Reykjavik

If You're Shopping

Good morning, dear reader. You may have noticed that I recently started displaying "Google ads" in my sidebar. So far I've been fairly happy with having them there--that is, no one has complained about them--although for awhile ads for Jimmy Buffett tickets kept coming up. That was a little annoying to us all I'm sure.

At any rate, you should check them out. All of the advertisers I've noticed seem to be decent and legitimate.

Oh, and above is an early morning picture of Reykjavik's main shopping street. And by "early morning" I of course mean 10 or 11 AM.

Reykjavik Arts Festival

It's time for the Reykjavik Arts Festival (May 14 through June 5). If you go please fill us all in on the highlights.

Photo Op

One of the many great things about keeping this blog is that people send me links to beautiful photos of Reykjavik. Of course it makes me want to hop on the next flight out of Boston. But that's okay. I need to be prodded sometimes.

So, if you missed these links in my comments, here are some from the wonderful Gunnella and a whole lot from Pascal Fellonneau. If all these hundreds of beautiful photos from all over Iceland don't convince you of its beauty, perhaps you should go there yourself. Then you'll be convinced.

More Photos!

I've added a new photo album to the collection that you can find in the sidebar. The photo album Some Things to See in Reykjavik will give you a taste of our experience there. But these pictures really don't do Reykjavik justice. You simply have to see it for yourself.

Hard to Miss

I do believe it's impossible for anyone to go to Reykjavik and be able to say when they get back home : "Hallgrimskirkja? No, I missed that." Whether or not you visit the church itself--or even head up the hill just to see the exterior--there's no missing this gigantic landmark. The funny thing is, one fellow traveller did point it out to us like he was sharing arcane knowledge of some well-hidden, off-the-beaten track locale. I have more to say about that guy, but I will resist for the moment.

One thing I will say though is that the trip to the top of Hallgrimskirkja is well worth the effort and the cost (which I don't remember--give me a break, this isn't "Let's Go Reykjavik" after all--but I don't think it was too expensive). We took some wonderful pictures from the tower. If you browse through some of the photos over there on the right hand side of the page, I'm sure you'll find at least a couple of them.

Never Mind the Waterfalls, Here's Gulfoss

I was looking through some of my many pictures of Iceland and was struck by the profound beauty of this one. If you go to Iceland you must visit Gulfoss. Even if you're the sort of person who avoids that which is "touristy" you simple must experience one of the world's most stunning waterfalls.

I'm amazed I got this or any other pictures of the waterfall. The day we were there was "windy"--that is, gale-force windy--and by the time we got to this vantage point our clothes were soaked to the bone. I'm still in awe of the fact that we somehow kept the camera from becoming drenched by the stray spray of Gulfoss.

Once again, I'll take the opportunity to ask you, dear readers, if you'd like to contribute a post to this Iceland blog. Whether you live there or were just a visitor I know you have stories to tell the rest of us. All you have to do is email me and you too can be a part of this blog.

Bobby Watch

Looking a bit like Jimmy Buffet picking up after a Smiths' show, Bobby Fischer arrived in Iceland blah blah blah...

If any Fischer lovers out there happen to read this blog, please please please let me know why you care so much about him. Don't you think he should be wasting away in a Japanese prison awaiting extradition?

I don't know. I guess with the Penis Museum moved out of town, visitors to Reykjavik need some other oddity to gawk at--not that you'll probably be seeing much of the world's most famous chess-playing fugitive recluse. He'll be busy searching every corner of his apartment for Soviet-planted listening and thought-control devices and reading newspapers looking for coded messages planted by those involved in the world-wide plot against him.

But, Bobby, if you are reading this, let's go: 1) Nf3.

Bring it on, babee!!

Dear Iceland,

Well, Fischer is all yours now. I hope you enjoy his company.

Of course, you'll have to ignore his anti-Semitic rants and you'll have to ignore his defiance of  sanctions against Yugoslavia and the fact that he's a fugitive, but that's okay. He did help put Iceland on the chess map and that's got to be more important than his paranoid, bigoted outbursts. I guess.

IIFF

If you're planning a trip to Iceland in April, be sure to find out more about the Iceland International Film Festival.

One thing I'll say about the Iceland Tourist Board--they come up with great reasons to visit the country year round. I'd love to go, but alas I know I won't be...unless of course you'd like to pay my way. I could figure something out if that were the case.

More Fischer Madness

Come on, government of Iceland. Do you really want an anti-Semitic nut living in your country? I know you people are chess crazy, but this whole Fischer-love thing is just odd. Or do you secretly hope that he'll be sent back to the USA so you can look like you cared without having to actually deal with him? Or perhaps you believe he'll share with you some secret line to the Caro-Kann that will revive the opening and solidify your country's place in chess history?