Iceland

View of Reykjavik from church tower

Multi-faceted and colored glass of Harpa 

 “Þetta reddast,” the Icelandic philosophy that roughly translates to “things will work out,” entered our Icelandic experience a bit too late to fully adjust the lens through which we viewed Iceland. Pronounced “thetta reddast” this insight on the Icelandic psyche came to us via a comedic performance we attended at Reykjavik's Harpa Concert Hall called “Learn to Be Icelandic in 60 Minutes.”  Also shared were thinking big, being preoccupied with the weather, being rude and other miscellaneous nonsense we have already forgotten from the not so memorable show.  But Þetta reddast has lingered.

The size of Kentucky, Iceland and its population of 320,000 are tucked just beneath the Arctic Circle. With more than half of them living in the capital Reykjavik, you can get a sense of the emptiness of the island landscape covered by glaciers, jagged volcanic rock or black lava covered by a thin layer of green moss.  This is a tough place to live. Trusting that things will work out is actually a pretty clever strategy.

Gullfoss flows into a deep crevasse

We took several tours to explore Iceland's natural wonders. We peered from the rim of an inactive volcano into a languid pool of water that now fills the once belching behemoth.   Elsewhere we stood with other tourists and watched the active geology of Iceland produce a geyser that blasted heated water high into the cool air. We wandered in awe in the mist of Gullfoss or “golden waterfall.”  It was a sight of wonder lending justification to it being one of Iceland’s biggest attractions.

An afternoon on a whale watching boat was interesting.  No gargantuan beasts leapt before us as the advertising would suggest, but small minke whales rose with some frequency for a momentary gulp of air before disappearing into the chilly waters.  Frolicking dolphins, however, filled the entertainment gap.

Yes, we did soak in the mineral-rich, geothermal heated waters at the Blue Lagoon.  When in Iceland...

A guided tour in the National Museum of Iceland gave us insights into early Icelanders, actually Norsemen from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who stopped off in Ireland to pick up women slaves on their way to Iceland beginning in about 874 AD. It’s not surprising to see redheads about on the island; 70% of the immigrants were women from Ireland. The stationing of British and US soldiers during WW II brought Western culture and propelled the island rapidly into the 20^th century.  

A better appreciation of Þetta reddast would have helped ease some of our frustration with the process to be picked up for our last tour. Experiences from two earlier tour pickup debacles lead us to call and confirm precisely where and when we should be for our final Blue Lagoon tour.  Of course the information confirmed was wrong.  But Þetta reddast…things worked out. 

Viking Ship Sculpture in Harbor

We'll Always Have Gotland: The Movie

Here's a 3.5 minute video of our time in Gotland. We hope you enjoy it as time goes by, and we did ask Sam to play it again.

We'll Always Have Gotland

Following our five day visit to the Swedish island of Gotland, we can now co-opt Bogart’s great line in the closing scene of Casablanca; “We’ll always have Gotland.” Gotland, which lies about 50 miles off the east coast of Sweden in the Baltic Sea, was for us a magical place, beginning with a 50 minute bus ride and a three hour cruise to get there. It invited us to be absorbed by its beauty, charm and history, reaching as far back as the Stone Age. Here, the Vikings are the new kids on the block.

Kerstin, Helen & Lars

The trip to Gotland came about from Helen’s friendship with Kerstin, whom she met in the gym facilities near our apartment. Kerstin (pronounced SHEARS tin), who was born and raised on Gotland, is a marvelous person in all ways imaginable. She has been married to Lars, who is also a marvelous individual in every way, for nearly 40 years. Together they made possible our Gotland odyssey as well as opening a window for us to better understand Swedish life.

For dessert one night we enjoyed a cake in honor of Lars’s name day. Who knew? Another day we were positively delighted with Kerstin’s and Lars’s rendition of Helan Gå, a traditional Swedish drinking song as we hoisted our glasses of Schnapps in a ritual toast customary when eating herring. As Lars noted, his father faithfully combined the consumption of Schnapps with herring. Some customs are just worth preserving. Another dinner conversation had us mimicking the opening tune to Bonanza, only to have Kerstin and Lars join in.  

Sitting Area in our Cottage

We slept in a small summer cottage adjacent to the larger cottage that Kerstin’s parents had left her.  The cottages are a one minute walk through wind-blown pine trees and sea grass to where the waters of the Baltic Sea lap against the shore.

With Lars at the wheel of their car, we toured the northern bays and inlets of Gotland.  We climbed among the limestone pillars left behind where water once covered what is now dry land.  

We toured only a handful of the 92 churches on the island and marveled at the endeavors of the island inhabitants in the 13^th century of raising structures to worship Jesus. Along the way we also admired some of the local handiwork of Kristen’s father, an international stone cutter.

We spent some time in Visby, a walled medieval city and UNESCO World Heritage site.  The old part of Visby, inside the original city walls, is a charming city of narrow streets and historic buildings.  Our visit had the added pleasure of coinciding with a weeklong medieval festival.  In the US we have enjoyed visiting a Renaissance Festival with its various reminders of far-off places in a distant time. 

In Visby the event may have replicated a distant time, but once upon a time, street jesters, selling woolen items and the roasting of whole lambs on open fires were local events.  Our American sensibilities just have a hard time associating the ground on which we walked with the footsteps of people who walked the same streets in the 1200’s. 

We enjoyed a Sunday service in Visby’s domkirka (cathedral) St. Maria, built in 1225.  The service was mostly in Swedish with a bit of Latin mixed in to commemorate the medieval festival in Visby.  Regardless of language, we considered the experience a gift of spiritual renewal. Amen and amen!

Pride in Many Forms

Saturday’s bright sunshine and blue skies created the beautiful setting for Stockholm’s rainbow-colored Gay Pride Parade yesterday.  Started in 1998, this event has grown to become one of Stockholm’s (and Scandinavia’s) largest annual festivals.  It is estimated that 500,000 people lined the streets to watch energized parade marchers dance, sing, sometimes flaunt, but mostly stand with pride and in solidarity with one another.

In 2009, Sweden adopted a gender-neutral law on marriage.  Unlike predictions of the “downfall of western culture as we know it” which emanates from some quarters of our US homeland, Swedish society remains orderly and well adjusted.  We have also become familiar with the term “sambo” in which couples enter into committed relationships, some with children, without acquiring a marriage license.  Suffice it to say, the culture is different here.

Many marching in the parade, however, were keen to highlight that the freedoms of personal choice they have achieved are not universally accessible. 

The wedding dress-clad woman on a huge motorcycle carrying a “To Russia with Love” sign was playful, but poignant.   More to the point were marchers with black tape across their mouths carrying a banner reading, “Marching for those who can’t.” Their march supported many whose sexual orientation continues to this day to hold their lives in precarious jeopardy.  The bearded “iman” with the hangman’s noose wrapped around a women’s neck with a waist banner that read only “Iran” told a complete picture.

 

There was also complete gaiety (pun intended).  Music boomed from parade vehicles and people danced with abandon.  Rainbow clad parents pushed baby carriages and parents of gay children were not far behind.

Of course, no Gay Pride Parade is complete without its spectacles.  Brightly colored hair, guys in drag, outlandish costumes, body painted, glitter-enhanced bodies, high heels and thought provoking banners, “Make Love Not CO2” all comingled with ease and continuity.

Gay Rights are Human Rights

Other groups with banners included “Gay Doctors”, “GayPoliser (police)”, “Kyrkan på Pride (Church with Pride)” and “GayScouterna (Scouts)”.  American pride swelled for us as representatives from our U.S. Embassy marched past with a banner reading, “Gay Rights are Human Rights.”

As we said, things are different here.

We have included a short two-minute video of the day’s events.  Enjoy.

Nordic Museum

Sweden's National Cultural Museum

The Nordiska Museet (Nordic Museum) is a towering and imposing building  that we’ve walked past many times. “We need to go there” would bring nods of agreement, but we never did visit the museum, that is, until this weekend. 

Completed in 1907 this cathedral-like building contains wide-ranging collections covering Swedish culture from home furnishing, fashion, educational trends and table settings through the centuries (really) to our favorite exhibit, a condensed re-telling of Swedish traditions.

Sweden’s western cultural traditions have been readily recognizable to us.  Christmas, for example, comes with expected rites such as decorated trees, shopping and gift giving.  Lucia, on the other hand, celebrated on 13 December, was a bit of a surprise.  Google cleared up many of our questions about this celebration of a young 4^th century martyred Christian with a choir of white-robed girls lead by one wearing a crown of candles and a red sash.  The Nordiska Museet display put the tradition into complete context and explained in the origin of stjärngossar (star boys); young boys wearing cone-shaped hats decorated with golden stars who now join in the choir procession.

Dancing around the Midsommar pole

The timing of travel plans has caused us to miss celebrating Midsommar, the raucous summer solstice welcoming of long, sunlit days and long, languid vacations to the archipelago. The museum exhibit, however, gave us vicarious pleasure regarding this widely celebrated holiday.

We learned that birthdays are often celebrated with the raising of the Swedish flag.  We now better appreciate the flag-hoisting motivation of our Swedish friend Michael on the king’s birthday; clearly a mixture of national pride and tradition. 

Witches come out on Walpurgis Night

Having centuries of folklore and traditions wrapped up in tidy displays with an accompanying audio guide was worth the Kr. 90 ($13) price of admission (the audio was free).  We recommend to anyone who is beginning a long-term Swedish adventure to visit this permanent exhibit for a quick immersion into Swedish customs. The sight of semlor pastries in store windows and blazing bonfires on Walpurgis Night will instantly be understood.

About the table settings exhibit: we thought that would be boring, but found the display an interesting tour through centuries of Swedish development.  Sweden’s time of Baltic Sea dominance in the 17^th century gave rise to a form of conspicuous consumption rendered in sumptuous meals and opulent table settings, complete with servants.  Take that, you McMansion owners.

It was another great adventure day in Stockholm.  During our hour long walk home we remarked how lucky we are to live in this beautiful and charming city.  We now feel a bit more “at home” knowing some of the rhythms that fill the lives of our neighbors.