In my earlier series, you have read a lot about Iceland. As you know now that Iceland was named incorrectly by earlier Vikings. They came and saw the Greenland island full of glaciers and ice and no vegetation, and would have given the name “Iceland” to it… then they passed by Iceland and saw the beautiful waterfalls, lush and green valleys, smoking marshes and might have given it the name “GreenLand”…and then perhaps the over-doses of Vodka worked its way down the stomach, then the liver and finally the brain and they forgot which name was for which island. Hence Greenland name was given to a country with glaciers and ice only… and Iceland name was given to the country which was actually “Green”.
Now that mistake can not be rectified and the country Iceland is feared for being a boring country with Ice and glaciers only, which is partially true… specially in winters.
The hot summers (+15 Deg C) had gone and slowly the winters were setting in. I was waiting anxiously for the goddess of snow to decorate Iceland, like a new bride. The Sun was becoming paler and had lesser shining times, coming out leisurely and running away hurriedly.
Now let us see the beauty of those places of Iceland, about which I have already explained in my earlier posts…. a different view of Iceland in winters.
and finally the winters came, this year too early in end November…. and beautified the dry shrubs, leaves-less trees and pale grass, giving another meaning to their existence.
the way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
(Robert Frost)
बर्फीली… सरदियों में
किसी भी पहाड़ पर..
वादी में गूंजती हुई
खामोशियां सुने..
आंखों में भीगे भीगे से
लमहे लिये हुए…
दिल ढूंढता है …फिर वोही
फुरसत के रात दिन
(गुलज़ार)
ping valley in winters
(This is the photo of ping-valley with biggest and deepest lake of europe. In summers this valley is lush and green with birds and waterfalls…. in winters it remains so silent)
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
(Christina Rosetti )
ये कौन चित्रकार है…. ये कौन चित्रकार ..
ये किसने फूल-फूल पर किया श्रंगार है..
Flowers of snow
ये किस कवि की कल्पना का चमत्कार है ??
ये कौन चित्रकार है…. ये कौन चित्रकार
(भरत व्यास)
yeh kaun chitrakaar hai ?
Ice sculptures in city hall – natural formation in winters
Remember GulFoss ?… Yes one of the top 10 water falls of the world. This is how Gulfoss looked like in summers..
Gulfoss waterfall in summers
This is GulFoss in winters .
Throughout the afternoon I watched them there,
Snow-fairies falling, falling from the sky,
Whirling fantastic in the misty air,
Contending fierce for space supremacy.
And they flew down a mightier force at night,
As though in heaven there was revolt and riot,
And they, frail things had taken panic flight
Down to the calm earth seeking peace and quiet.
I went to bed and rose at early dawn
To see them huddled together in a heap,
Each merged into the other upon the lawn,
Worn out by the sharp struggle, fast asleep.
The sun shone brightly on them half the day,
By night they stealthily had stol’n away.
(Claud Mckay)
The forcefull currents of the water were stopped by the mighty force of the Ice, which stopped the time for the waves and forced them stay where they were.. so that we could count each wave and each droplet .
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white
(Bing Crosby)
(Photo of a christmas tree presented by Norweign Government to the people of Iceland )
this is not ski-resort … but the stairs of my house.
This is ski resort !!
ski lift near Reykjavik
The Blue Mountain skiing center is about 10 Kms from the city. This center is humming with activity from Feb till April when basic courses of skiing are given and we can see little children learning to ski.
Most of the people of Reykjavik spend their weekends here going up the mountain by trail and coming down skiing)
ये पर्वतों के दायरे…
ये शाम का धुंआ…
ऐसे में क्यों न छेड़ दें…
दिलों की दास्ताँ…
ये पर्वतों के दायरे… ये शाम का धुंआ
(साहिर लुधयानवी)
heart shaped lights in city
(This is photo of Akureyri city North of Iceland. The photo was taken at night when someone had decorated his house with these heart shaped lights)
मधुर हैं स्रोत मधुर हैं लहरी
न हैं उत्पात, छटा हैं छहरी
मनोहर झरना।
कठिन गिरि कहाँ विदारित करना
बात कुछ छिपी हुई हैं गहरी
मधुर हैं स्रोत मधुर हैं लहरी
Goda Foss, another famous water fall of Iceland
कल्पनातीत काल की घटना
हृदय को लगी अचानक रटना
देखकर झरना। प्रथम वर्षा से इसका भरना
स्मरण हो रहा शैल का कटना
कल्पनातीत काल की घटना कर गई प्लावित तन मन सारा
एक दिन तब अपांग की धारा
हृदय से झरना-
(श्री जय शंकर प्रसाद)
me, near Goda Foss
(The above two photos are of Goda Foss (literally God’s water fall) in North of Iceland. It is said that before christanity, this area was a center of pagans and then christians came and threw the idols of pagan gods into this water fall. This fall was thus named God’s water fall as pagans considered god still present there under the water)
My Garden in Summers —
And the same garden in winters… both have their own beauty !!! Seems Mother Nature has slipped the quilt of snow on the Tulip flowers, so that they can rest and cooldown…. and wake up again to spread their fragrance and beauty around !!!
सर्द मौसम का मिज़ाज़ कितना अलग सा है
तवील रात में इन्तज़ार कितना अलग सा है
धुंध बनी नकाब, और छुपा लिया सितारों को
उनकी तनहाई का अब एहसास..
कितना अलग सा है
(शायर – अज्ञात)
waiting……!!!!!
Absence of Sun light for most of the year brings a feeling of depression and lonliness. 50% Icelandics are suffering from depression. There are some centers coming up where they treat such patients with the help of artificial Sun light. The above photo of mine is during such depressing times when I remembered my nears and dears and my country…but soon came back to senses… ..)
तूने देखा है कभी एक नज़र.. शाम के बाद
कितने चुप से लगते हैं शज़र…शाम के बाद
इतने चुप चाप के रस्ते भी रहें गै ला-इल्म
छोड़ जायेंगे किसी रोज़ शहर शाम के बाद
मैं ने ऐसे ही गुनाह तेरी जुदाई में किये
जैसे तूफान में कोई छोड़ दे घर, शाम के बाद
शाम से पहले वो मस्त अपनी उड़ानों में रहा
जिस के हाथों में थे टूटे हुये पर शाम के बाद
तू भी सूरज है तुझे मालूम कहां…. रात का दुख
तू किसी रोज़ मेरे घर में उतर… शाम के बाद
लौट आये न किसी रोज़ वो आवारा मिजाज़
खोल रखे हैं इसी आस पे… दर शाम के बाद
(कलाम जनाब.. फरहत अब्बास शाह का)
An evening in Reykjavik
So this cold, silent evening of Iceland.. has knocked at my door…. and I take leave of you.
Bye bye, फिर मिलेंगे, शब्बा खैर, Au revoir ….
Waiting for some poetic Comments !!!!!!!!