Last day in Iceland after a very productive week. There’s little to show you from today, it was a total washout. Too warm, too wet and too dreary to do much photography. Instead, just driving around and seeing what’s out there. I did make one image I thought might be worth showing. It’s from a small waterfall just 10 minutes from our inn, and not very powerful but very beautiful. It’s not done yet, same as all my blog photos, these are quick takes.
Tomorrow morning the plan is to get up and leave for The Blue Lagoon where a hot mineral bath is in order, a great lunch and then IcelandAir takes us home. It will be good to get back, so much to do when I return.
I miss my sweetheart, my daughter and I have a lot of work to do come Monday. But before I sign off I have to tell you one more story.
It’s a story of the Northern Lights.
The Widow’s Vision
One evening, the wife of a fisherman bode her husband goodbye as he began his 3 month journey into the sea to come back with a hull filled with whale. This time in particular, she didn’t want her husband to go, for fear he would perish in the wintery brine. She begged; “Don’t go, don’t go for I fear you will never come back!” He said “I have to go or we’ll have nothing to get through the harsh winter and my ship is packed and ready, crew waiting. But to to assure you I am safe, every few weeks I will light the bow light with an extra candle and where ever I am you will see it.” Immediately she felt better and made him promise.
Exactly 2 weeks later, she looked out into the sea, at the same time and saw a dim, flickering light in the distance. She felt better and went home to sleep. Exactly 2 weeks later, she went out again to look for the light, there it was, dimmer than before but still flickering on the horizon. Exactly 2 weeks later, on the 6th week, she left to see the one sight to put her mind at ease and there it was. Every two weeks she watched until she was satisfied she had seen the light. On the night of the 12th week, she went to see the light, the last light before he came home… but no light flickered in the distance as she stares into the vast sea, she cried and sunk quickly into a deep depression.
After several hours, she sees a smal flicker, then a brighter illumination. Then the sky fills with colored lights streaming across the horizon. She sits and watches for hours as the light told the story of their lives together, the shape of their 1st horse, the mug used for ale at their wedding and the fan she used to cover her bed on the warm summer days.
After 3 hours past, she knew he’d never return for she saw everything about their lives in the lights above. Until the last thing she saw was a mighty whale pulling the triple masted vessel into the frothy waves. As soon as she realized what she had witnessed, she realized he was gone but the one final image in the sky, red as fire – 2 hearts linked together and forever one.
A deep calm came over her and she went to the sea one more time and stared at the empty space for quite some time before she…. jumped in to forever be with the man she loved.
We didn’t see Aurora Borealis this trip to everyone’s disappointment but we will be back next year and try again. For until we do, the Iceland adventure is not over and I too will come back every year until I can witness the dancing illuminations for myself.
Goodbye Iceland, have a warm, loving spring and summer with no eruptions or earthquakes from now and forever. See you next year.
