My most welcome invitation to visit from Litten the artist in residence at Artlink last year, came with the words “it’s a bit of a mountain
drive, but I know you’re not afraid of heights” referring to the drive I took
her on to Sliabh Liag last summer while showing her Donegal.
As I set of on my second day driving my wee hire car
the nerves of driving on the right had somewhat quelled a little. As I followed
the signs through Egilsstadir for Sedisfjordur the climb began to get steeper
and steeper and the then hairpin bends began. Steering wheel griped tight I
pressed on because there was nowhere to stop, turn just to keep on driving on
the narrow road. There are no hedges,
and an occasional (very rare occasional) barrier just sheer drops to the valley below.
I climbed up and up feeling more anxious when the snow-capped mountains wrapped
in round ever closer.
After about twenty minutes of nail biting climbing
the road began to level out, I was driving across the top of a snow-capped
mountain, on either side were melting sheets of snow and ice. Glacial lakes
where large chunks of ice floated like marshmallows in hot chocolate, their
colour deepest azure blues and milky white all silent in the solstice morning
sun.
I found a small place to pull off the road, catch my breath,
stretch my jelly legs and simply pause to take in the beauty that surrounded
me. It took a little bit of time to let the realisation of where I was sink in,
and what I guess the small act to others but for me what I’d achieved in
reaching this magnificent place myself. The sky was as clear a blue sky that
you can imagine, only holding the sun no birds nothing but stillness, the snow
Ice and volcanic black, browns and reds of the land.
I headed on and began the decent, filled with as much
anxiety as the climb, now I knew what was ahead, I obeyed every road sign and
when it said 20 kms I knew by know that it really meant it. There was a beautiful
layby where some others had stopped so I joined them, at the top of a
waterfall.
A picture postcard would be how most would describe the view as a ferry
smoothly glided in to the Fjord dock.
Time for me to get there too, with just one more
stop further down to photograph the waterfalls progress.
Already I’m beginning to get a bit blasé about the
waterfalls and the tumble down the mountain sides on either side of me, except
the one where the wind was so strong that as it poured out through a hole in
the mountain side (as to over the top of it) it barely touched the side till
quite a bit down the was the perfect fall rushing down the path carved decades
before.
I was down, and coming in to the quaintest colourful
town, I ‘d ever visited, quick call to Litten, directions and in 5 minutes I
was pulling in to her home, at the bottom of a huge waterfall that boasters
three pouring of water fountain streams from it and surrounded in blue lupins.
Where Litten Lives
What you notice driving through this wee town is not
just how quaint and colourful the homes are but by how artistic everyone seems
to be, for outside most homes are sculptures of one kind or another wood, stone,
metal, just about everything is used in a very creative way that adds to the
welcoming atmosphere the place.
It was so good to see Litten, have coffee and chat (it’s
been a year, we could scarcely believe it) in her gorgeous home and see her
wonderful studio (one of them) where she does her publishing from, possibly
other thing too but I forgot to ask.
She took me to where she’s presently working, The Technical Museum and on a collective exhibition across East Iceland, part of which is
also in Skriduklaustur where I’m staying.
The following images are from my drive in the
mountains, the museum and around this beautiful village,
these are just snap shots
taken on my phone with my others mostly on my camera, still.
Enjoy and I hope it gives you a little of the feel of
here. Oh and fresh fish lunch was enjoyed outside at..... Chatting to an other photographer from Slovenia, Artist from Berlin, a french artist and some other artists stopped to say hi too, what a fabulous friendly vibe in this wee valley.
Ps, tackled the drive back filled with the same in
trepidation as before, rain and slight fog rolled in, blanketing the mountain
tops but I made it back down to the valley safely.
Thank you for taking the time to browse.
Something that I love and appeals to me a lot was how everything is used here, recycled, up cycled or made in to joy giving art work.
Less of a disposable lifestyle here, I guess when this have to work so hard to get to you , you appreciate it, and skills are still being used in everyday life, stone wall building communal sheep farming, build boats, smaller and less intense farming, no giant machinery or shops like primark, its quality craftsman/womanship, even cottage industry in some cases, and people support each other.
