tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post272220982850497171..comments2024-03-28T06:20:48.661-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Iceland! Hallie shares a great vacationJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-47297290770981615122016-07-26T21:58:42.945-04:002016-07-26T21:58:42.945-04:00PUFFINS!
PUFFINS!<br />Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-48478130330947513282016-07-26T13:44:16.911-04:002016-07-26T13:44:16.911-04:00Oh, Hallie, thank you for sharing your wonderful t...Oh, Hallie, thank you for sharing your wonderful trip through these amazing photos! I didn't have a clue that Iceland had lots of waterfalls. I think I'd need a sleeping mask for sure there. The countryside with its small towns, the bird watching, the glaciers, the laughing horse. Just great photos! You've created an enticing travel brochure. I hear more and more about Iceland as a vacation destination, and now my interest is tapped.<br /><br />And, the Icelandic authors seem to be most popular. I have a friend who can't get enough of them, Arnaldur Ingridason in particular. My friend Judy Bobalik sent me two of Yrsa Sigurðardóttir's books that I hope to get to soon. And, Kristopher, your recommendation of Ragnar Jonasson's Dark Iceland series is one I remember and have put on my TBR list. I'm still trying to get to all the Scottish writers that I want to read. It's a constant game of catch-up, but I love it. Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-76039472256777759592016-07-26T13:26:35.783-04:002016-07-26T13:26:35.783-04:00Iceland seems to be on everyone's go-to list t...Iceland seems to be on everyone's go-to list these days. I'll add my name to the list! I love your photos, Hallie. Reminding me of an opposite: On my last trip to Ireland, I saw a horse, but the owner called it a Connemara pony. That was one tall pony!Lisa Alberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591430453957883948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-27271658617921187392016-07-26T13:12:23.659-04:002016-07-26T13:12:23.659-04:00Debs, they'll be mighty offended if you refer ...Debs, they'll be mighty offended if you refer to their horses as ponies. They are NOT. They're horses, bred for their stature and sweetness (and rock star hair).<br /><br />Christmas books! I love that.<br /><br />The sweaters are gorgeous, made from local wool of course. <br /><br />On moving there, they have very strict immigration policies. They have to or we'd all move there.Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-48517822314698568402016-07-26T13:03:03.815-04:002016-07-26T13:03:03.815-04:00Grace, what a wonderful custom!
Hallie, I'm s...Grace, what a wonderful custom!<br /><br />Hallie, I'm super jealous of your trip. I've wanted to go to Iceland ever since I was a girl. My uncle, a naval officer, was stationed there and sent us beautiful photographs and the most amazingly warm sweaters ever.did a bookstore event with Yrsa Sigurðardóttir a few years back, and we had a lot of time to chat about Iceland on the drive to the store. One of the fascinating things I remember is that the country has the largest percentage of Norse neopagan believers in the world. Only .08 percent of the population practices Ásatrú, but according to Yrsa, the cultural touchstones of paganism went very deep in Iceland's culture. Iceland was the last European county to become Christian, and they weren't converted so much as they struck a deal with the king of Norway.<br /><br />Iceland's definitely on my short list of places to move to in case of a Trump presidency...<br /><br />I <br />Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-192047900774538192016-07-26T12:56:43.902-04:002016-07-26T12:56:43.902-04:00Hallie, how gorgeous!! I've had several friend...Hallie, how gorgeous!! I've had several friends who have gone this year. I think it should be on our bucket list, too. Birds, amazing scenery, and I love the rock star ponies!<br /><br />Not sure how well I'd do with the "white nights." I never learned to sleep well in the summer in Scotland. Are the days completely dark at midwinter?<br /><br />Haven't read Arnaldur Indridason so now am going to look him up. Thanks for sharing!Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35700535397398850422016-07-26T12:50:04.141-04:002016-07-26T12:50:04.141-04:00Wonderful tour guide to Iceland! Now I want to vi...Wonderful tour guide to Iceland! Now I want to visit Iceland!<br /><br />Did you see the Ice Hotel? Or was that in Finland or Greenland?