#reykjavik collection

[teenagedirtstache]

[fukkafyla3]

[dagmarisbored]

Geisladiskabúð Valda, Central Reykjavík

[queerliblib]

hello ! first of all thank you for all the lovely work you do ! second i was wondering if you had any recommendations for queer books set during the first world war. i’ve read in memoriam by alice winn (which i do recommend) and i would like to find more. thank you so much :]

hello! thank you so much <3 hmm we’ve got a few during that era or immediate aftermath

Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyle, Rue by Christine Higdon (follows four sisters in Vancouver dealing with the impact of the war)

The Absolutist by John Boyne (MC’s are in the war)

All of You, Every Single One by Beatrice Hitchman (spans 1910-1946 primarily in Vienna)

Moonstone by Sjón (not sure how much it deals with the war, but it is set in 1918 Reykjavik)

there’s also Out of the Blue by Josh Laydon which is about two WWI pilots and The Boy I Love by Marion Husband, but we haven’t got those in our collection at the moment.

[mistigrisunshine]

spuffy fic rec

figured all the time i spend scouring EF and ao3 might be useful to someone!

part 1 - part 2 - part 3

Scooby Crew, Where Are You? by Twinkles [9k]

In a not comics-compliant post-series universe where spuffy have been reunited and everyone else is drifting apart, chaos drops by for a visit. Or a nefarious scheme. I guess we'll find out XD

To Apprehend Air by Quinara [19k]

Two days after LMPTM, Spike's soul is stolen. But that's OK; they can get it back, right? Simple. How hard is it to hop dimensions, anyway? Or storm a castle…

Wild and Wonderful by solstice [23k]

Dawn is nine and three quarters. She is resilient, strange and sharp as a tack. She's a credit to her big sis. But she's just been kidnapped by one of the most notorious vamps of all time - Drusilla. Things look bad. Enter Spike, her very unlikely hero. Spike's relationship with Drusilla has been on the rocks since the Acathala debacle and the morsel in the crate is her double-edged gift to him: a chance to make things right, and a chance to be really bad. Kill the girl and make it hurt. But for some reason he. just. can't. Instead, he tosses the niblet into the trunk of his Desoto and hits the road, leaving his one hundred year relationship in tatters, and grinding his reputation into the dust. Buckle your seat belts nice and tight. We're in for a bumpy ride.

World Enough, and Time by toooldforthis [23k]

“You came back wrong,” he told her, all those years ago. He was right, but it took them a very long time to realise exactly what that meant. It meant a hundred more apocalypses, a thousand battles. It meant a journey, a prophecy, a war. They’d lose one other, and find their way back, and choose, again and again. And all the while, the earth was failing. There are a lot more people than you think who are here for the long haul – like, the really long haul. This is a story about two of them.

Once You Eliminate the Impossible by yellowb [30k]

Icelandic noir. Inspector Summers of the Reykjavik police force has finally got her big chance: she’s in charge of a murder case.

sometimes enough by taxicab12 [35k]

“Tell me everything,” Willow said, not sounding particularly like she’d been asleep. “Are his friends cool?” Buffy blinked. “Some of them. There was this one British guy—” “Ooh, accents, hot.” “—who wouldn’t stop staring at my boobs,” she finished. “Ew, men, gross.” “Spike,” Buffy said with a scoff. “What kind of name is that?” Or, Buffy falls in love and in love and in love. For some reason, life keeps happening anyway

ever waiting airports (full of the love that you deserve) by womanaction [41k]

Buffy catches up with Riley's helicopter, solving one problem and introducing a host of others. How is she supposed to rebuild their crumbling relationship in the face of an angry hellgod out for blood, an emotional teenage sister who spent millennia as a glowing ball of energy, and a weirdly helpful vampire? Season 5 rewrite from "Into the Woods" on.

GTFO by Girlytek [54k]

Spike doesn’t take the extra hundred bucks to be the decoy. Ethan doesn’t hang around to gloat. With the Initiative on their tail (just a little one), and Ethan needing a good being killed, Spike and Fyarl-Giles get out of town. There’s nothing like a road trip to put your demons in perspective.

Care by Sigyn [72k]

While under her Will Be Done spell, Willow just happened to say “I don’t care about anything,” and as a result, wanders blithely off as a vengeance demon. Spike and Buffy are left to protect a threatened Xander and a blind Giles while under the effect of a powerful love charm. But all is not happy in paradise – they’re still constantly fighting, and Angel is determined to end the spell they’re under. In a desperate attempt to collect the tattered remains of all their lives, ex-watcher Wesley Windham-Pryce is called in to try and play marriage counselor between the vampire and the slayer.

The Soul Lies Down by the_moonmoth [73k]

"As a child, I used to dream of a man in black and white, spinning in the desert like a dervish, sword flashing in the moonlight as he danced with death." Dawn travels back in time to save the vampire who saved her life. It's not purely out of sentiment, though -- the fate of the world is at stake (again) and somehow Spike is at the center of events. If only he can stay on the right side of Buffy. A sequel to Angearia's "Fin Amour".

Summer’s Lease by Iamblichus [86k]

Buffy thought it would be just another night of slaying lame-ass campus vampires, but one green demon, some unexpected help from Spike, and a spurt of fluorescent blood later, she finds that her world has acquired a novel complication.

Indigo Overture by Rikki_oko [119k]

Spike's just a drummer, content to live in lead singer Angel's shadow. But when a certain blonde strolls in on Angel's arm, will Spike be content to take the backseat forever? Loosely based on the eighties song, Jesse's Girl.

[sigyn-foxyposts]

Reykjavik, July 15th

After a 2 hour flight from Norway me and my mother made it to the capital of Iceland! We visited the famous church and rainbow path leading to it and even caught a glimpse of good old Leifr vibing outside!

