tonight!

tonight open house at NES

Þorrablót

yesterday Skagastrond celebrated Þorrablót with a traditional food dinner in the town hall.
the menu included: sheep head, ram testicles, potatoes in every form and shape, fermented shark, whale. All to be drank with Brennivin.Not the best menu for a vegetarian but the bread was delicious.
Moby Dick meat is white/grey and look like lard. I did not eat Moby Dick.
Brennivin, also known as "black death", is not that bad: less strong than vodka, it has a strange cumin+cough syrup taste.
After the dinner there was a show organised by the locals to poke fun to local issues and gossips. I couldn't understand a word but it was funny and well choreographed.
Then wild dances: i was dragged on the dance floor by an elderly fisherman who concluded that i am a rubbish dancer (well you try dancing wearing mountain boots!).

toward the lighthouse

today i walked toward the lighthouse.
of course, i never made it to the lighthouse (25 km away).
the wind was not too bad and so many little things to look at. i went of the road and wondered through the fields of frozen hay.
i am getting used to the "trespassing" and i am now less worried about an icelandic farmer surprising me in one of my clumsy attempt to pass over/under the barb wire.
the only problem is photographing without being followed by the overtly-friendly icelandic ponies.
which are sweet and cute horses with very short legs but very attention seekers and curios of the camera!

in the land of ice and fire

Edmond Haraucourt 1856-1941, French poet To go away is to die a little. / It is to die to that which one loves: everywhere and always, one leaves behind a part of oneself. To leave is to die a little... one leaves behind a little of oneself at any hour, at any place.

I have left my home in London early sunday morning, waved bye bye to Jurgen the cat who gave me a strage look from the window as i dragged a big suitcase toward the tube station.i have land in Reykjavik sunday afternoon.
I stayed the first night guest of my friend Timo and took a bus early morning for Skagastrong in the north. I will be at NES Artist Residency for the months of February and March. It's the first time in 10 years that i leave London longer than two weeks.
Iceland is stunning and very different from what I imagined: no snow despite the freezing cold. The land is dark, vulcanic rocks and no trees. Bare dark ground. The grass is dark yellow and covered by a layer of frost.

The roads are almost empty and the bus passes lakes, frozen rivers and waterfalls. As we proceed toward the north the clouds seem to touch the ground.
After changing bus I get to Skagastrond around 1.
For two months i will have a "home", a lovely little room in a flat share. Other 9 artists will be here at NES Artist Residence. So exciting!
I will be here for two months to develop my own photographic work