<br /><br />DianaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-54664342046053969192016-07-26T11:43:19.859-04:002016-07-26T11:43:19.859-04:00Ann, yes I heard about Iceland's high literary...Ann, yes I heard about Iceland's high literary rate, too. Here's another fun related fact:<br /><br />Icelanders also have a beautiful tradition of giving books to each other on Christmas Eve and then spending the night reading. This custom is so deeply ingrained in the culture that it is the reason for the Jolabokaflod, or “Christmas Book Flood,” when the majority of books in Iceland are sold between September and December in preparation for Christmas giving.Grace Koshidahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05934603958949938617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15248959038417922032016-07-26T11:16:19.130-04:002016-07-26T11:16:19.130-04:00We visited Iceland about 10 or 12 years ago when m...We visited Iceland about 10 or 12 years ago when my son was stationed there with the Navy. Your pictures and narrative capture everything perfectly. I thought it was gorgeous and would visit again in a minute. I was fascinated by the fact that going down the highway you had volcanic rock and water on one side, very desolate. And on the other was the greenest hill you've ever seen with a little fairy house tucked inside. The geysers amazed me, just like they do here at Lassen Park or Yellowstone. Did you go to the Blue Lagoon, the mineral spring?Grandma Cootiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10709540756822695170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-34546925355456460532016-07-26T11:10:03.671-04:002016-07-26T11:10:03.671-04:00Thanks for sharing the details of your trip, Halli...Thanks for sharing the details of your trip, Hallie. I'm a bird watcher, and it was great to see all the bird photos!<br /><br />And thanks to you and others for book recommendations! It's doubtful that I'll ever be able to travel outside of the US, so I appreciate books that will "take" me to other countries. <br /><br />Deb RomanoDeb Romanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01650858888197217258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67192680422158326302016-07-26T11:05:38.054-04:002016-07-26T11:05:38.054-04:00Ann, it also has the highest number of public pool...Ann, it also has the highest number of public pools by population. And everyone learns English in public school. Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-14351634166322405492016-07-26T10:28:59.273-04:002016-07-26T10:28:59.273-04:00Love this post Hallie! And Jerry's outfit. And...Love this post Hallie! And Jerry's outfit. And mad for Arnaldur Indridasons books as we discussed. I would have imagined tours based on his detective. Going to try the other writers now!Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-89256511687320578182016-07-26T10:14:57.186-04:002016-07-26T10:14:57.186-04:00I've never been to Iceland, but the pictures a...I've never been to Iceland, but the pictures are gorgeous. Love the waterfalls (I'm a waterfall fan).<br /><br />Thanks for sharing, Hallie.Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-22771015834060998122016-07-26T10:08:57.511-04:002016-07-26T10:08:57.511-04:00Did you know that Iceland is the most literate cou...Did you know that Iceland is the most literate country in the world? I read that in the NYT so it must be true. I think it also has the highest percentage of published authors by population. Hey, with those endless wintry no guts, you got to have something to do Ann in Rochesternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-3969306447914928622016-07-26T09:50:37.665-04:002016-07-26T09:50:37.665-04:00Well, you know I'm envious of the birdwatching...Well, you know I'm envious of the birdwatching! If we went we'd need every bit of the seven days of the layover, just for Steve to photograph. Sounds like you guys had a fabulous trip! <br /><br />Ever since I heard about the clever Icelanders getting 100% of their energy from their geothermal heat I've wanted to visit. Several people I know have been there in the last couple years, and the photos, like yours, Hallie, are so seductively beautiful. I bet it's a good place to see the Aurora Borealis in the winter, too. <br /><br />Weirdly, I have a sister-in-law who is half Icelandic; her mother was 100%. And the first time I ever heard of Reykjavik was as a senior in high school, 1968, when a fellow waitress at the local diner told me that's where she was from. This was Hamilton, Ohio, folks, in the middle of nowhere at the time. How she--and my sister-in-law's mother--get there from Iceland is a story, I'm sure. Karen in Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18002794561817071780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42347429704122092812016-07-26T09:47:09.385-04:002016-07-26T09:47:09.385-04:00What a great bucket list trip. Glorious pictures t...What a great bucket list trip. Glorious pictures too. Thank you for sharing, Hallie!Kaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07758348842858993203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-9863790563582552402016-07-26T09:23:14.110-04:002016-07-26T09:23:14.110-04:00Susan, I can't wear those things... the pressu...Susan, I can't wear those things... the pressure on my face keeps me up. <br /><br />Dark Iceland - writing it down. Thanks for the suggestion, Kristopher.