Secret Solstice Festival 2014: midnight sun in Reykjavik ;)

It was my second music festival in Iceland in 2014. Completely new musical event, first edition of Secret Solstice Festival during the longest days in Iceland held on 20-22 June. The festival was interesting and energetic, especially on the last day when the sun came out. I was really happy to see Múm, the famous Icelandic band, for the first time! And they are really great!!! :) I also enjoyed Mammút a lot (especially these songs: 'Ströndin' and 'Leggdu mig i salt', also excellent 'Blóðberg'). I saw for the second time experimental techno project of Icelandic composer, Ólafur Arnalds: Kiasmos. They are really wonderful!
And finally on Sunday I could dance a lot, Rum Buffalo band from UK made the public dance with swing music and I was really happy to join Icelanders in the joyful dance next to the stage.

I was having fun to photograph the event and the colourful people, inspired by my Italian friend, a photographer, a very open and genuine person. He talked to all the artist, including Massive Attack and Björk that was watching the concerts from the VIP zone on the second day. Most of the artists though were in the public after having their performance. It's Iceland so they are just like any other person in the audience :))

It was a cheerful event although I wish to have better weather and better sound engineers. The bands I really enjoyed were Icelandic:

• Kaleo
• Mammút
• Múm
• Kiasmos
• HE
• Hjaltalin
• Reykjavikudaetur 
• and foreign stars:
• