Home | Directory | Contact | FAQ | Recipes | Restaurants | Vietnamese Recipes | 100 Vietnamese Foods | Subscribe

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Solfar (Sun Voyager) - Reykjavik - Iceland

6 Sun Voyager - Reykjavik - Iceland 1

After I left the Icelandic Phallological Museum - Reykjavik - Iceland and wandered along Laugavegur, I spotted the Sun Voyager sculpture down near the harbor and veered toward the sea. This stainless steel sculpture was designed by Jón Gunnar Árnason in 1986 as the winner of a competition to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the founding of Reykjavik.

Sólfar (Icelandic The Traveler/Voyager of the Sun) was envisioned as a dreamboat, an ode to the sun, which symbolizes light and hope.

Hmm. Looks like a Viking ship to me.

Regardless of your interpretation, Sun Voyager is truly a magnificent sculpture.

6 Sun Voyager - Reykjavik - Iceland 2

I sat there looking out to sea, enjoying one last banh mi from Saigon's Bakery and Sandwiches - San Gabriel while contemplating the seafaring Vikings of long ago.

6 Sun Voyager - Reykjavik - Iceland 3

Thinking of how Icelandic language is really ancient Norse, incomprehensible to today's Norwegian. It'd be like someone speaking Beowulf's English?

6 Sun Voyager - Reykjavik - Iceland 4

And how geneticists must have a field day analyzing the descendants of the original 25,000 Vikings. I wonder how the handful of Vietnamese immigrants fit in?

6 Sun Voyager - Reykjavik - Iceland 5

Also, for such a violent group, plundering and pillaging most of Northern Europe at one time, how and why did the Vikings just stop?

I should've packed my copy of "The Sagas of Icelanders," but it was too thick and I had no room in my luggage.

A view at the other end of the harbor from the steps facing the Sun Voyager sculpture.

6 Sun Voyager - Reykjavik - Iceland 6

And looking up the hill at Hallgrímskirkja (Icelandic Hallgrím's church). Too bad it was late in the day and the tower lookout of the church was closed.

6 Sun Voyager - Reykjavik - Iceland 7

I had about an hour to kill before going back to Kex Hostel - Reykjavik - Iceland for my evening tour. I was trying to figure out what to do for my second and final day in Iceland when I stumbled upon another tour. Since I was able to squeeze in the Blue Lagoon - Grindavik - Iceland in the morning and the Golden Circle Tour in the evening, that left a whole day to either explore Reykjavik or see the glacier lagoon. To be able to touch pale blue icebergs?! No contest. I hurried back to the hostel to book it before it was too late.

All Europe posts can be read in Series: Europe, but I suggest reading the Iceland trip in this order:
Saigon's Bakery and Sandwiches - San Gabriel
Kex Hostel - Reykjavik - Iceland
Blue Lagoon - Grindavik - Iceland
Icelandic Phallological Museum - Reykjavik - Iceland
Solfar (Sun Voyager) - Reykjavik - Iceland
Mid-Atlantic Ridge - Thingvellir National Park - Iceland

Sólfar (Sun Voyager)
On Sæbraut, at the intersection of Frakkastigur.
Reykjavik
Iceland

*****
1 year ago today, Chinese Shanghai Noodles with Ground Pork, Spinach, and Onions.
2 years ago today, The Boiling Crab - Alhambra (Main St.).
3 years ago today, Sadie's of New Mexico - Albuquerque - New Mexico.
4 years ago today, blog my blog 3, new feeds, vote for me, August poll results, and advertise.
5 years ago today, Butter, Cream Cheese, Italian Meat Trio Sandwich.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you for stopping by. I try to respond in a timely manner, but am not always able to do so. If you're awaiting a response, check the post in which the comment is made or click the "Notify me" option.

If you're not a blogger and you'd like to leave a comment, you can do so using your Google/Gmail account.

I welcome questions, discussions, and feedback, but please be mindful that this is my home online. I reserve the right to delete any comment that is anonymous or unknown, rude, promotional, or has a link.

Thank you for reading!