After exploring the beautiful scenery of the city we went to go eat where I probably met Loki snooping at me and did a bit of shopping afterwards. I'm still hunting down the Prose and poetic Edda for my book collection, SOON I WILL FIND THEM! >:'D

[scumbagjaeger]

VACATION DESTINATIONS WITH THE SNK MEN

starring: Eren, Jean, Armin, Connie, Porco, Reiner, Levi, Zeke

rating: mostly sfw!

notes: Part 2 of my travel series! First of all, I don’t think any of the guys would ever turn down a trip with you to go anywhere!!! These are just some of the specific destinations that I think they’d love to take you to and what I think they’d like to do with you(: and these are places that I’ve been, unfortunately I haven’t been to any African or Asian countries but I didn’t want to stereotype anything about these places. Feel free to share your ideas!! What’s your dream vacation? What other travel scenarios would you like to see? Let me know, send me an ask!

Part 1

EREN:

- Okay it’s so cheesy but please stick with me okay

- The iconic “freedom” panel, with his arms outstretched? That’s him whenever you guys go to hike or explore a national park

- I don’t think he’d be one of those like intense backpackers by any means? The man still needs regular access to a shower

- But he loves as much of the untouched nature as he can get!

- So I think a roadtrip would really suit him! I think there’s something super intimate about road-tripping that you don’t get on other trips

- Imagine you fly to a place like Reykjavik (Iceland), rent a car and then explore the ring road together

- Volcanoes! Canyons! Glaciers! Waterfalls! What’s not to love, he loves the spontaneity of it, and there are times when he feels like you two are the only ones on earth :’)

- One or two nights in the city, they have a nice nightlife scene if you’re into it, otherwise just exploring cafes and cool areas around the bay

- Then you pick up the rental and hardly see anyone else again!! Lol it can be super isolated there

- The drive around can be super exciting though?? When I went we’d see a couple waterfalls every hour in some regions! He’d be impressed with each one :)

- On less-exciting legs of the trip you guys can have really open and vulnerable conversations too? Just about life and stuff

- Car sex car sex car sex

JEAN:

- I also think he would have a hard time with camping, no access to a shower or regular toilet stresses him out

- But I think he’d really love hikes and national parks? Just no camping trips (yet..)

- I think Hawaii would be a fun place he’d love to take you

- I’m thinking Oahu at least? That’s the most touristy of them all hahah. But I’d imagine that you go once and he begins to fall in love with the culture and nature

- And then he suggests you explode some of the other islands and see the more natural side of Hawaii!

- Maybe you guys book a hotel that has a balcony, and by halfway through the trip you’re out there with blankets sleeping in the moonlight

- You don’t get much sleeping done though 😉😉😉

- I think Jean needs a vacation where he can get back into nature and forget about work, and Hawaii is a great place for that

- Would probably love going to a Luau with you, a more authentic one that actually supports Hawaii natives yk?

- Is constantly putting flowers behind your ear bc the boy’s a ROMANTIC!!

- Loves markets and street fairs but is a bit gullible? He’ll come up to you with a bunch of baked goods and say “that vendor is so nice! His mom baked all of these treats fresh this morning and gave me a good deal on them!” And then you guys will walk past a different vendor with THE EXACT SAME BAKED GOODS and the same sign that says “baked by mom, fresh this morning!” and he’d be like “huh, maybe their moms are friends or something”

ARMIN:

- He’d take you to see the ocean (duh)

- But I think he would also love to take you to small towns in Europe??

- He might need some convincing to go to a place like NYC or Las Vegas

- Much prefers towns like Cambridge? So many free museums and archeological collections (I also love this town lol)

- Would be still open to going to a big city with you! I mean the amount of history in New York is insane!

- But the crowds would overwhelm him :(

- Maybe could handle a weekend there on the way to another destination?

- Or at least will need a lot of time to recoup in between the nightlife and other big tourist activities

- Honestly if you wanted to go to a big city he’d be open to go, and he’d let you explore the city while he finds a good book or explores at his own pace

- Not alone! Like imagine you went with a group of friends and Armin yk? He’d be too worried about something happening to you if you were out there!!

- Yeah Armin would probably be a touch paranoid about being kidnapped or pickpocketed

- Like you could be visiting your hometown and your sibling comes to pick you up and he’s like “are you sure that’s them???? Can they get out of the car so we know it’s them?? What if it’s a trafficker??? You know I saw this news report about…”

CONNIE:

- Okay so first I think he’d have fun with weekend camping trips? He might dabble with a longer backpacking trip, but I think his regular getaways would be camping trips with you and maybe a blunt or something 👀

- But as far as like traveling for a vacation, I think he’d actually be a lot of fun at Disney or Universal Studios

- He’ll make fun of the cringey and annoying Disney adults (the ones who would like push a kid in order to get ahead in line for a ride yk? Nothing wrong with liking Disney at any age!)

- But otherwise he’s super happy to see everyone (including the two of you) get to let loose and be kids again!

- I also feel like he’d have the best luck at finding the Disney character people?? Like you are always first in line to take pics

- He’d probably want to take pictures with the Disney characters but would always insist on doing some dumb pose? He’s just planking in front of you and Mickey lol

- He also likes Disney because he can make up the most outrageous backstories for you both when talking to cast members (he tells Peter Pan about how he rescued you from bandits, Woody that he is a toy, etc)

- Like at airports, children are drawn to him so he’s always making them laugh in lines too? Not in a weird way but he just sees them looking at him and he’ll start doing an impression (once the parents give him the lil nod of approval)

- He’ll talk to children like they’re adults about their favorite Disney things too?

- “I totally agree, Rebecca. Anna was just trying to do what’s best for her sister Elsa” (he’d just be great with kids all around)

- Would probably cry at the Avengers Campus??? Just super amazed by Spider-Man and the others

- Also I think he’d love the drinking around the world “challenge” at Epcot. You don’t want to get too drunk at a family theme park but he likes trying all the fun drinks and learning a bit about the cultures of different places!

PORCO:

- I think Italy or New York would be a lot of fun with Porco! Just any big city really

- Maybe Italy specifically just because of the weather? Idk when I think of them modern AU I end up thinking of Chicago because I’m from that area, so a hot area like Italy would be perfect

- The man tans like a god probably? Like five minutes in the sun and he has the perfect golden tan

- Also he’s being conscious about suncare and will put sunscreen on you! Buys two of the biggest goofiest tourist hats to shield your faces from the sun

- Probably has an interest in the fashion scene at least a little bit? Has one of those trench coat/duster jacket things when he’s in New York (secretly you think he’s doing a model-strut whenever you two are walking around lol)

- Likes to people watch in a cafe in Italy while discussing clothes you like

- Will buy you clothes after the trip and surprise you (can’t buy it during the trip bc of your suitcases!! But he jots down the things you like or will order it in store to be shipped back home)

- Also would love the food in Italy!! Insists on eating out like every single night because everything is just so good!

