Day 31 (27 July): Volcano Day

Getting up as early as usual, we had breakfast and then I continued the last rows of the knots of the tree to reach the height of its future package.

I finished around 12.30 p.m. and suspended it from the lamp on the ceiling, as the photos below... The tree was would need to be continued later in Finland. Otherwise, I couldn't take it back home.

 

After lunch, the weather became cloudy. However, we decided to go for a movie about volcanos at 3 p.m. As we had still time, we dropped by to have coffee and cake at the cafe by Tjörnin in the City Hall and went to the National Gallery of Iceland on Frikirkjuvergur 7 to check the current exhibition.

I hadn't been interested in the National Gallery because of its name that suggested something classical or traditional. I changed my mind when I entered the museum. The interior looked completely different from the exterior. It had bright and relaxing atmosphere unlike the solid warehouse-like building viewed from outside.

The ongoing exhibition showed the works of prominent Icelandic artists, most of which were truly contemporary by nature. One interesting work was a video installation Of the North 

(2008) by the artist named Steina (born 1940). It was an enormous work representing the material universe. When we went to the second floor, we saw people sitting in a row in a similar way to one would do in a medical clinic. We found out later that they were queueing for entering an installation that allowed only one person at a time to experience it. The installation was by Elin Hansdottir(born 1980).  The actual exhibition room was transformed it into a psychological and phenomenological playground. After we realized why they were queueing, we joined them.  After 10 minutes and the one who was in the exhibition room hadn't yet come out, I gave up and went to the museum shop, leaving TT to queue alone.    

It was already 3 p.m. and it wasn't yet TT's turn to the installation. He went to take me from the shop and we ran to the Red Rock Cinema  for the volcano show on Hellusund 6A, which is not far from the museum. When we arrived there, the show had already started. However, we still couldn't decide if we should take the 1-hour or 2-hour program (1-hour program 1200 ISK, 2-hour 1500 ISK). The ticket seller therefore suggested us to buy the ticket for 1-hour program and to pay more after the first hour if we want to continue the second hour. 

When entering the theater, Villi Knudsen was telling about his story of filming volcanos at different locations around Iceland. His joked at the end of his talk that if there was any earthquake during the film he would let us know (there was an earthquake 2 days ago somewhere in Rekjanes). Part one of the volcano show was actually called Villi Knudsen's Volcano Adventures. The film showed eruptions in Iceland since 1947, for example, Mt. Helka eruptions in 1947-1948, 1970, 1980, 1981, 1991 and 2000; Askja eruption in 1961; Surtsey eruption in 1963-1967; Heimaey eruption in 1973; Lake Myvatn eruptions in 1975-1984; and Vatnajökull Glacier eruptions in 1983, 1996 and 1998. Knudsen has been fascinated with volcanic eruptions since he was a boy and followed his father Osvaldur Knudsen who was a volcano film maker to film volcanos around the country.

The film was interesting but had bad editing. Time and places were jumpy and that made it difficult to follow. We decided not to continue to Part 2. We chatted a bit with Villi before we left.  

Then we returned to the National Gallery in order to check the installation which we hadn't seen yet. It was now 4.30 p.m. and there was no queue. I went to the exhibition room first. The labyrinth in the dark room played with light at the end of each wall that misled the visitor to the wrong direction. The path was quite long; however, after the first time I was fooled by the light, I could walk towards the right direct all the way until it path ended at the entrance/exit door. The was one point where the path became narrower and narrower, and then too narrow to go through. This was the point to make the visitor made a turn and walked back the same path. It was fun to go there actually although the idea wasn't so new in my opinion. 

After this, we went to have dinner at Saegreifinn by the harbor on Verbud 8. It was actually a fish shop where they grill and serve the catch of the day. We order 2 kinds of white fish in barbecue sticks (1500 ISK each). We ordered them although we had no idea what kinds of fish they were. The other kinds of fish available were whale that both of us don't eat, catfish that TT doesn't like and salmon that we thought it too ordinary. I also order the famous lobster soup (800 ISK) and later bought a small package of dry fish (250 ISK). The food tasted truly fresh. The soup was very tasty but too little portion.

Walking from the fish shop to the residence wasn't far. The weather turned to be windy in the evening. So, we didn't go anywhere anymore, just relaxed and went to bed early...