<br /><br />Dru: I hope you do, too!<br />Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-76037390521580114032016-07-26T08:47:47.176-04:002016-07-26T08:47:47.176-04:00Hallie, so lovely! Love those horses with the rock...Hallie, so lovely! Love those horses with the rock star hair! Did you bring a sleep mask for the perpetual daylight? Not sure I could handle...Susan Elia MacNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349842866995778987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-82659770280372840972016-07-26T08:35:06.630-04:002016-07-26T08:35:06.630-04:00Oh Hallie, this looks fabulous. Iceland is most de...Oh Hallie, this looks fabulous. Iceland is most definitely on my list of places to visit.<br /><br />If you haven't read Ragnar Jonasson's Dark Iceland series, you really must. It is being translated into English by the team at Orenda Books and Quentin Bates. So far, we have SNOWBLIND, NIGHTBLIND, and BLACKOUT. <br /><br />Here is my review of the first: http://bolobooks.com/2015/06/snowblind-the-bolo-books-review-uk-edition/<br /><br />They are this amazing mix of traditional (think Agatha Christie here) and Noir. In my review, I dubbed it cozy noir - which of course seems like an oxymoron, but really is a perfect description of what Ragnar has created. <br /><br />Also a huge fan of Yrsa and Arnaldur here.Kristopherhttp://www.bolobooks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-387435663772907902016-07-26T08:13:39.661-04:002016-07-26T08:13:39.661-04:00Thanks for sharing your photos and your observatio...Thanks for sharing your photos and your observation. One day I hope to make it there.<br /><br />Dru Druhttps://drusbookmusing.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-68137696492954758992016-07-26T07:57:48.283-04:002016-07-26T07:57:48.283-04:00Ann - sorry I forgot! And I'm a huge fan of Ar...Ann - sorry I forgot! And I'm a huge fan of Arnaldur Ingridason - also Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. <br /><br />We did not go to the public pools though there's a huge complex of them in Reykjavik. At the Blue Lagoon most of the folks bathing (that we saw) were in bathing suits.<br /><br />Hank, the bad news is that they eat puffins. We did not. (It was like going to Peru and discovering that they eat guinea pigs.)Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-86491703954801678302016-07-26T07:43:32.934-04:002016-07-26T07:43:32.934-04:00Puffins!Puffins!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55257383222090192362016-07-26T07:37:43.518-04:002016-07-26T07:37:43.518-04:00Ann, I agree with you about Arnaldur Ingridason. I...Ann, I agree with you about Arnaldur Ingridason. I started reading his books after my Reykjavik trip because I was not able to explore more of the country while there. His vivid descriptions of the country in his mysteries are great. And Inspector Erlendur is an interesting protagonist with a tortured past.Grace Koshidahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05934603958949938617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-69707576385630041162016-07-26T07:28:45.806-04:002016-07-26T07:28:45.806-04:00I've not been to Iceland yet although Hallie d...I've not been to Iceland yet although Hallie did promise to take me. (Whatever happened with that?) It is on my bucket list for sure. We plan to fly thru Reykjavik on our next trip to Europe, taking a few days on each end to explore this incredible place.<br /><br />Hallie, did you visit any of the public pools? I hear these are an important center of Icelandic life and culture. Clothes optional? <br /><br /><br />One of my very favorite writers is Arnaldur Ingridason. His word pictures of Iceland made me fall in love with this country. The mysteries are pretty good too. If you haven't met Inspector Erlendur, you are missing a treat. <br /><br /><br />But only read these books after you've got through the stack from the Reds Ann in Rochesternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67108254438668548222016-07-26T07:16:53.002-04:002016-07-26T07:16:53.002-04:00Hi Hallie. Yes, there are several restaurants in ...Hi Hallie. Yes, there are several restaurants in the Harpa upstairs. The Icelandic Meteorological Office hosted our very fancy 5-course dinner. Superb! And yes, both Icelandair and a new charter called WoW! has cheap flights from North America to Iceland. And you can stopover up to 7 days at no charge on Icelandair, and then continue on to Europe.<br /><br />The redeye flights are tough but I think that's all they offered from Toronto. I arrived at 6:45 am and had to go straight to work at 8:00 am! Not the best, but I got through it!!Grace Koshidahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05934603958949938617noreply@blogger.com