Iceland

Hello! Sorry if I’ve been a little quiet on here over the past week. I kept up as best I could whilst I was away, but am otherwise getting back to normal now. Those of you who follow me on Twitter or Instagram are probably sick of me talking about how incredible my third trip to Iceland was, but I still wanted to put together a little post sharing a few of the highlights nonetheless. I hope you can indulge me, and that the pictures convey even a small amount of the beauty the country has to offer.

Hraunfossar, a series of waterfalls flowing off the edge of a lava field.

Barnafoss, a neighbouring waterfall that runs through the valley, so cold, clear, and powerful that the water appears blue.

Walking through a series of tunnels and caves carved inside a glacier, 30 metres below surface level.

They even have a bar and a chapel down there!

The way light played off the ice crystals was amazing.

Seljalandsfoss, found near the south coast. Notice the tiny person in red on the right for an idea of scale.

The Icelandic countryside, and a charming old turf church.

Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, where ice breaks from a glacier and is carried out to the ocean. I was blown away by the sheer scale and overwhelming presence of this place. It’s a cliché, but pictures will never do it justice.

With the ice constantly melting and shifting in the tide (you can literally hear it creaking as it moves), the view is ever changing.

Skógafoss, another powerful waterfall found in the southern region.

Harpa, Reykjavik’s main concert hall, and The Sun Voyager, a Viking inspired sculpture.

Hallgrimskirkja, from outside and in.

The garden at the Einar Jónsson Sculpture Museum, which is free to look around, and features some gorgeous pieces.

Dusk at the old harbour in downtown Reykjavik.

A lovely view of the city, against a backdrop of the ocean and mountains beyond. This was taken from the top of Perlan, a fantastic museum, planetarium, man-made ice cave, and viewing station.

Needless to say, I had an amazing time…

… and I’m already eager to plan a 4th visit.

Copenhagen

Hello, all! I’m back from my trip to Copenhagen, having had a wonderful time. It’s an absolutely beautiful city with a fantastically warm and friendly atmosphere. We also really lucked out with the weather, which was amazing. I highly recommend a visit here to anyone who may be planning a holiday of their own, and thought I’d share a few snaps of my favourite sights to hopefully give you a taste of what the Danish capital has to offer.

Nyhavn; one of the most vibrant, picturesque parts of town.

A fountain depicting the Norse goddess, Gefjon, and the neighbouring St. Alban’s Church.

Climbing Rundetaarn (The Round Tower), and a view over the city from the top.

Rosenborg Castle and grounds (left); and the Botanical Gardens (right).

Inside The Royal Reception Rooms at Christiansborg Palace.

Some more shots of the grandeur at Christiansborg Palace.

A few of my favourite pieces from a sand sculpture exhibition. Each piece depicts an endangered species.

Pictures don’t do justice to the scale of the sculptures, or the level of detail that went in to creating them.

Views enjoyed from a boat tour of the canal.

Tivoli; a vast entertainment area in the heart of the city that includes gardens, live performers, an amusement park, and lots of bars & restaurants.

Tivoli is a charming and bustling place that’s well worth a visit.

Perhaps Copenhagen’s most famous resident: The Little Mermaid; accompanied by a cute family of swans that were swimming by her when we visited.

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Have you been to Copenhagen? What were your favourite sights?

Beautiful Barcelona

I’m back from my trip to Barcelona, a holiday with one of my best friends that was full of beautiful sights and a lot of sunshine. Here are a few highlights from our time away.

A view across the city from Park Güell, a major work by the much beloved Gaudí.

Some more examples of the famous mosaic design style present throughout Park Güell.

Striking architecture found in the Park.

Some of the area’s more natural sights.

Some exterior shots of the iconic La Sagrada Familia, Gaudí’s true passion project that’s so vast it remains under construction to this day, despite being one of the city’s most popular attractions.

A glimpse at La Sagrada Familia’s beautiful interior.

More of the city’s renowned architecture, found in and around the Gothic Quarter, including Barcelona Cathedral, pictured in the middle.

The very charming Parc de la Ciutadella.

A few random finds I particularly liked: the Arc de Triomf; a fountain that was just outside our hotel in the heart of the city; and a statue of a mammoth, because why the heck not?

The Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor, which sits on top of Tibidabo Mountain right by a retro-style amusement park.

A few shots of the church’s interior.

A couple of different perspectives from high above the city; one taken from Park Güell and one from the top of Sagrat Cor.

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Have you ever been to Barcelona? What were your favourite sights?

Let’s Recommend | Art & Photography Books

Let’s recommend some books about art and photography.

This time I’ve decided to recommend books that centre around art and photography. I’m certainly not claiming to be either an artist or a photographer, but I do enjoy both mediums and appreciate a beautiful book that celebrates them, so let’s get started.

The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan

Tan is one of my favourite artists in general and in this book, he combines his beautiful work with another of my loves: fairy tales. Each double spread has an excerpt from one of the classic Grimm tales on one side and a sculpture inspired by it on the other. His pieces are visually striking and wonderfully successful in capturing the eerie mood of the original stories that we know and love.

