Sunday, January 15, 2017

A Little Night Music

Thermally Heated Sidewalks and Streets

Reykjavik has no ice or snow on the roads and sidewalks. Imagine that!  No shoveling or plowing needed.   The thermal waters are used to heat the homes.  The run off water is then piped into plastic tubing inside the city's streets and sidewalks.  We walked those sidewalks today to The National Museum of Iceland which holds some 2000 objects dating from the Settlement period.  Around 870 Vikings began to arrive. Estimates of settlers ranged from 311 to 436.  To my surprise some women came on their own to settle. These Settlers, or farmers, were the chieftains that met in the Thingviller that we visited yesterday to form laws in a quasi Parliament.   There were no indigenous peoples here.  

The Harpa Concert Hall

The Harpa is relatively new having its first concert in 2011.  The multicolored glass facade is inspired by the basalt landscape of Iceland.  We heard some very American music at the Harpa.  The Elektra Quintet performed a very jazzy first piece with a tenor.  The second half consisted of Gershwin and select pieces from Bernstein's West Side Story.  The tenor and a soprano provided voice.  

Tomorrow we fly to London.  To see all the pictures of our time in Iceland, link to flickr.