Monday, September 9, 2019

Our World, My World.

Hello and Happy Monday! 

My recent blog break was due to our Sept 2-7 Iceland trip. We flew from Dulles Airport near Washington DC to the capital city Reykjavik, Iceland. Our first full day, we walked around the harbor and marina.  I really liked the design of the Harpa Concert Hall building. The Harpa Concert Hall looked beautiful lit up at night. This building was designed with the help of Danish-Islandic artist  Olafur Eliasson. BTW,  I am guessing the bird seen in the harbor is a Black Guillemot?




The statue walk, various sculptures were found around the city and the Tjornin Pond.  Some of my favorites were the first statue is a bureaucrat taken off it's pedestal, Boy and Girl against the lamppost, The Settler, The Mermaid and the next to last is called the Spell Broken by Einar Jonsson.


Below, the monument to the Bureaucrat. 



We walked the loop around the Tjornin Pond, seeing lots of Whooper Swans, ducks, Greylag Geese and Black-headed Gulls.  I still have to figure out my new birds or lifers seen on this trip. This was not a birding trip, a trip to see the scenery, waterfalls, glaciers and we saw the Northern Lights. The birds are a bonus and always a distraction for me. 



I noticed the coral bill and legs, I think this is the Black-headed Gull. 





I am pretty sure these are the Greylag Geese, a lifer. 


A lifer for me, the Whooper Swan. 



I could be wrong, gulls are confusing for me. Is this the Lesser Black-backed Gull?



In the middle of the pond, I nicknamed this little island Gull Island. 


My and my shadow saw lots of pretty flowers around the pond and city.



Iceland is the greenest country in the world. With geothermal heating, hydro-electricity from the waterfalls. It is a very green-living place, I wish our country would do the same. The USA came in a dismal 61st, Iceland is first and Switzerland is number 2. 

Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there. 

Thanks to Cath the host of Country Scapes

Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday


Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!


Thanks for visiting and commenting, have a happy day and a great new week!

57 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, said...

My wife was there for a week in June and enjoyed it very much. All of your IDs are correct, Eileen. Bravo!

chica said...

Tão lindas as fotos e como a natureza nos encanta a cada dia! Nunca cansamos dela! beijos, linda semana,chica

Natalia said...

I have heard that is is a wonderful place those photos prove that,amazing!☺

EricaSta said...

A lovely Post. I love Viewing Birds. Happy MosaicMonday

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Yes to all the birds named - and what an excellent trip!!! YAM xx

Barbara Rogers said...

These are lovely...glad you got to go traveling! happy Monday!

magnoliasntea said...

How lovely! The swans and flowers are so interesting.
Thank you for sharing!

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

Love your collection of critters...and life

Marie Smith said...

Such a beautiful place. The birds are such a bonus! Great photos!

Penelope Notes said...

Good for Iceland for being so green … it looks lovely there. I think governments will take the environment seriously when the culture changes to the point where citizens rebel against big polluters and vote anyone who doesn’t see a problem OUT.

Tom said...

...were you there checking thing out before Donny buys it?

Marit said...

Hello Eileen,

Beautiful images from Iceland. It looks so pretty there. Iceland once belonged to Norway, and the most of the population can speak norwegian :)
The Whooper Swan is very beautiful.
Happy new week!

Ella said...

Very nice photos ...
Our world is so beautiful!
The Whooper Swan is gorgeous!
Wishing you a very happy week!

Black Knight said...

Iceland is in my wishing list. I visited all the countries of Northern Europe but I miss it.

Irma said...

Hello Eileen,
Nice series of photos in your blog.
Yes, this is the lesser black-backed gull.
Great that you have been to Iceland, I would also like to go there sometime.
You have seen the northern lights, that is really great.
Have you been able to take photos of the northern lights?
Best regards, Irma

MadSnapper said...

it is always a shock to me to see birds and trees and water views and flowers that look just the same as they do here in FL.. all the way up there in Iceland. so beautiful.. about the burerecrat statue, do you think they used a certain man in the whte house for a model?

carol l mckenna said...

Another beautiful place and photos ~ favorite are the baby ducklings and the ducks who look like they are having a meeting ^_^

Happy Day to You,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Bill said...

What a wonderful country to visit. Beautiful photos of all the birds and scenery. I like the sculpture of the bureaucrat, it seems appropriate.

Mikael Bergman said...

very nice to see
and nice pictures
I would also like to travel and see Iceland
my sister has visited Iceland once

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

What a fabulous trip and I know you have lots of photos to share! Fun to see the sights...and the birds too! I would love to go there. My youngest son and his family went a couple of years ago and sent me a stuffed Puffin! heehee!

Bob Bushell said...

Fabulous birds there in Reykjavik, especially the Whooper Swans.

Fun60 said...

It looks an amazing place. You took some great photos.

RedPat said...

Iceland seems to be a popular destination - a friend just got back last week too! Great pics, Eileen!

