Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.07.2007, Blaðsíða 23

Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.07.2007, Blaðsíða 23
8_REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 10_007_DESTINATION REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 10_007_DESTINATION_9 The first art museum in Reykjavík, the Einar Jónsson museum, opened in 1923. The history of this beautiful building goes back to 1909 when the beloved artist offered to give his whole collection to the Icelandic people under the condition that a museum would be built to house his works. The Icelandic Parliament originally rejected the idea, but in 1914 the Parliament contributed one third of the build- ing costs and the rest was gathered through private donations. Einar Jónsson was Iceland’s first sculptor. He attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen from 1896 to 1899. His early works were inspired by Icelandic folklore, but he later rejected naturalistic depiction in classical art in favour of added religious sym- bolism following the artist’s spiritual awaken- ing. Jónsson’s public monuments can be seen around the city. Opposite the museum, in front of Hallgrímskirkja church, stands the monu- ment of Ingólfur Arnarson, the first Icelandic settler. In Austurvöllur, you will find his monu- ment of the independence hero Jón Sigurðs- son, and in front of the Government Offices of Iceland stand statues of Iceland’s governor Hannes Hafsteinn and Danish King Christian IX, commemorating the Act of Union of 1918 – Iceland’s first step towards becoming an inde- pendent nation. That same year, Jónsson was commissioned to build a memorial of Þorfinnur Karlsefni, which stands along Kelly Drive in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The museum houses over 300 art works, spanning the artist’s 60-year career. It was more or less designed by the artist himself, with the assistance of Einar Erlendsson, State Architect at the time. The building served both as the artist’s studio and home, which is now a part of the museum. Several of the artist’s works are on display in the museum garden, which is open to the public admission-free. Entrance through Freyjugata. The Einar Jónsson Museum Eiríksgata, 101 Reykjavík Tel.: 551 3797. www.skulptur.is Open Tuesday-Sunday 14.00-17.00. Closed on Mondays. Admission: 400 ISK. The Einar Jónsson Museum Text by Sveinn Birkir Björnsson Photo by Gulli One of the benefits of living in the greater- Reykjavík area is a convenient closeness to nature. It essentially means that no matter how involved in business, barhopping or Nu- Rave culture you get, you are never more than a stone’s throw away from somewhere pure and idyllic. Case in point: Friday night, after work, after dinner, after an hour of TV, it was still feasible to pack a tent, an instant BBQ and some lamb chops in my 1992 Subaru for a quick trip to some of Iceland’s most attrac- tive sites. Most cities do not allow for this. In a mere 20 hours (including a full 11 hours of sleep), my companion and I managed to ex- perience a vacation’s worth of unique natural phenomena, postcard-ready scenery and pretty good waffles. There are many destinations within reason- able driving distance of Reykjavík that allow for quick, satisfying sojourns into nature. On short-notice, we decided to venture to Arnar- stapi, a beautiful fishing hamlet on Snæfellsnes. Within walking distance of one of Iceland’s most fabled glaciers, Snæfellsjökull, Arnarstapi often has visitors spouting inane tourist bro- chure babble in tepid attempts to describe its extraordinary atmosphere. In true capitalistic fashion, the locals have caught on and now offer accommodation, midnight snow-mobile rides and pylsur for a reasonable price, so there’s no reason to grow hungry or bored while there. Our first stop (save for a police mandated one, which resulted in a 30.000 ISK speeding ticket) was at one of Iceland’s many “secret” natural hot pots. These are essentially undocu- mented, unmarked and, most importantly (as in – enter at your own risk!), un-regulated pools of hot water where a weary traveller can rest his bones and wash his privates in the company of wild birds and unkempt nature. This particular one is located by the stretch of road between Borgarnes and Arnarstapi and is probably kept secret for a good reason, as it comfortably fits no more than three persons at a time. An excessive mix of hot water and beer will slow anyone down, so driving became less of an option as the night progressed. Arnarstapi proved no less of an attraction the day after; following a hefty brunch of waffles and but- tered scones we took a walk around the area. Arnarstapi offers a plethora of marked hiking trails of varying lengths, but the nature of our trip limited our options to its immediate surroundings. After a few rough encounters with Arctic Terns, we found ourselves at the beautiful, semi-natural Arnarstapi harbour and its surrounding Fulmar-filled cliffs. This is a place to sit down and gaze at the ocean, after a while the intense Fulmar whine will fade to the back of your mind and you will remember why you leave cities over weekends. Arnarstapi Text by Haukur Magnússon Photo by Julia Staples Two unique exihbitions: The Settlement of Iceland and Egils saga Open daily from 10 am to 7 pm R E S T A U R A N T Open from 10 am to 9:30 pm Tel: +354 437 1600 www.landnamssetur.is A must do for the visitor... SetTlement centre the I N B O R G A R N E S

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