- But it’s also super rich so one day you both just lie in bed, too tired to get up. After that you guys take it easy

- Will judge you for wanting a simple slice of Sbarro pizza (“Really? We’re in NYC babe there’s literally every type of food imaginable? And you want Sbarro???”) but one night you wake up in the middle of the night you wake up and he’s curled over the sink with a Sbarro slice?? Hello??

- But he got you one too so it’s okay xoxo

- I think he’d like to get away in a city because the intensity and the energy of a city is the perfect pick me up when he’s feeling weighed down from work (plus the man’s a model he belongs in an Italian fashion show let’s be honest)

REINER:

- I feel like he’d love road trips and camping! For some reason I think he’d be nervous to fly across the world to Europe?? Down for a flight within the US though (I always imagine them to be American but that’s just my hc!)

- Places like Arizona or Utah, even Yellowstone would be perfect!

- He probably burns really easily, so y’all get the biggest floppiest sun hats and make your way through Bryce Canyon or the Grand Canyon!

- Gets all sweaty but pulls you close as you both admire the scene before you. “(Y/N), look at how beautiful it is!”

- Reiner is so hard on himself, and I think that’s still apparent as he pushes himself to rush through the trails

- You need to make him wait and pace himself before he hurts himself! Drink water you fool!

- But imagine after getting deep into Yellowstone, you find a beautifully tranquil scene and you FINALLY see Reiner’s shoulders start to droop

- He can finally let himself relax, surrounded by the beauty of the natural world (and you), and his problems literally melt away

- At Bryce Canyon they had a really nice presentation at one of the parks about light pollution

- If you guys saw something like that Reiner could be moved to tears

- When you drive back to your hotel at night, you both pull over to admire the stars

- They shine brighter than they ever have back home, where the city lights obscures them. Neither of you say anything, just staring up at them in awe and wonder. Reiner reaches out for your hand and squeezes it in his own(‘:

LEVI:

- I wanted to say that he’d like Japan (and he would!) because he’d love the peace of the temples and shrines

- But I think that’s too predictable!! Plus he’s Japanese so he’d probably already be taking you there occasionally to explore!

- I think that he’s actually get a lot out of a trip to London??

- He’d probably have a lot of fun exploring the churches? The art and the history and the tranquility

- I don’t think he’d be running to see any of the royal palaces or big tourist grabs like the London Eye or Big Ben, but St Paul’s Cathedral?? He’d love it there

- And he’d love the parks, they’re spacious and it’s a nice place to people watch

- London seems very private?? Idk I’m here now and everyone seems to mind their business hahah. Polite? I bet he’d really appreciate that

- I also think he’d secretly really enjoy football?? You won’t see him jumping for joy at pubs with any of the British men

- But if a team that he likes is in an intense game, he’s holding his fork in a first so tight it could break in half

- I don’t think Levi would ever be able to fully stop thinking about his work or get away from his regular responsibilities, but he’s really inspired by the British Museum and the British Library

- After you two explore those types of areas he might pull you towards on of the courtyards outside of those areas (they both have lovely green patches outside!) and alternate between writing (I’ve always imagined him as an editor or columnist of sorts… critic maybe?) and talking to you(:

- Also let’s be real, he goes for the tea

ZEKE:

- Honestly I think Amsterdam would be fitting for Zeke

- Amsterdam would be fun with Zeke because the whole city has a laid back vibe

- Zeke gives off a weird mix of constant ease but also stress? Maybe it’s the trauma? Who knows! But the man needs to relax

- And Amsterdam is super chill! There’s a lot of historical memorials and museums to keep you both occupied and the canals are beautiful

- Plus there’s marijuana everywhere omg

- Honestly he’d have a lot of fun in the red light district? Super polite and respectful about everything but the man’s a freak let’s be real (he’s leaving the red light district the SECOND you’re uncomfortable btw he’s super understanding)

- There are really cool markets all over? The flower markets are my favorite! A whole street full of flower bulbs and plants to buy!

- He’d probably suggest you buy some, and when you point out that they might not travel there he’d suggest you just move there together

- Idk maybe it’s the weed, but I think vacations with Zeke would just make him weak in the knees, falling in love with you all over again

- I feel like he’s pretty depressed/apathetic to the world (sorry king 💀), but seeing your eyes full of awe as you explore the large tulip fields makes his heart ache with love for you

- Big softy underneath the trauma xoxo

- Amsterdam would be packed with a large variety of experiences and Zeke would start the trip passively going along with whatever you want, but by the end he’d be dragging you around trying to see everything the world has to offer!

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Please leave an ask if you want to see any other specific scenarios! I’m working on one about college majors next so stay tuned!

[scotianostra]

30th May 1889 saw the birth near Kirkliston of Isobel Wylie Hutchison.

This is a great tale of a remarkable strong willed woman bucking the trends and behaviour expected of a lady back in the mud 20th century.

Isobel Wylie Hutchison was an Arctic traveller during the 1920s and 1930s. She was also a botanist, a writer, a poet, an artist and speaker of numerous languages, so a bit of a polymath.

Carlowrie Castle a Scots baronial mansion was the comfortable upper-middle class home into which Isobel Wylie Hutchison was born in 1889. It was there her father, Thomas Hutchison, a successful wine merchant in Edinburgh, looked after his gardens, and passed on to Isobel his fascination for plants and his habit of meticulous note-taking. Although called a castle, Carlowrie was built between 1852 and 1855, so was never a defensive structure, but a luxurious home.

Isobel’s father, Thomas Hutchison, was a successful wine merchant in Edinburgh, he was a keen gardener and passed on to Isobel his fascination for plants and his habit of meticulous note-taking.

From 1917-18, she studied at an agricultural college, after which, she visited a number of countries around the Mediterranean region. But the sudden death or her father was subsequently followed by the loss of both her brothers. Isobel was left in a darkened place with a deeply grieving heart. Walking became her escape.

At a time when women were expected to stay at home, dressed in petticoats and tending to domestic duties, Isobel would often leave home for several days – much to the despair of her mother!

A Gaelic speaker, she had soon covered Scotland, including a trek from Blairgowrie to Fort Augustus, and began to look at bigger challenges. She wanted to spread her wings and fly away, and Iceland seemed like a good place to start.

Iceland, which she visited in 1925, was both a test and a revelation. She was told that she couldn’t walk the 260 miles north from Reykjavik to Akureyri because there were no maps, no guides, and it was far too dangerous. But she proved everyone wrong and then set her sights on another goal: Greenland.

By now, Isobel was making a name as a traveller in the Far North. She had written books about her experiences in both Iceland and Greenland. However, she hadn’t quite finished her Arctic adventures! She made arrangements to travel to Alaska and Northern Canada to explore and again, collect plant specimens. In May 1933, Isobel left Manchester and went by ship, riverboat, train and also plane, to reach Nome in Alaska.

Eventually, she arrived in Barrow, in the north of Alaska, where she transferred to another small vessel before the Arctic Ocean ice began closing in, making it impossible to travel any further. Isobel was forced to stay in a migrant Estonian’s hut for many weeks until the weather situation improved. Although her journey had come to a halt, it was an opportunity for her to visit local Inuit families, walk, travel by dog sled and stay in igloos. Eventually, she continued her Arctic trip with a 120-mile dog sled journey and crossed over into Canada. After many months in the Alaskan and Canadian Arctic she eventually returned to Scotland, having been away for around a year.

Unable to obtain permission from the Soviet authorities to visit Eastern Siberia, Isobel’s next northern journey was in 1936, to the Aleutian Islands, off the coast of Alaska. This thousand-mile long archipelago of both large and small volcanic islands draped like a gigantic necklace between Alaska and the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far east of the USSR. These islands were inhabited by Aleut people on treeless terrain and were exposed to continuous windy, foggy and stormy weather.

The Aleut people of the islands were able to live in such extreme conditions because they managed to catch a range of marine life. Fortunately, she was able to visit many of the inhabited islands by way of US government vessels. Invariably, landing on the islands involved negotiating heavy seas in wild conditions. However, when she did make land, she met with the local inhabitants, generally explored and was able to collect her plants.

The onset of World War Two curtailed any plans for further journeys into the Arctic. After the war, she completed a number of long treks, including walking from her home in Scotland to London, from Innsbruck to Venice, and from Edinburgh to John O’Groats. Isobel Wylie Hutchison passed-away at her home in Carlowrie Castle in 1982, aged 92.

The Arctic journeys of Isobel Wylie Hutchison were extraordinarily daring during a time when such trips were unheard of for a single woman. She developed a real passion for the North as she explored various regions of the Arctic world. Isobel was a true adventure traveller, enjoying the uncertainty of her journey, taking calculated risks, but being utterly intrigued by all she saw in the Far North.

[redheadgleek]

My fiber and yarn trip to Iceland:

- Handspinning Association of Iceland in Reykjavik, where I bought a crocheted basket and a knitted scarf and cool buttons!

- Ullarselid Wool Centre, where I bought a couple of skeins of Icelandic thel wool hand-spun by 82 year old Rita.

- Thingborg, who have an amazing collection of different Icelandic yarns and soft pelts and fleece.

- Uppspuni Mill, where I bought 200 grams of thel roving for my sister who spins.

[mybeingthere]

Fashion designer Ása Bríet Brattaberg, born in 1996, half Icelandic, half Faroese.

"I graduated as a dressmaker from the technical college of Reykjavik in 2016 going straight to the Reykjavík school of visual arts, for my foundation diploma course in textiles, deepening my knowledge in my chosen profession.

I graduated from BA womenswear from Central Saint Martins in 2023.

I am currently doing my masters in fashion design with knitwear at Institut Français de la mode."

"Haute couture fascinates me, with its strict rules and rich history. the deep respect for the garments and how they are simply seen as high art. to me clothes are items of art, clothes can perform, can be a performance and it is simply up to us how we choose to stage that performance each day in our own lives."

Ása Bríet Brattaberg says:

"I am very honoured for receiving the 2023 YourNOVA ‘People’s Choice’ Award for my BA graduate collection from Central Saint Martins 'Tales Told in Tangles'

Thank you all for your support."

ÁÁsa Bríet Bratta

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2003 - Number 17 - Eivør Pálsdóttir - "Í nótt"

If you want to know what's going to win my national final of the year, I'll spoil it now. Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2003 is seriously strong. Like Malta in 2002, Iceland and RÚV decided to just go for it in a big way. There's one act in the competition who hasn't made my top 48, who I think would have made the top 20 if she hadn't come up against two other Icelandic entries earlier in the bracket...

One of those who has made it through is Eivør Pálsdóttir. In the grand tradition of Icelandic female singers (including Björk) she was already the lead singer in a band at the age of 15. In Eivør's case, she was the singer of Clickhaze. In 2002 she was recruited to be the singer in Yggdrasil, a Faroese art-collective/folk super-group (Eivør is Faroese). 2002 also saw her move to Reykjavik to study music. When RÚV came calling, how she could refuse the opportunity to sing at Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins?

Í nótt (Tonight) is Icelandic bossa nova done just right. Far from the Nordic folk music, this is slow, chill and the whammy bar on the guitar is getting a good twanging throughout. Eivør seduces us with the most relaxed way possible. Her voices glides alongside the guitar in a haze of promises. The mood is languid.

Isn't this just absolutely everything you could want from a national final song? And it's only 18th in my list - craziness.

Unfortunately unlike nearly every other Eivør song, I can't find the lyrics - and that's despite this very song winning several song-writing prizes throughout 2003 and 2004. Given the praise this song has earned, it's only write to credit Fridrik Erlingsson and Ingvi Þór Kormáksson the song-writers. Ingvi has also written four other Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins entries, but this was his first.

Eivør has gone on to have huge success in a variety of musical genres. As well as winning Faroese of the year in 2004, she has a grand total of 18 albums, huge numbers of performances and concerts across Europe and perhaps best know outside her devoted following as the singer and co-composer of the Gods of War soundtrack. Many of her songs on YouTube have more than a million views, and her Faroese throat singing is a viral hit with voice coaches and reaction channels . Her Icelandic language cover of Den Vilda also made the Icelandic Chart

Eurovision missed out on this voice. Here's something from a live performance at the Town Hall in Torshavn - Falling Free.

[saratravel]

So let's talk about yesterday. It's a loooong story so sit tight.

The day before as I was resting up from finishing up Vilnius sightseeing, I started looking ahead to the next days. I was to pick up a car at 8 but my hotel breakfast started at 8 and I wasn't going to pass up a free meal so I accepted that I'll get to the car around 9.

Pick up car (was going to take public transit but decided it was easier to grab a Bolt), hit up an ATM, go see castles on the way to Kaunas, see an art collection/sightsee in Kaunas to kill time until 3pm check in. Since it's a Sunday, the place I'm renting from isn't in office, but I am told everything is set up for me. This was the part that was worrying me, plus figuring out what to do with me car. There's street parking, I'm told, but the American in me is iffy about public street parking.

I fret. I fret a lot. I sleep only two hours. But there's no way out than through it, so I start my day with my breakfast and head on out. At 8, I paid the remainder of my hotel charge with my card and pay for my Bolt to the car rental.

At the car rental, I pull out my card to pay. No big deal, I've used it twice before. The guy behind the counter looks at the receipt printed in Lithuanian:

"It says the payment is over the limit?"

I freeze "....what? I have not been told about a limit."

We try again, same thing. My phone starts buzzing, informing me of the blocked charges. Usually, either by text or email, I'm able to respond somehow to say no there are valid and try again. There is no such option this time.

The cashier suggests trying to break the sum in two. The first one goes through- great! The second is blocked "the payment is over limit." So we're thinking there may be a daily limit. A daily limit I have never been informed of.

"And it's the middle of the night in the US..." says the cashier.

"I was given a 24hr number, let me go yell at someone."

I call. Robo-call answer, please give your card number to look up.... Sorry, I can't find it, let me connect you to a representative.

I wait 5 minutes. A tired call center representative picks up. "Can you give me your number...." As robotic as the robo-call machine, he says every 30 seconds, "Please wait one moment....."

Until 5 minutes later, finally, "our systems have not been working. I can try to look up your account via social security number as well...."

I explain my situation. I'm in Europe, I'm trying to rent a car.... "I would be happy to help you, but our system is down. Please call again in 1-2 hours after we have re-set the system."

"But I'm stuck here."

"I would be happy to help you, but-"

I begrudgingly thank him and hang up. I ask the cashier if it's possible to pay for the other half with a card number. It's a little embarrassing calling up Mommy to help when you're a 30 year old woman, but I know she would be happy to do all she can. But, it's about 2am where my family is, and midnight where my husband is. No one answers their phones. At a loss, I contact my friend in Norway, where it is about 8 am, to at least have someone to talk through the situation.

At this point, the worst that would really happen is I sit in a car rental waiting area until the Visa servers work. I have about 10 euros cash on me, plenty for meals here. I had eaten a big breakfast, so I wasn't hungry anyway and still had a few back-up snacks. It's a safe area, and I'm right by the airport, so I could probably find a physical exchange booth for the rest of my US cash. It is an inconvenience, but nothing is risking personal harm. I remind myself of this as I continue to problem solve.

Then, my Norwegian friend sends a life raft. He offers to front the other half. I nearly begin to cry. We have been close friends for a decade and both of us have treated the other to airfare (I had gathered money from our friend group to come visit us in America in 2015 and he and another in that group surprised me with tickets to Reykjavik in 2018). I wish I could fully put into words how much I cherish him as a friend. He demands 400 hugs as payment when we meet in Helsinki. I think I can do that (and also pay him back the money, of course).

Once the car is paid, they hand me a key and. I am on my way. It's castle day, so let's drive to the castles and call my bank again. It also happens to be Father's Day in Lithuania so the castle and outer lake area is packed. I find street parking and sacrifice 2,50 euros for an hour of parking. I use some of the time to call Visa back, as it had been about two hours since the first call. The woman who answers explains again that the servers are down but they are definately working on it. Cards have been declined and no one can access accounts, I'm so sorry for the inconvenience.

I explain my situation again.

"Oh, that is not good."

"No.... no, it's not."

"Please call back in 1-2 hours."

".....Okay, thank you."

I get out of my car and start walking to the castle. The original plan was to go inside, maybe take a tour. There are two castles in the area- one on an island and one in a peninsula. I go to the island one and try to clear my mind to enjoy the view. There are boat rentals, souvenir shops, and some interesting peddlers selling knick-knacks such as wooden bird call whistles. It's much easier to walk past when you have no money, though, so I press forward.

Along with the father's day crowd, it's also just very crowded with tourist groups. I take some pictures of the outside and inside (before the ticket booth) and give a quick walk around the outside. Then, I have an idea. A bit of a crazy one, but it may just work.

My itinerary was to do castles and Kaunas sightseeing. The next day was the big driving trip to The Hill of Crosses, roughly 2hr from Kaunas and 2hr to my next accommodations in Kleipeda. It's way out there, but this is one sight I really did not want to miss. Since the car is paid for and has a full tank of gas, and the Hill of Crosses is free to see, I would likely not need to use my card for hours. It's a 2.5 hour drive from where I was.... that should give Visa plenty of time to sort their shit out.

And this is the nice thing about solo travel. I don't need to confirm this plan with anyone else. I don't need to worry about another person's needs. Don't need to do restroom stops or food runs for anyone but me. And I grew up running up and down I35 in Texas for hours, so I'm more than ready for a spontaneous trip. I can assess myself, balance my resources, and do what I need to do for no one else but me. I hop back in my car and set off....

That's all for this post, it all resolved in the end and I have cash and can use my card again! But I need to start my day so I'll post more about the drive and The Hill of Crosses later.

[jargonautical]

Somewhere To Be / A chapter at a time

The Smith

IT’S STANDING ROOM only at today’s guest lecture, hinting at either a popular topic or compulsory attendance. Possibly both. The Archchancellor himself is at the lectern, and beside him is a blonde giant of a man Mainder hasn’t seen in a very long time. According to the schedule this is one Dr Tor Sónnarson, expert in prehistoric metalworking and jewellery making techniques, flown down from Reykjavik after the discovery of the second brooch. Sónnarson isn’t the name Mainder knows him by, but this isn’t the time - nor the venue, and most definitely not the company - to remind him of that.

