Sunrise

I am lucky enough to teach at Tækniskólinn, the Technical College of Reykjavík, which rests stolidly upon the rise of Skólavörðurholt, just beside Hallgrímskirkja. Lucky to have a permanent position, lucky to work next to, for and with amazingly talented people from many technical and industrial fields, such as engineers, pilots, ships captains, carpenters, electricians, beauticians, designers, programmers, plumbers, masons and goldsmiths. Lucky to have students who let me rant my idealized, world-of-the future rants (in between mini-lectures on verbs and such.) And lucky to have a 360°view of the lovely city surrounding us.

This morning, during our first teachers meeting of the semester, I found myself absorbed by the gorgeous sunrise glowing brighter and brighter over the ridge of mountains to the east. This photo was taken with my new little compact camera pressed just up against the window with my daughter's school, Austurbæjarskóli, in the immediate foreground and the white twin church spires of Háteigskirkja just visible in the distance. As the day progressed the weather got worse, and by now, eveningtime, we are settling in for an intense 13th Night of Christmas storm.

Season's Passing

Discarded holiday trees lie scattered about the streets of Reykjavik now that the Season is over. The last fireworks have exploded, Quentin T has gone home, Epiphany has passed, the Thirteen Icelandic Santas have gone one by one back up to their mountain cave, decorations have been taken down and a post-gluttonous sigh can be heard throughout the nation.

Every year it comes to this, and every year its just as sad to see all the bare and awkward Norman Pines flung carelessly out onto our sidewalks. The city collects them for dumping, but every year its as much of a mystery when the trucks will come. In the meantime, the once-glorious evergreens whip about in the winter winds, blocking walkways and roads and even menacing drivers.

While taking this picture a friend of mine who was walking past told me about how once a rogue discarded Christmas tree gale-swept off a sidewalk and smashed in to his car, causing much destruction. When he tried to have his insurance cover the damage they just laughed and shrugged their shoulders. Flying pine trees, it seems, were not part of his coverage package.