Day 5 (September 3): Smaratun and Saga Museum The view from my farm window this morning was giant white turkeys. The male could have been my height, but his plumage would have made him too wide to go through that little church door at Thingvellir! We had a late and […]
In this three-part post, the intrepid Bobbi (aka Borghilde) Speck gives us all the news that’s fit to print on Literary Iceland: Isle of Awe, 2014. Led by Mark Cwik and Ann Kirkland, a group of travellers read, ate, and hiked their way through this astonishing country. Did they encounter any […]
[wowslider id=”101″] These were taken with my phone. Better pics are bound to come from those with serious cameras and better eyes. Music is Icelandic, a free download. Iceland in words can be found here, ON THE ROAD WITH ANN — Iceland, an unlikely nation and here, GUEST BLOG – Bobbi Speck on incredible […]
Our Iceland trip is winding down, and it has been incredible. We’ll have a full account of all the experiences we had and the first-class people we met. Here are a few more photos to tide you over until then. It is hard to leave the fierce beauty of this […]
We are in saga country! Njal’s saga. I have never breathed air this fresh. It makes me want to inhale deeply and savour the deep pleasure of breathing. The sky and the quality of light are magnificent. We are staying on a working farm, where we continue to enjoy amazing […]
You are, no doubt, hearing more about Bardabunga in Canada and the U.S. than we are here. Our climatic concerns have been more mundane – yesterday we had everything, starting with rain and wind. For good reason, Icelanders do not use umbrellas. It cleared up in the afternoon and the […]
Tonight far surpassed our expectations. Renowned soprano Lilja Gudmundsdottir and world-acclaimed bass Bjarni Thor Kristinsson, accompanied by a great pianist, sang a wonderful array of Icelandic songs. Many sounded very much like German lieder, and one sounded very much like Schubert/Goethe’s “Erlkönig,” a piece that figures prominently in the first […]
My first impressions of Iceland were that I found it reminiscent of Newfoundland. And yes, they do wear Icelandic sweaters. Only 320,000 people in entire country. We have a great guide whose early years were spent in Nova Scotia. And yes, like just about everyone here, she’s a writer. Working […]
by Alissa Simon, Tutor at Harrison Middleton University, Tempe Arizona (first posted on the HMU website) Once there was; once there wasn’t….* I am blessed with many things, one of which is an excellent job. I read and discuss literature for a living. Everyday a piece of literature blows me […]
Another wonderful day at Toronto Pursuits! Tonight we had a great dinner (after an amazing Indian lunch). We spent some time looking at all of the places you can go with Classical Pursuits and heard from travelers and tour leaders about the unique experiences offered by these one-of-a-kind trips. Previous attendees […]