He quickly spots Mainder taking up a relaxed slouch against the wall at the back, nursing a cup of scalding hotel coffee, and a grin lights up his face. Fortunately this coincides perfectly with the tail end of the Archchancellor’s introduction. 

“… and I’m delighted to introduce our guest Doctor Sónnarson. I’m sure you’ll all join me in giving him a warm welcome.”

So saying he pointedly raises his hands and leads the applause while Sónnarson lumbers to his feet.

“That is indeed a warm welcome.” His English is impeccable, precise if faintly accented. “I am not a man given to long speeches, so I will simply say that I am very excited to join you all on this project, and I look forward to talking to you all individually in due course.”

He beams at the room in general and takes the lectern to more applause, possibly for the sentiment of his speech but equally likely for its commendable brevity.

“I understand you have been wondering why you are finding so many of this style of brooch. If we include the splendid specimen from the Vernon collection which is claimed to be the brooch of the famous ‘moon princess’ of local folklore, that would make three. A treasure trove!”

There’s a ripple of uncertain laughter; after all, you’re not supposed to laugh at the speaker unless you can be absolutely certain they’re intentionally cracking a joke. Maybe he only meant to be enthusiastic?

“Ah, you are allowed to laugh.” he advises with a knowing nod. “I mean to be sarcastic, and now I will tell you why.”

Relieved smiles at this - damn him, for all his diffidence the smith always did know how to have the punters eating out of his hand. It doesn’t hurt that he’s put together like the gods saved all the best bits for last, tall and broad-shouldered with pale blond hair sweeping back off his forehead like some Icelandic hero from the sagas. Girls used to practically fall at his feet.

Maybe they still do, a horrible thought in the present context. Evie is down there at the end of the second row, leaning like him against the wall and turned back to scan the crowd. Looking for someone? Himself, possibly - a brief warming of her expression lets him know she sees him, but then she’s all solemn attention as the lecture begins in earnest.

The first slide is a simple drawing, a diagram really, of a typical fibula-style brooch. “Of course this style is very common,” he’s saying, “very common for the period - think of it as being the equivalent of coat buttons for our era. This is how we hold our clothes together, nothing more, and if one day archaeologists dig up Saville Row I am sure they will be very excited by the ritual significance of the tailor’s shop and the many buttons sacrificed there to the minor deities of Finance!”

He twinkles with delight at his foolish joke, twinkles directly at Evie as it happens, and expands his chest pridefully when she grins back. Mainder will have to give him a warning. She’s off limits, he’ll have to tell him, because …

Because why? She doesn’t belong to him. She’s an adult, by mudside standards anyway. She can do as she pleases. He’ll warn him off anyway. If it would be inappropriate for Mainder to pursue her, the same goes for him. There are rules, aren’t there, about relationships in the workplace? That ought to cover it.

“You are very lucky indeed to have discovered so many such beautiful examples.”

His slides advance to show the two recent finds. The contrast between the magnificent red, amber and gold piece against the mud-coloured and pitted bronze is shocking now they’re side by side. Garnets versus pebbles, silver flames versus empty channels.

“I hope to examine them more closely later, but from what I see here I can tell you that you are looking at, how should I put it, a Versace next to a Walmart.” 

Blank looks greet him. 

“You do not have Versace here?”

“We don’t have Walmart. Primark, maybe?” Evie volunteers, and he bows slightly in gratitude for the clarification.

“I see. What you would have then, is your cheapest clothing store of reasonable quality. Where you may buy something that is similar to whatever Versace was showing on the catwalk five years ago, but of course in much cheaper materials and a much poorer fit.”

Confused faces clear, smiles of understanding dawn, and he smiles happily at Evie again.

“There, we have an analogy - thank you, miss. This is the same thing. A fine lord may command a beautiful bespoke piece in the colours of his choosing, using the most expensive materials he can afford. He wears it, the lower levels of the feudal nobility observe, and a fashion is born. They ask their craftsmen to make them something similar.”

The slide advances again, showing just the bronze and agate version now. 

“And so this is the next step. Lords and ladies bring the fashion home and any skilled metalworker may observe the design, how cleverly it fits its purpose - for holding the cloak together, you see? Perfectly designed.”

To make his point he advances to the next slide where a sallow young man stares awkwardly just off-camera as if trying not to laugh. He’s wearing a swathe of bright red fabric over his T-shirt and jeans, with a replica of a simple one-piece brooch in thick bronze wire gathering the material at one shoulder and holding it in place. Behind him the outlines of ugly concrete buildings and a patch of tragically uncared-for lawn suggest the photo was captured in haste at Sónnarson’s home institution, with an unlucky student co-opted as the model. His next words confirm it.

“My thanks to my lovely assistant Klaus for modelling for this picture.” Sónnarson intones with another twinkle. “And also my apologies to him for having him wear red, which is most definitely not his colour.”

This raises a roar of laughter at poor Klaus’s expense, but presumably it’s okay since he’s not here to endure it. Sónnarson flicks back to the previous slide.

“And so these clever metalworkers make many more now in the most basic materials. For bronze, there will be scraps remaining from making larger pieces - weapons, torcs, drinking vessels. Agate and quartz may easily be found in the riverbed if you are prepared to sift the gravel for them. What we would call, an easy profit.”

He beams at his clever analogy, regarding his audience’s obvious approval with pride. 

“I will be happy to say more about the specific techniques after I have seen them more closely, perhaps a little talk at the end of the week?”

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE HOTEL’S RESTAURANT is a safely anonymous venue, with the busy clatter of cutlery against plates and other diners’ conversations to mask what these two have to say to each other. In any case who would question the two experts, the local historian and the distinguished specialist, sitting down over lunch to compare theories?

Mainder isn’t astonished to see the smith occupying this new role. His wily friend has apparently been hiding in plain sight for the last few decades, literally writing the book on early Romano-British metalworking techniques. Which makes perfect sense once you know that he personally invented most of them.