Photo Cache said...

Whoa! What a trip. I hope there's more post coming soon?

<a href="https://calart.blogspot.com>Worth a Thousand Words</a>

William Kendall said...

Wonderful shots! I would love to see Iceland someday.

Small City Scenes said...

Iceland--Wow! What an exciting trip for you and for taking us along.
MB

ellen b. said...

How lovely to travel to Iceland. Beautiful photos. How wonderful to see the Northern Lights!

HappyK said...

Wow what a wonderful vacation. So many fabulous photos.

Jeanna said...

I'm sure both countries make us look depraved. I don't get it, whether you're a billionaire or just getting by don't people care about their kids and grandkids future?
I love how you know your nature no matter where you are. I've heard many good things about Iceland.

betty-NZ said...

What a great adventure! Thanks for sharing your great images with us :)


My Corner of the World

Red said...

Besides being a very pretty country Iceland has a lot to offer when it comes to government and social justice.

Angie said...

Eileen - I am still laughing at the bureaucrat statue - if I am looking at it correctly, the pedestal is ON TOP of the bureaucrat? Are you going to show us pictures of the Northern Lights? It is something I really hope to see in person now that we live in this part of the world. It looks like you had great weather! And I agree with you that every country can aspire to adopt green-er practices!!! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!

Cloudia said...

Welcome back. How very exciting! I enjoyed this little journey with you very much

rupam sarma said...

Hello, Just read your post. Awesome pics. Beautiful birds.Have a nice week ahead.

Lorrie said...

Iceland looks like a beautiful place to visit, with such a variety of birds! Great photos.

Powell River Books said...

I would love to visit Iceland some day. An acquaintance here in Powell River just went and posted so many wonderful pictures as well. - Margy

Rose said...

I bet that was a fun trip...and fun seeing all the birds.

Lady Fi said...

Wonderful shots! Iceland is on my bucket list.

diane b said...

Lucky you to get to visit this country.

Phil Slade said...

A good choice of destination Eileen. Somewhere just a little different. Your ID is spot on. Liked your weather too!

Hootin Anni said...

Impressive adventure. I know there is an iceland gull too, but I wouldn't know how to ID the differences.

Gunilla Teckenberg said...

Hi Eileen!

Spännande och annorlunda resmål, jag var där en gång på 90 - talet och det var verkligen en intressant upplevelse. Att få se alla dessa fåglar var väl en riktig bonus.

Debbie said...

wow, wow, wow...what an amazing trip and a great use of time for your blog break!!! anytime we take any trip, the birds are also a distraction for me as well!! lot's to see there and nice that you saw at least one lifer...do you have a list eileen??

i looked up the gull in my book and i am not sure, perhaps someone answered it!! i like the picture of you and the hubs, that's a tradition now!!!

Jeanie said...

I've heard so many wonderful things about Iceland and your post is yet another tribute. You're right about the green country. Isn't that terrific?

Maria Rodrigues said...

All the photos are beautiful but I especially liked the swan photo, it's awesome.
Maria

Michelle said...

Eileen, these photos are beautiful and I have enjoyed following your trip on FB. We have traveled in Europe and have considered going to Iceland. Your photos are persuading us :)

Sondra said...

Wonderful! How fun to have all those lifers to sort out! The USA could learn a LOT from other nations if we had some decent leadership not in it for the money.

Su-sieee! Mac said...

The Bureaucrat statue is hilarious. Thanks for sharing the sights!

Crafty Green Poet said...

great trip, lovely photos, correct bird IDs!

Sandi said...

"monument to the Bureaucrat"

Hahhahaha! That's hilarious!

italiafinlandia said...

Hello Eileen, funny to think that you were in my part of the hemisphere for some time! :)
I am sure you have enjoyed your stay.
Thanks for sharing your nice shots. Have a nice week!

Lowcarb team member said...

Oh Eileen, what a fabulous trip.
Iceland is a country I'd always fancied visiting, and it looks a great place.

Lovely photographs and mosaics, so much to look at :)

All the best Jan

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

What a neat trip. Iceland has been on our wish list for awhile! It’s great that you did so well with accidental “ birding!

Vera said...

Wonderful pictures. Looks like you had a fabulous trip!

Sharon said...

What great photos of all the birds you saw, as well as architecture and flowers. What a wonderful first day in Iceland!

DeniseinVA said...

Great post, and Iceland a beautiful country. Loved all those birds! Thank you Eileen, enjoy your day :)

Helma said...

Hello Eileen
very special to do a statue walk :-) Apert but also very nice to see. However, the birds in your psot still prevail hahahaha .... I thought it would be great to be in Iceland. It is because I am afraid to fly but afterwards I would probably go there one day.
Have a great evening.
regards

Saturday's Critters # 568

  Welcome to Saturday's Critters!  Hello and Happy Saturday!  If you love all God's creatures like I do and also like to blog about ...