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Saturday, April 14, 2018

Day Tours & Activities from Reykjavík

Day Tours & Activities from Reykjavík


Interesting places and activities nearby the capital of Iceland


Reykjavík is a great city and we wholeheartedly recommend spending some time there… just not all your time. Icelandic nature is spectacular, with erupting hot springs, majestic glaciers and thundering waterfalls, all within a few hours’ drive from the city. There’s so much to do, see and experience, it would be a shame to miss it.

1) While Watching: Taking a whale watching cruise is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland and for good reason – the ocean around Iceland is teeming with cetacean giants.
Whale Watching

Whale watching in Iceland is a relatively new attraction with the first regular trips starting in 1995. Since then, there has been a tremendous growth in the whale watching business and it is now possible to go whale watching all year from many different ports.

There are few places in the world where you can find as many species of whales so close to shore as in Iceland. These include the Blue, Sei, Fin, Sperm and Minke whales as well as the ever popular Orcas or killer whales. Several dolphin and porpoise species also swim in the waters around Iceland. In fact, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has rated Iceland as one of the top ten whale watching destinations in the world.

The high season is during the warmer months when the migrating whales return to the Icelandic waters and blend in with the resident whales. Each area offers a wonderful experience on sea, be it on a customised whale watching boat, a high-speed rib boat with Gentle Giants in Húsavík or an eco-friendly silent electric boat. It is best to find out what species are seen more often in the different areas so that there is no disappointment, e.g. you can go whale watching with Láki Tours from Snæfellsnes where Orcas and Sperm whales are spotted more often than elsewhere just as Humpbacks are seen more often in Eyjafjörður and Húsavík. One of the exciting things about whale watching is actually seeing a whale in the ocean. This is not a given, as whales in the wild do not perform for our benefit. As with any wildlife trip, nature dictates and decides. However, most whale watching operators such as Elding in Reykjavík have a 90% or higher viewing success rate in the warmer months.

A walking tour through Reykjavík's downtown. Photo by Olga

The main whale watching areas are Reykjavík in the south, Snæfellsnes in the west, Eyjafjörður and Húsavík in the north. Húsavík is known as the whale watching capital of Iceland and has a Whale Centre which provides information on cetaceans and wildlife in Iceland.

Whales of Iceland in Reykjavík is a fascinating exhibition where life-size models of the whales found around Iceland are suspended in an ocean-like space.

While most whale watching operators pride themselves in practicing conscious tourism, they need your help. Please put all your rubbish in the nearest bin. Whales and other ocean wildlife do not know how lethal plastic can be until it is too late.

For more information ask at the information centres or check www.icewhale.is.

2) Blue Lagoon: The milky blue waters of the Blue Lagoon are by now one of Iceland’s most famous attractions. The mineral-rich hot water is pumped up from the depths of the earth and mixes with sea water to form a pool of water at the perfect temperature.

3) Pingvellir: Pingvellir, or Parliament fields, is important from both a historical and geological standpoint. For centuries, this was where Alpingi, Iceland’s parliament, met, but it’s also where the earth’s tectonic plates slowly pull apart to form cracks and crevices in the earth.

4) Gullfoss: It is a thundering stream of water cascading down in two tiers before reaching canyon below. The name translates to The Golden Waterfalland it’s from this waterfall that the Golden Circle takes its name.

5) Geysir: While Geysir, the original erupting hot spring, giving his name to all the geysers out there, is pretty quiet these days, his neighbor, Strokkur, ejects boiling water 20m in the air every 6-10 minutes.

6) Krysuvik: Iceland’s geothermal heat is immensely powerful and at the Krysuivik geothermal area, you can see the effects clearly on the earth’s surface. Multicolored hills, steam rising from the ground and bubbing hot springs are a sight you have to see to believe.

7) Hraunfossar/Barnafoss: No tour of the west coast of Iceland is complete without a stop at the Hraunfossar waterfall, where the water streams out from underneath a lava field before flowing over red cliffs into the foaming water below. Just above the Hraunfossar is Barnafoss, another stuinning waterfall.

8) Deildartunguhver: Deildartunguhver is Europe’s most powerful hot spring. Don’t get too close to the source, 180 litres of boiling water gush out of the spring per second.

9) Glymur: One of the tallest watfalls in Iceland, Glymur, is just a short drive away from the city. It’s only accessible by a hiking trail but the view is well worth the easy hike up there.