“So you haven’t seen the brooches in person yet? I was pretty sure the jewelled one is one of yours.”

“It may be.” Smidur rumbles. “I think it was a young miskin with a commission for his master. Such a long time ago! If this is the same then I recall he said, ‘as fine as you please, and you may be sure he will pay well if he’s satisfied’. So I did, and so he did, and I heard no more.”

The waitress bustles up at that moment to deliver the list of today’s specials followed by the other, slightly longer, list of things they’ve run out of. Smidur listens attentively, leaning forward and giving her a look of deep approval until she starts to blush and fidget, before solemnly announcing that he believes he’ll try the salmon. Mainder settles for the same and she disappears off to the kitchen to place their order.

“And when were you going to tell me you’d come into town?”

“Right after this, I promise you.” Smidur barks a laugh, throwing his head back and making nearby patrons turn to stare briefly. “I knew you would not be far away. This is still your place, yes?”

Mainder meets the jibe with a gleam of challenge in his eye. “Yes. This is still my place.”

He endured some teasing from them all back in the day for being here so often, for taking an interest in the folk that lived here, but he never regretted the time spent. It needed done, he would argue. If you break a system (and that’s what destroying the Vernons effectively was, bringing all their feudal plans, however benign, to dust) then you have to be ready to make good any damage down the line. The Queen would have her way, but she wouldn’t see innocent folk suffer either - and as long as she approved, he was in the clear. He could never seem to make them appreciate that crucial point. Or perhaps they did, and they simply didn’t place the same weight on it that he did.

Anyway Smidur has already shifted to his next thought. 

“The girl at the side, the clever one, what are your thoughts? I think I saw her looking for you in the lecture.”

Trust him to notice. 

“That depends on what you mean by ‘thoughts’.” Mainder deflects.

“Perhaps I should say, intentions. Is she yours?”

“Not exactly.”

Mainder isn’t ready to be having this conversation, not until he’s resolved the same question in his own mind. But that cautious non-answer isn’t what Smidur is digging for, and they both know it.

“‘Not exactly’, what is that? It is a yes-or-no question, my friend. Do you lay claim?”

The formal language, the old language, gives Mainder pause. Technically he could, since he saw her first; and if he did then Smidur would have to back off gracefully and without question.

It’s not that simple though. Living among the people here for so long has changed him, changed how he sees them. They’re not animals to be branded. Anyway even if he laid claim with all formality, would it make a difference to her? What if his handsome friend suits her taste better?

He can’t explain, and chooses to ignore, the twist in his gut at that idea.

“She’s just a child. Between you and me I’m not sure she even likes me.”

Smidur leans back and ostentatiously makes a show of looking right and left at the people around them.

“My friend, from where we stand they are all children. It seems to me that you have been here too long.”

Mainder shifts uncomfortably under the truth of that statement. Both of those statements.

“If you say so.” he responds at last. “Take my advice and watch your step around her.”

And I’ll be watching your step for you, just in case, he mentally adds.

[ex-frat-man]

The Icelandic National Handball Team

The Icelandic Phallological Museum in Reykjavik features a varied collection of penises and penis-related objects. One recent addition to the collection: is this sculpture, The Icelandic National Handball Team. 

As the sculptor Sarah Lyall explains, the silver artwork, inspired by Iceland’s dramatic run to the silver medal in the 2008 Olympic handball competition, does not feature the actual penises of the Icelandic handball team. “We didn’t have a session after the game, if that’s what you mean,” explained goalkeeper Hreidar Levy Gudmundsson. “I think it’s a little bit weird, to be honest.”

[dustedmagazine]

Sandwell District — Where Next? (The Point of Departure Recording Co.)

It should have been a question. The transcontinental collective known as Sandwell District had been defunct and assumed shuttered for years, its fax machine disconnected, its Situationist International Tumblr since overtaken, when the sudden, unexpected announcement in early 2023 of a reissue effort for 2010’s celebrated Feed-Forward revived interest among the techno faithful. Its key members had been operating independently for long enough that the prospect of a return was sufficiently dim, yet here was proof of life — that the mark of anonymous, forward-thinking dance music from these corners hadn’t yet been buried. Half a year on from the reissue, another curious missive in the form of a compilation and the announcement of a Primavera Sound gig. Something was afoot. “Where next?” should’ve been appended directly with “Why now?”

Instead, it’s an elegy.

Juan Mendez (aka Silent Servant) died alongside fellow Los Angeles artist Luis Vasquez (The Soft Moon) and Mendez’s partner Simone Ling January 18th at the age of 46. Every review of Where Next? you read will address this, so it’s not necessary to belabor its circumstances or the outpouring of grief in its wake, but suffice to say that Mendez was beloved in L.A. and beyond for his work both as a producer — which he was still a master of, as his (ill-)fittingly titled In Memoriam EP out in November on Tresor confirms — and, crucially to Sandwell, its visual language. One of the key components of Sandwell District was its resolute anonymity; for years, if you were buying music off these guys, it was white label 12s with no identification save a stamp of the name and a fax number. Mendez was the one who gave the group that Situationist-inspired aesthetic, lent depth and a difficult but still discernible additional dimension that otherwise may not have been there. In retrospect, it feels like no accident that the zine, the music and the “moment” all collided at the same time; four protagonists with years of experience behind them peaking in simpatico is an exceedingly rare thing in the dance world, and to have it happen as it did was both carefully orchestrated and worth all the praise. Dusted was no exception.

Without Mendez, Sandwell District’s revival now feels precarious, uncomfortable, indeterminate. The remaining core members — Karl O’Connor (aka Regis), Dave Sumner (Function) and Peter Sutton (Female) — must return to and reassess the question of this very compilation, whose existence initially struck me as a cynical money grab but, more charitably and with more consideration, could also have been intended as a siren for something new en route, a way of reminding those who were there and a slap in the face to those who weren’t that this group wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill Tuesday night Berghain residents, this was something else.

