 Forestwood

I find profound wisdom in proverbs, sayings and quotes and marvel at the way they can be so succinct in communicating messages to the reader. Mostly anonymous, they come to us from past generations and across cultures, and speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned. Quotes like proverbs, can make us think more deeply about something.

Each Thursday, I post a Proverb or Saying and a Quote that I find thought provoking. I hope you will too.

“Liten tue kan velte stort lass”–Little strokes fell great oaks.

Norwegian proverb

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.”

(Robert Louis Stevenson)

Some words to ponder about.

History & Traditions

Proverbial Thursday – Proverbs from around the World

Oct 10, 2013 Forestwood

Each Thursday, I post a Proverb or Saying and a Quote that I find thought provoking. I hope you will too.

Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid;
courage means you don’t let fear stop you.

Your cattle will die, your friends will die, you will die, but your reputation will never die, if you get a good one.

Odin, (Mythical Viking god)

Icelandic proverb from the Sagas.

Something to ponder about this day.

Community

Travel theme: Light

Apr 27, 2013May 3, 2013 Forestwood

Here is my contributions to Ailsa’s weekly travel theme. You will find more entries in this theme here: Where’s my Backpack/

As a pathological picture taker, I am especially fascinated with the light one finds in snowy, wintry conditions. The following photos are taken at Dimmiborgir, (quite a spooky place) and Myvatn, (an errie colour pervaded here) the entry to the Blue Lagoon, and Rejkjavik, (taken at dusk) all places which are found in Iceland. Iceland really is a photographers nirvana!

Join in the fun, and ponder your own submissions to this fun photo challenge…..

http://starlight427.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/travel-theme-light/

http://politonomicsandtravel.wordpress.com/

Australia

Travel theme: Mountains from Where’s My Backpack

Feb 17, 2013Feb 9, 2022 Forestwood

The Travel theme: Mountains Weekly challenge. As I have finished the January Photo challenge, I thought I would join in. Also it is a great opportunity to showcase some of my amateur ( but I love them) photos of mountains. One or two may be reposts, but worthwhile reposts….

This is something quite relaxing when sitting in the peace and quiet gazing at a mountain scene ( preferably with snow atop) especially where the mountain meets the water line.

Here is my contribution: –