Standing Into Danger: February 2020

Friday, February 28, 2020

The Hallgrímskirkja

Last Friday I shared photos of the starkly beautiful and dangerous
Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland, a country I love and long to return to.

Today I am sharing photos of one of the most striking buildings I have seen.
It's architecture is said to have been inspired by Iceland's geology,
including the columnar basalt outcrops at Reynisfjara Beach:
Hallgrímskirkja, in Iceland's capital Reykjavík.

Hallgrímskirkja

Reykjavík, Iceland

June 11, 2014

This dramatic building, visible throughout Reykjavík,

is a Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church.

It is the largest church in Iceland and one of the tallest buildings in the country.

It's soaring main tower reaches a height of 244 feet (74.5 meters)

and pulls your eyes straight up into the vault of heaven.

The Main Tower

Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík, Iceland

June 11, 2014

Hallgrímskirkja

As Viewed from the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre

June 11, 2014

The church was named after Hallgrímur Pétursson,

an Icelandic minister and poet, renowned for his Passion Hymns,

a collection of 50 poems that describe Christ's Passion from the time
He enters the Garden of Gethsemane to His execution and burial.

Hallgrímur Pétursson

1614-1674

Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík, Iceland

June 11, 2014

Iceland's parliament, the Althing, adopted Christianity
as Iceland's predominant religion in 999/1000 CE,

replacing the pagan old Norse religion.
In the 1530s, following the Icelandic Reformation,
Iceland turned from Catholicism to Lutheranism.
The Lutheran Church of Iceland has remained the state church ever since.
Icelanders were granted religious freedom in 1874. Wikipedia

Skálholt 1550: Last Roman Catholic Bishop in Iceland,

beheaded with his two sons in 1550

by Friðrik Bridde

Oil 150 X 200 cm

On exhibit in Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre

Reykjavik, Iceland

June 11, 2014

Wikipedia

Guðjón Samúelsson designed
the Hallgrímskirkja church,
his final and best known work.

He was the first Icelander
educated in architecture
and went on to become a State Architect
and one of the most influential
architects in Iceland.

Construction of the Hallgrímskirkja began in 1945 and ended forty-one years later in 1986.
The crypt was completed in in 1948, the steeple and wings in 1974, and the nave in 1986.

Initially designed to be shorter, the height of the Hallgrímskirkja was increased
to make it taller than the Landakotskirkja, the cathedral of the Catholic Church in Iceland.

A Portion of One of the Wings

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

The Roofs of the Nave and the Sanctuary

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

A Crow Rests in the Sunshine

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Overlooking the Roof of the Sanctuary

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

The Black Roof of the Nave
contrasts sharply with the rest of the church.

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

The church's tower contains an open-air observation deck
from which you can see sweeping views of Reykjavík
and the surrounding mountains, harbor, and ocean.

The Open-Air Observation Deck
at the top of the tower

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

The Open-Air Observation Deck
at the top of the tower

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Reykjavík

from the top of the tower

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Nearby Mountains

from the top of the tower

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Reykjavík

from the top of the tower

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Standing in front of the Hallgrímskirkja is a commanding statue
of Leif Erikson that predates the construction of the church.
The Icelandic explorer was the first European known to reach North America.
The United States gave the statue to Iceland in 1930 to commemorate
the 1000th anniversary of Iceland's parliament at Þingvellir in 930 AD.

Leif Erikson

in front of the Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Leif Erikson

in front of the Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Leif Erikson

in front of the Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

If ever you make it to fabulous Reykjavík,
the Hallgrímskirkja is one landmark you can't miss!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

The Sun Voyager, a sculpture
by Jón Gunnar Árnason
Reykjavík, Iceland, June 11, 2014
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Source: Wikipedia

Note: Iceland turned from Catholicism to Lutheranism when Christian III of Denmark imposed it
on all his subjects, including those in Iceland. Jón Arason, the last Bishop of Iceland,
resisted, even after the other bishop, Ögmundr Pálsson was deported. In the religious strife
that followed, Jón Arason and his two sons were seized and beheaded in 1550.
Today he is remembered as a national and religious hero.
Sources: Britannica and Encyclopedia of Protestantism

For Map Lovers Like Me:

Location of Iceland

Google Maps

Map Data Google, INEGI, 2020

Location of Reykjavík, Iceland

Google Maps

Map Data Google, 2020

Location of the Hallgrímskirkja

Google Maps

Map Data Google, 2020

Friday, February 21, 2020

Trouble and a Different Northern Post

This week I crossed a major item off my To Do list,
buying a new computer.

It's gorgeous and powerful,
but it presents an exponential learning curve to this non-digital native.