And what was that? Take a listen: From 2002 to 2012, a dozen tracks assembled for this comp mine Sandwell District (the label) for a retrospective that graphically displays the production talent at work while still leaving something on the table. The credits here all say “Sandwell District &,” but it’s superfluous; regardless of liner notes, however, the music holds up and you know what you’re getting right from the off with Function’s “Reykjavik,” originally from 2007’s “Isolation” 12”. A wobbling, heavy low end and the lightest touch of hi-hat establish the pulse, with a twinkling alien transmission straight from a 1950s sci-fi movie offering counterweight. It’s the crashing handclap and subsequent, seemingly endless decay at 30 seconds that really wakes you up, though — like the uneasy ambiance, a familiar trope of the group’s oeuvre but one forever deployed with the deftest of touches.

“Reykjavik” is one of the two earliest songs from this compilation; the other, CH-Signal Laboratories (8003 Lucerne)’s “Hypnotica Scale (Original Mix),” preceded it in ‘07 and was originally titled simply as “Scale 1 (Original Mix).” It’s a rolling IDM number that feels more primitive, less cognizant than the productions that would follow in its use of space in your headphones. It’s also arguably the thinnest track here from one of the few names in Sandwell’s history that was never fully declassified but to my ears sounds like Sumner’s work.

As the most prominent faces of the collective (Mendez was reticent and Sutton all but invisible at the group’s peak), O’Connor and Sumner often seemed to be the ones with the heaviest hands in final output, too — consider Sumner did the final Fabric mixdown, for instance. The balance gets partly redressed here: O’Connor gets credit for two songs and two edits; Sumner gets five songs (six if you count CH-Signal); Mendez gets four; and Sutton gets a song and a remix under the Kalon alias, which he shared alongside Karl Meier, a fellow member of O’Connor’s Birmingham-based Downwards posse. It works to great effect; if you hadn’t known this was a compilation spanning half a decade and not a cohesive album from a single set of sessions, nothing gives it away. Both sequencing and pace are thoughtfully examined as the album obliterates your speakers at the proper volume and eventually rolls into the station after some 70 minutes with the only song that really lets you up for air, “Inter.”

Still, questions remain. Timing aside, foremost among them is why this comp starts with tracks from 2007 and not 2002; that’s scything half of the label’s existence out of the picture, and it’s not like “Untergang” or “Cally 2” are much the worse for wear at this remove. More pointedly, why are any singles missing at all? A double or triple LP either mixed to its constituents’ satisfaction or arranged chronologically would’ve been equally potent.

Another question: Wherefore art thou, Rrose? Like Meier, Yves de May and Bob Ostertag, Seth Horvitz existed on the outskirts of the District, only entering the frame in Feed-Forward’s wake — but it feels grossly unjust to neglect Rrose’s contributions in particular as the label wound down and its members moved on. What I said at the time of “Merchant of Salt” stands: Sandwell’s methods were perhaps best executed by an outsider who subsequently struck out into more experimental lands, extending the spirit of the collective’s reach beyond the vision of its original members; in a way, Rrose alone best answered the question posed by this compilation, which only makes their absence more conspicuous.

As with everything else swirling about Sandwell District, explanations will trickle out as glyphs or remain scant, incomplete, perhaps even contradictory. Maybe we won’t know for weeks or months; maybe we will never know. This is all part and parcel of the operation, which remains fun for the sake of intrigue but as listeners can only really leave us to trust our ears and hearts. Scrape away the calcified grayscale complexion, then, and you have what lies beyond the questions — you have the real answer, the one that matters most. Did I say elegy? Sorry, I meant panegyric. Long may it be heard.

Patrick Masterson

[the-lo-renzo]

Mon actualité 2023-2024

2024

Lauréat du fond de soutien ADAGP-GOOGLE (2023-2024) Consulter le lien https://www.adagp.fr/fr/soutien-la-creation-artistique/aides-directes-aux-artistes/les-bourses/dotation-portrait-video Réalisation https://www.arte-studio.fr/

Résidence SIM résidence - Reykjavik ; Islande (mai 2024) Consulter le lien https://www.sim-residency.info/SIM-Projects/i-found-my-island---bolide-z

+ Publication revue OUSTE n°32 - Féroce Marquise - Périgueux (mars 2024) Consulter le lien https://ferocemarquise.org/ouste-n32-conspiration-2024/

Exposition collective Lavitrine - Limoges (décembre 2023 - janvier 2024) Consulter le lien https://lavitrine-lacs.org/

2023

Publication revue OUSTE n°31 - Féroce Marquise - Périgueux (mars 2023) Consulter le lien https://ferocemarquise.org/ouste-n31-conspiration-2023/

Participation aux ''Chateaux en fête'' - le jardin d'hélys-oeuvre ; Conseil Départemental Dordogne-périgord (avril 2023) consulter le lien  https://www.chateauxenfete.com/jardin-d-helys-oeuvre

Participation aux "Rendez-vous aux Jardins" - le jardin d'hélys-oeuvre ; Ministère de la Culture (juin 2023) Consulter le lien https://rendezvousauxjardins.culture.gouv.fr/

Résidence SIM résidence - Reykjavik ; Islande (juin - juillet 2023) Consulter le lien  https://www.sim-residency.info/SIM-Projects/i-found-my-island---bolide-z

Exposition personnelle SIM gallery - Reykjavik ; Islande (juillet 2023) Consulter le lien  https://www.sim.is/event-details/sim-gallery-lo-renzo-i-found-my-island-bolide-z Dans la presse  https://www.mbl.is/mogginn/bladid/innskraning/?redirect=%2Fmogginn%2Fbladid%2Fgrein%2F1839581%2F%3Ft%3D691711928&page_name=grein&grein_id=1839581&fbclid=IwAR190NPfVVzXzLypkbMYWEsLD34HEe4dOR8xUYvim1rCoonQI2FiDm5KVWA Explorer l'exposition https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=kCpqZfj73Ew&sr=-3.1%2C.08&ss=15&fbclid=IwAR2F6nrkpafX408PUGoMFOwvGDg6ouIk9BHibZKELn1wDD3EK7hmMQqWCKU

Participation aux "Journées Européennes du Matri-Patrimoine" le jardin d'hélys-oeuvre ; Ministère de la Culture (septembre 2023) Consulter le lien https://journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr//

Exposition collective Arcol'art - Castelferrus (octobre 2023) Dans le presse  https://www.ladepeche.fr/2023/10/20/une-exposition-dart-contemporain-au-chateau-11531572.php