Some examples of Tan’s fairy tale inspired sculptures.

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Collections by Barbara Buhler Lynes

O’Keeffe is another of my favourite artists and this hefty hardback was produced to mark the 10^th anniversary of The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in New Mexico, the largest collection of her work in the world. It includes many high-quality reproductions of her pieces and helps to show how broad her style was.

Some examples of O’Keeffe’s work.

Some more examples of O’Keeffe’s work.

Wonderland by Kirsty Mitchell

This might be an odd one for me to recommend in that I don’t actually own it myself. Retailing for about £100, I haven’t been able to justify buying it (though it is huge and incredibly high-quality). Mitchell’s stunning photographs are like the aesthetic of my dreams, however, so if like me you want to aspire towards owning it one day, or if unlike me you happen to be very wealthy, I thought it was worth a shout-out.

Some examples of Mitchell’s Wonderland series.

Some more examples of Mitchell’s Wonderland series.

Photos That Changed the World by Peter Stepan

This is one for those who maybe aren’t looking for ‘beautiful’ photographs as much as they are looking for influential ones, or those that show the effectiveness and importance of the form in documenting history.

Art Made from Books by Laura Heyenga

This one’s a bit meta, as it’s a collection of work by various artists who all use actual books as the medium with which they create their pieces, from sculptures made with paper to book spines lined up to form a canvas, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. There’s a big variety of different styles and ideas in here, and it’s definitely one for those who appreciate the beauty to be found in books as a physical object.

A sample of the kind of work to be found in Art Made from Books.

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What are some of your favourite books about art and photography?

Earth Day – Home

Today is Earth Day – a movement designed to encourage celebration and conservation of our natural environment. To show my support, I thought I’d let Mother Nature speak for herself and simply share a few pictures of one of my favourite places in the world: Perthshire, the area of central Scotland which I call home.

I hope you enjoy the snaps and have a lovely Earth Day!

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The sunsets here can be pretty intense.

There’s plenty of nature to enjoy.

We get a fair bit of snow in winter.

And contrary to popular belief, sometimes the sun even shines. Only sometimes, mind you.

Nature Needs a Helping Hand

It’s a different and random little post today but I think it’s important to share the things we care about, and having visited Iceland earlier this year, I can tell you that it makes me incredibly sad to hear that much of its iconic wild habitat and rugged beauty is under threat of destruction.

There are government plans to lay roads and construct power plants in the Icelandic Highlands, which is currently one of the largest uncultivated and uninhabited territories in Europe. These lands have remained untouched throughout all of time and it would be such a tragedy if money hungry politicians spoiled that now.

There’s a site that explains it all better than I ever could, as well as a petition that aims to show that people from around the world are against this sad waste of natural splendour, so if you want to take a look that would be great.

I thought I’d share a few snaps from my time in The Land of Fire and Ice, which in spite of my seriously lacking photography skills, hopefully show a little glimpse of just how special a place it really is.

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A natural fissure where the volcanic earth has been pulled apart.

A lovely view of the ocean, right from the banks of the capital city.

Gullfoss, Iceland

Gullfoss, Iceland

The flow of water that feeds into Gullfoss.

A geyser erupting.

Þingvellir, a National Park and World Heritage Site near the capital city that includes the country’s largest natural lake.

The view over Reykjavik and the mountains beyond from the top of the stunning church, Hallgrimskirkja.

The Land of Fire and Ice

I’m back from my long-dreamt-of trip to Iceland and can in all honesty say that despite years of anticipation, it did not disappoint. The beauty of the landscape is unlike anything I have ever witnessed (and I’m lucky enough to live in some of Scotland’s most striking highlands). The culture and atmosphere were both warm yet relaxed – unlike the weather!

Of course, my inner-geek also marvelled at how heavily modern life and history there revolve around literature and storytelling (they actually have the highest number of bookshops and the most imported/translated books per capita in the world).

All in all, it was a fantastic experience, and I already hope to return one day to explore more of what this fascinating country has to offer. Here are just a few snapshots from my time in the land of fire and ice.

The view over Reykjavik from the top of the stunning church, Hallgrimskirkja.

The church itself.

The Sun Voyager, a popular sculpture and viewing point for the ocean beyond.

Þingvellir, a National Park and World Heritage Site near the capital city that includes the country’s largest natural lake.

Gullfoss, a mesmerizingly beautiful waterfall that is without doubt one of the most stunning sights I’ve ever seen. No pictures or words can do justice to its sheer scale and presence of power. It was like stepping onto another world and has to be seen to be truly believed.

The flow of water that feeds into Gullfoss.

The old harbour at night.

To look at the gorgeous view of the ocean and mountains behind me, you wouldn’t know this was taken at the heart of the city centre, right beside Harpa, the world-renowned concert hall and home of the symphony orchestra: Nature is never far away in Iceland.

I’ll leave it at that for now, but I hope this gives even a small taste of the wondrous place that Iceland is. I’ve never been anywhere that felt more harmonious when it comes to the balance between modern, convenient living and utter respect for the natural world. I highly recommend you visit should you ever get the chance.