A whole lot of computer and a challenged operator can spell TROUBLE,
and TROUBLE it was for me!

Terry, Heading for a World-Renowned Northern Location

June 13, 2014

Yesterday I published the latest IWSG Anthology Blog post
and discovered that I could no longer reply to comments.
My day shuddered to a halt.

Since I had been up until 3:00 am the night before creating the IWSG post,
the atmosphere was pretty tense in the Barbour household.
The fact that I had negotiated all the obstacles
my new computer threw at me in the wee hours was no comfort.

I spent two frantic hours trying to overcome the comment block
before giving up and calling Apple Support for help.
Of course, as soon as the tech and I got into my system,
up popped my Fundy Blue icon and replying to comments worked.
Sean-the-Tech kindly told me that sometimes a fix takes a little time to work.

So "Yay!" for me because I solved the problem myself,
and "Boo!" to me because I have no clue how I did it.

Getting Closer

June 13, 2014

I meant to do a Northern post for today, I really did.

But in the process of trying to figure out why only 42,000 of my photos
had moved over from my old computer to my new one,

and because of the panicked tailspin I dove into,
I ran out of time.

Time was the answer it turned out.

It takes a whole lot of time to move 113,000 photos and 625 videos.

And Closer

June 13, 2014

So today I'm offering a different Northern post.
I tried to calm my photo panic by playing with some photos that had arrived,
photos from a memorable time at Reynisfjara Beach
located on the southernmost point of Iceland near the village of Vík í Mýrdal.

This black pebbly beach is magnificent, inspiring, and dangerous,
and its geological features are world-renowned.
Visiting it was one cold, spectacular experience!

Reynisfjara Beach

Near Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland

June 13, 2014

Photo by Terry Barbour

Volcanic Pebbles of Reynisfjara Beach

Near Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland

June 13, 2014

The Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks

Near Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland

June 13, 2014

Iceland straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and no significant landmass
stands between Reynisfjara Beach and Antarctica.
Those thundering waves pounding the beach have traveled a long way unimpeded.
They can catch a careless person unawares and drag him under and out to sea.

Rolling in from Antarctica

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

Most dangerous are the sneaker-waves,

rogue waves that are much larger than other waves.

They can race far up the beach to drench, trap, or pull people into the frigid water.

Many people have been rescued from the roiling currents,

and tragically three people have drowned here.

Keeping Their Distance

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

A Powerful Undertow

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

Dyrhólaey, or Door Hill Island

as seen from Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

The magnificent scenery is the result of a volcanic eruption
under a glacier that occurred during the Penultimate Ice Age.
It created the 340 meter/1115 foot high Reynisfjall Mountain
out of irregular, alternating layers of tuff, pillow lava, and columnar basalt.
The beautiful cave, Hálsanefshellir, graces the south part of the mountain.

Hálsanefshellir Cave

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

Gazing up at Reynisfjall Mountain

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

Terry Playing Around

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

The striking landscapes of Reynisfjara Beach have been featured in productions
such as Noah, Game of Thrones, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The spectacular columnar basalt formations found here are said to have inspired
Guðjón Samúelsson when he designed Hallgrímskirkja
in Reykjavík, Iceland's biggest church.

Hallgrímskirkja

Reykjavík, Iceland

June 11, 2014

Columnar Basalt by Hálsanefshellir Cave

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

Columnar Basalt Stepping Stones

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

Columnar Basalt Formations

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

Columnar Basalt Formations

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

Terry and I would gladly return to Iceland.
It is unique, otherworldly.

A Geologist's Paradise

Reynisfjara Beach

June 13, 2014

Notes:

1. Reynisfjara Beach:
In 1991 National Geographic named Reynisfjara Beach one of the 10 most beautiful non-tropical
beaches in the world. Wikipedia

2. The Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks:
   According to Icelandic legend, the basaltic sea stacks, Skessudrangur, Langhamar, and
Landdrangur, were once two giants towing a three-sailed ship to the shore. Unfortunately, before
they could reach safety within Reynisfjall mountain, the sun turned the trolls and ship to stone.

3. The Penultimate Glacial Period:
The Penultimate Glacial Period (PGP) is the glacial period that occurred before the Last Glacial
Period. It began about 194,000 years ago and ended about 135,000 years ago. Wikipedia

4. Geological Setting: Katla Geopark

5. Columnar Basalt:
   Iron and magnesium-rich basaltic lava cools quickly at the surface, but more slowly within a
lava flow. When the lava begins to cool from the inside it contracts and fractures. If the lava
cools at an even rate and the heat escapes at regular intervals, hexagonally-shaped basalt
columns can form.



For Map Lovers Like Me:

Location of Iceland

Google Maps

Map Data Google, INEGI, 2020