10) Reykjadalur Valley: The valley above Hveragerdi is one of the most popular hiking routes in Iceland. That’s not just because of the beautiful nature and majestic mountains surrounding the valley but because of the hot springs at the end of the route, some of them at the perfect temperature for bathing.

11) Skalholt: There’s been a church at Skalholt for more than a thousand years and before the Reformation, it used to be the seat of the Catholic bishop of the south of Iceland.

12) Langjökull: Iceland has some of the largest glaciers in Europe and Langjökull is just a few hours away from the city. You can go hiking on the ice, or snowmobiling, and if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can even go inside the glacier.

13) Esjan: Mt. Esjan towers over the Reykjavík city skyline. It’s the locals favourite spot to go hiking and when you see the view from its slopes and peaks, you’ll know why.

14) Blafjörll: Although Icelandic winters are milder than you’d expect, the people of Reykjavík still love skiing and their favourite spot to do it is at the Blafjöll ski resort

Blood of Tyrants

Blood of Tyrants

By Ben Bova


The committee members, half of them chatting with each other, sit at a long table in the front of the room. Brockhurst is sitting at the witness’s desk, reading from a prepared text. Hansen sits beside him. The visitors’ pews are completely empty, and a uniformed guard stands impassively at the door.

“Mr. Chairman, since the inception of this program, juvenile gang violence has decreased dramatically in five of the six cities where we have placed rehabilitated subjects. In one city, gang violence has dwindled to truly miniscule proportions. The boys are being rehabilitated, using Job Corps and other OEO facilities to train themselves for useful work, and then takig on – and keeping – full-time jobs.”

Brockhurst looks up from his text. “Mr. Chairman, if I may be allowed a new twist on an old saying, we’re beating their switchblades into plowshares.”

Interior, Danny’s apartment


Danny is pacing angrily across the room, back and forth. Three abject youths sit on the bed in the corner. At the table sit Marco and Speed.

“He nearly blew it!” Danny’s voice is not loud, but clearly close to violence. “You stupid assholes can’t keep your own people happy. He gets sore over a bitch and goes to the cops! If we didn’t have a man in the precinct station last night, the whole plan would’ve been blown sky-high!”

Blood of Tyrants. Photo by Elena

One of the boys on the bed says, miserably, “But we didn’t know…”

“That’s even worse! You’re supposed to know. You’re the Prez of the Betlers, you’re supposed to know every breath your people take.”

“Well… whadda we do now?”

“You do nothing! You go back to your hole and sit tight. Don’t even go to the can unless you get the word from me Understand? Le the cops tumbre to us because you’ve got one half-wit who can’t keep his mouth shut, every gang in the city is going to be after your blood. And they’ll get it”

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Faith

Faith


In our world, in our universe the faith is that governs our lives and leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence, without faith, without love.

All the pictures have been taken by Elena.

Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.(Helen Keller). St. Paul Anglican Church, Bloor street and Avenue Road.
To have faith doesn't mean you get any less frustrated when you don't do your best, but you know that it's not life and death. (Tom Lehman). St. Paul Anglican Church, Bloor Street East.
 Take what you're given, and when you continue to work hard, you will see results. That will give you the confidence you need to keep going. (Tom Lehman). A Gothic facade, Toronto.
Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence. (Pope John Paul II) St. Michael Catholic Cathedral, Toronto. 
Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens. (J. R. R. Tolkien). Bloor Street church, Toronto
The keys to patience are acceptance and faith.(Ralph Marston). St. Andrews Presbyterian Church.
Accept things as they are, and look realistically at the world around you.(Ralph Marston). St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Toronto.
 Have faith in yourself and in the direction you have chosen. (Ralph Marston). St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Toronto
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. (Mahatma Gandhi) St. Andrews Church Portico, Toronto.
St. James Cathedral, Toronto
My faith helps me understand that circumstances don't dictate my happiness, my inner peace. (Denzel Washington)
Faith makes all things possible... love makes all things easy. (Dwight L. Moody). St. James Cathedral in Toronto, Ontario
Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking. (Khalil Gibran). St. James Cathedral, Toronto.
Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith. (Paul Tillich). St. Andrews Church, Toronto, Ontario
St. Andrew United Church, 117 Bloor street, Toronto.
Your faithfulness makes you trustworthy to God. (Edwin Louis Cole) 
Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar. (E. B. White). Randolph Theatre, Buthurst Street, near Bloor Street
Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother. (Khalil Gibran). Bloor street United Church of Canada.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Outdoor Areas in Reykjavík

Outdoor Areas in Reykjavík


Reykjavík is a sparsely populated city so even though it covers a large area, there’s still plenty of room to breathe. The green spaces in the city allow residents to wander through nature, hike, or bike their way along the coastline or through the woods. Many of them are even interconnected so you can wanter from the lighthouse at the northernmost tip of the city without ever leaving your walking path. It would make for a pretty long walk though!

Ellidaardalur Valley


Ellidaardalur Valley is a lush recreational area, popular with walkers and cyclists alike. It’s one of the largest green spaces within the city limits, a natural oasis in a sea of concrete, almost like Reykjavík’s homegrown version of New York’s Central Park. Even though the valley is located within the city limits of Reykjavík, the wild environment is sure to make you feel at one with nature.

The flora and fauna of Ellidaardalur are almost completely untouched bu the proximity to the city has resultaed in one addition. They valley is now populated with furry little rabbits, descendants of escaped pets. They might no be native to Iceland but they sure are cute!

A fishing river runs through the valley, populated with arctic char, salmon and brown trout. Fishing licenses are available during the summer fishing season, which is opened annually by the mayor of Reykjavík on Juste 1st. The season ends on August 31st. Note that it’s also possible to fish in the nearby Ellidavath Lake and Reynisvath Lake.

Iceland, rural area near the capital. Photo by Olga

Heidmörk Nature Reserve


Situated on the south-east outskirts of Reykjavík city is Heidmörk – wonderful recreational area with hiking trails leading through a vas expanse of bushy vegetation and lava rock formations. Some of the park’s most notable features are Raudholar or Red Hills, the remnants of a cluster of pseudocraters in the Ellidaarhraun lava field. Heidmörk is a favourite with the locals, especially for sports enthusiasts, those with children and couples looking for a romantic retreat!

Heidmörk becase a conservation area in 1950. More than four million trees have been planted there since then and the already existing vegetation has thrived since the area was fenced off. The most prominent of the 26 species of trees planted is the Sitka spruce. Bird watchers will be pleased to discover that 30 species of breeding birds have also been spotted.

Öskjuhlid


Öskjuhlid is a beautiful woodland area surrounding the Pearl – one of Reykjavík’s stunning landmark buildings. Conveniently located right in the heart of the city, this sylvan retreat makes for a popular getaway from city life, where visitors can cycle or walk along the paths that weave through a dense forest of pines and birch trees.

The paths around Öskjuhlid join an extensive network of well-maintained footpaths in Reykjavík, leading down to the scenic shores of Nautholsik and around the coastline to Seltjarnarnes. Another option is to take the south-east trail to the recreational areas and valleys of Fossvogsdalur and Ellidaardalur and even farther on to the Neidmörk heath nature reserve.

Grotta


The Northernmost tip of the Reykjavík peninsula is know as Grotta, for the farm that used to be there before the city grew to its current size. Surrounded by the sea on all sides and even sporting a tall white lighthouse, the Grotta area has some beautiful and photogenic views. The name Grotta actually refers to an island just off the coast of Reykjavík. It’s connected to land by a strip of sand but it can only be reached when the tide is out, so don’t try to cross over to it. In the winter, the Grotta area is a great spot to view the Northern Lights if you can’t get out of the city.

The Grotta area is protected because of the rich birdlife and beautiful nature. A walk around Grotta is highly recommended for birdwatchers as well as anyone who appreciates long walks with beautiful ocean views

The Tulip-Bulb Craze

The Tulip-Bulb Craze


The tulip-bulb craze was one of the most spectacular get-rich-quick binges in history. Its excesses become even more vivid when one realizes that it happened in staid old Holland in the early seventeenth century. The events leading to this speculative frenzy were set in motion in 1593, when a newly appointed botany professor from Vienna brought to Leyden a collection of unusual plants that had originated in Turkey. The Dutch were fascinated with this new addition to the garden – but not with the professor’s asking price (he had hoped to sell the bulbs and make a handsome profit). One night a thief broke into the professor’s house and stole the bulbs, which were subsequently sold at a lower price but at greater profit.

Over the next decade or so the tulip became a popular but expensive item in Dutch gardens. Many of these flowers succumbed to a nonfatal virus known as mosaic. It was this mosaic that helped to trigger the wild speculation in tulip bulbs. The virus caused the tulip petals to develop contrasting colored stripes or “flames”. The Dutch valued highly these infected bulbs, called “bizarres”. In a short time, popular taste dictated that the more bizarre a bulb, the greater the cost of owning it.

