On May 18, Kris and I boarded two buses and a ferry to make our way to Viðey Island. Viðey has had a rich history of varying levels for many, many years.
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A giant rock near the ferry terminal
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| A beach near the ferry |
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The ferry to Viðey Island
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Imagine Peace Tower from a distance
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| Viðey House |
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In 1225, a monastery was founded by Þorvaldur Gissurarson. The monastery was raided by Danish soldiers in 1530, leading to its end as the Reformation was imposed on the Icelandic church. In 1755, Viðey House was built for Skúli Magnússon, to be his official residence. Skúli tried many horticultural experiments, planting potatoes, cabbage, and tobacco. Skúli, however, did not live only on Viðey - he founded the first industrial enterprise in Iceland (a woolen workshop), which Reykjavík began to be formed around. This led to his being known as the Father of Reykjavík. He passed away in 1794, at which time Ólafur Stephensen moved to Viðey with his family. The island remained in his family until the end of the 19th century.
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| A clothesline near Viðey House |
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| Playing on the playground equipment |
In 1901, Eggert Briem and Katrín Pétursdóttur started what was at the time a large farm, with a cattle shed housing 48 cows. They sold 400,000 litres of milk each year to the inhabitants of Reykjavík. In 1907, P. J. Thorsteinsson & Co. fishing company, with a share capital of one million krónur - leading it to be known as Milljónafélagið (the Million Corporation). A village soon developed around the company, at the eastern end of the island. At that time, Reykjavík was without a proper harbour, so Viðey Island had the best harbour facilities in the bay. In 1914, Milljónafélagið went out of business, but fish processing continued on the island. Even young children would help, by lying fish out to dry and rolling barrels of oil. In 1924 a company made Viðey its headquarters, and in 1930 the village reached its peak population, 138. The next year, the fishing company failed, and the village was uninhabited by 1943. Farming continued in the centre of the island until the 1950, after which the entire island was uninhabited. Viðey House and the church were passed to the National Museum of Iceland in 1968, and to the City of Reykjavík in 1986. Major renovations were completed in 1988.
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| This was the only concrete house in the village - and at three floors, often had the largest number of people living there |
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| The remnants of the village |
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| The stone foundation remaining from a 60 metre square house |
Two million years ago, Viðey was an active volcano. 12-13,000 years ago, when the glacial ice was melting, the island was under water. 2-3,000 years later, it rose from the sea once more. The Island is 1.6 km square, with two parts: Heimaey (Home Island) and Vesturey (West Island).
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| Kicking a ball to the top |
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| A memorial to honour HMCS Skeena |
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| If you look closely, there is a duck protecting her nest! |
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| An egg that a baby has hatched out of! |
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| In 2000, 1000 years after the Christian religion was adopted in Iceland, this statue of the Virgin Mary was erected. |
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In the Paradise Cave
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| Kris discovered another nesting duck! |
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| Reflection in a well |
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| Under the pier |
At three different spots along Vesturey, there are stones with writing carved into them. However, we missed all three!
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| Lots of feathers all over the place |
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| Vesturey |
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| A beach between Vesturey and Heimaey |
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| Kris near a basalt bench |
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| All three directions are labelled the same: Gönguleíð |
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| Some of the signposts were more clear! |
What we couldn't miss, however, were the nine pairs of Áfangar (Milestones). In 1990, a sculptor from the USA, Richard Serra, created this work of art for the Reykjavík Arts Festival. There are nine pairs of pillars of basalt columns set to "frame" certain landmarks. The two pillars are placed as such: a 4 metre pillar placed 9 metres above the sea, and a 3 metre pillar placed 10 metres above the sea - therefore, their tops are level.
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| The first of nine pairs |
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| Kris near the shorter pillar |
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| One of the pairs frames Esja, a mountain range |
Finally, what drew us to the island initially, the Imagine Peace Tower. This was created in 2007 by Yoko Ono, as a tribute to John Lennon. Every year from October 9th (Lennon's date of birth) to December 8th (his date of death) the tower is lit, sending a message of peace into the sky. Around the base of the tower, "Imagine Peace" is carved in 24 different languages. Inside the base (which appears as a wishing well) are 15 search lights reflected by prisms to send the column of light as high as 4000 metres. This requires 75 kW of power, which is one of the reasons Iceland was selected - its unique, eco-friendly geothermal energy. Underneath the tower are the wishes Yoko Ono gathered over years in her "Wish Trees" project - over 500,000 wishes.
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| Imagine Peace Tower |
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| Imagine Peace Tower |
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| Imagine Peace Tower from a nearby hill |
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| "Imagine Peace" in Filipino and Icelandic |
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| Dedication from Yoko Ono |
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