Cezanne

Last month I went to see the Cezanne exhibition at the Tate Modern in London. I like his work and this exhibition rates as one of the best I've seen. I photographed many of the exhibits and I am just going to post them here, hopefully with the correct information! If you like his work then this post is for you.

 

Reykjavík

 

This is Hallgrimskirkja, the largest church in Iceland which towers over the centre of Reykjavic. The 75m tower provides a360 deg view over the town with the mountains and sea beyond. It is the most visited tourist destination in Reykjavic. It was built to represent a waterfall.

Views over Reykjavík from the top of the church tower.

As you would expect the interior is large and stark.

On a hotel wall opposite the church.

The town is not large and is easy to see on foot. Many of the streets are pedestrianised with street art everywhere including the road.

Colourful fire hydrant

We left the centre of town and walked towards the harbour which was not far away. this impressive building is the Harpa concert Hall and Conference Centre.

This is what it looks like from the inside.

This is the Hofoi building, not far from the hotel where we were staying. In its 104 history it has been used by ambassadors, poets and artists. Today it is the mayor's reception hall. the house is probably most famous for holding the Regan - Gorbachev summit in 1986, believed to be the beginning of the end of the Cold War. 

Also near the harbour was the Sun Voyager sculpture.

These were taken on the last night we were there( not by me I hasten to add)

National Park, Iceland

Before we returned to Reykjavik we visited a national park. One thing you notice whist travelling around is the lack of trees. Landowners are encouraged to plant trees but on this part of the island they are few and far between. It is mainly birch shrubs that you see.

These channels are crystal clear and a beautiful shade of blue. You can snorkel here although personally I prefer to do that in much warmer water.

The air temperature was freezing as you can see from the ice on the plants.

A few trees stood out on the stark landscape.

 

Waterfalls

As we travelled around the Golden Circle in Iceland we stopped at a few waterfalls. 

This one I was able to walk around the back. A different experience for me.

 

You can't visit Iceland without experiencing the thermal waters. The Blue lagoon is well known but fully booked. We visited the Secret Lagoon which has only been open to tourists for a few years. The temperature was perfect although there were some spots near the edge which I found too hot to handle. 

Because of its geological position

Iceland is a volcanic hotspot. Geothermal energy is used for heating and generating electricity. 90% of all homes in Iceland are heated with geothermal energy. There are numerous thermal pools in Iceland which are a joy to use (once you have braved the freezing air to get from the changing room and showers to the pool).