Slowly, tulipmania set in. At first, bulb merchants simply tried to predict the most popular variegated style for the coming year, much as clothing manufacturers do in gauging the public’s taste in fabric, color and hemlines. Then they would buy an extra-large stockpile to anticipate a rise in price. Tulip-bulb prices began to rise wildly. The more expensive the bulbs became, the more people viewed them as smart investments. Charles Mackay, who chronicled these events in his book Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions, noted that the ordinary industry of the country was dropped in favor of speculation in tulip bulbs: “Nobles, citizens, farmers, mechanics, seamen, footmen, maid-servants, even chimney sweeps and old clotheswomen dabbled in tulips”. Everyone imagined that the passion for tulips would last forever and buyers from all over the world would come to Holland and pay whatever prices were asked for them.

Red Tulips. Photo by Elena

People who said the prices could not possibly go higher watched with chagrin as their friends and relatives made enormous profits. The temptation to join them was hard to resist; few Dutchmen did. In the last year of the tulip spree, which lasted approximately from 1634 to 1637, people started to barter even their personal belongings, such as land, jewels, and furniture, to obtain the bulbs that would make them even wealthier.

Part of the genius of financial markets is that, when there is a real demand for a method to enhance speculative opportunities, the market will surely provide it. The instruments that enabled tulip speculators to get the most action for their money were “call options” similar to those popular today in the stock market.

A call option conferred on the holder the right to buy tulip bulbs (call for their delivery) at a fixed price (usually approximating the current market price) during a specified period. He was charged an amount called the option premium, which might run 15 to 20 percent of the current market price. An option on a tulip bulb currently with 100 guilders, for example, would cost the buyer only about 20 guilders. \if the price moved up to 200 guilders, the option holder would exercise would exercise his right; he would buy at 100 and simultaneously sell at the then current price of 200. The holder then had a profit of 80 guilders (the 100 guilders’ appreciation less the 20 guilders he paid for the option). Thus he enjoyed a fourfold increase in his money, whereas an outright purchase would only have doubled his money. By using the call option it was possible to play the market with a much smaller stake as well as get more action out of any money invested. The call is one way to leverage one’s investment. Leveraging is any technique that increases the potential rewards and risks of an investment. Such devices helped to ensure broad participation in the market. The same is true today.

The history of the period was filled with tragicomic episodes. One such incident concerned a returning sailor who brought news to a wealthy merchant of the arrival of a shipment of new goods. The merchant rewarded him with a breakfast of fine red herring. Seeing what he thought was an onion on the merchant’s counter, and no doubt thinking it very much out of place amid silks and velvets, the sailor proceeded to take it as a relish for his herring. Little did he dream that the “onion” would have fed a whole ship’s crew for a year. It was a costly Semper Augustus tulip bulb. The sailor paid dearly for his relish – his no longer grateful host had him imprisoned for several months on a felony charge.

We do not mean to imply that there was no rationality at all to the structure of bulb prices that existed during the period. The Semper Augustus, for example, was a particularly rare and beautiful bulb and, as economic historian Peter Garver reveals, it was valued greatly even in the years before the tulipmania. Moreover, Garver’s research indicates that rare individual bulbs commanded high prices even after the general collapse of bulb prices, albeit at levels that were only a fraction of their peak prices. But Garber can find no rational explanation for such phenomena as a twenty-fold increase in tulip-bulb prices during January of 1637 followed by an even larger decline in prices in February. Apparently, as happens in all speculative crazes, prices eventually got so high that some people decided they would be prudent and sell their bulbs. Soon others followed suit. Like a snowball rolling downhill, bulb deflation grew at an increasingly rapid pace, and in no time at all panic reigned.

Government ministers stated officially that there was no reason for tulip bulbs to fall in price – but no one listened. Dealers went bankrupt and refused to honor their commitments to buy tulip bulbs. A government plan to settle all contracts at 10 percent of their face value was frustrated when bulbs fell even below this mark. And prices continued to decline. Down and down they went until most bulbs became almost worthless – selling for no more than the price of a common onion.

And what of those who had sold out early in the game? In the end, they too were engulfed by the tulip craze. For the final chapter of this bizarre story is that the shock generated by the boom and collapse was followed by a prolonged depression in Holland. No one was spared.

Sources:

    Burton G. Malkiel. A Random Walk Down Wall Street, including a life-cycle guide to personal investing. First edition, 1973, by W.W. Norton and company, Inc.