Foxglove

Not seen on vacation, but I seem to be splashing around aimlessly and it is time to do a bit more than just an ink and wash sketch. Watercolor has been on my mind, so I gave in. Not really happy with this…paints are probably in need of replacing as well as the paper is for play. Still, at least I did more than blob….but with this fracture I am so afraid of falling! And that promotes blobbing….

The Not Taken Vacation: Icelandic Moss

Iceland Moss is really not a moss, but a symbiotic association between algae and fungus. It grows to be about 10 centimeters tall or about four inches , and is found in alpine and cold climates such as Iceland from which its name is derived. It can be used as an herbal remedy for a variety of complaints, such as pulmonary problems or digestive upsets and so on, although there is not a popular need for it apparently. The terrain and latitude of Iceland makes tall trees not very common, but Alpine plants and low-growing seasonal flowers, lichens, moss, and other such things make for a lovely landscape.

By no means am I trying to be a scientific illustrator, but looking at these plants, such as this lichen, just really fill me with delight because they’re so beautiful and so tiny.

Tomorrow I’m going to look at some of the photos I took before my tumble in Reykjavik, and hope to put in some drawings of buildings and historical landmarks before we move on to Ireland and Dublin where our next stop was supposed to be.

The Not Taken Vacation: Mountain Avens

The Mountain Avens, also known as dryas octopetala, is an Arctic alpine plant that’s in the family rosacea. It is a small flower which grows at higher elevations. It is found in the Arctic tundra of northern Eurasia, North America, and, of course, in Iceland where it is the national flower. Areas with high altitudes, such as the Rocky Mountains or the Alps and other high mountain regions, also are home to this lovely little flower.

The Not Taken Vacation: Icelandic Turf Houses

For our next adventure into Iceland I thought it would be really interesting to explore what life was like historically. In a country where there is obviously a lot of rock and turf, and a seeming dearth of trees, what better thing to think about than how people lived for 1000 years before modern architectural technology?

I googled “traditional Icelandic houses”as Reykjavik is full of modern buildings and not a lot of older ones that I could see. This made me curious. Native resources created perfectly warm houses. People need shelter, and creatively use what is at hand. Early on around 950 CE, native birch trees were for building, and later wood from shipwrecks or detritus found on the beach was used.

There’s a really great website called The Ultimate Guide to Turf Houses in Iceland and it is filled with the history of preserved buildings, including houses, barns, churches, and schools. Turf buildings deteriorate quickly if not maintained.

Below is a really good video on that web page, which I’m linking below. It has some great information in addition to the aforementioned web page.

Next? Plants!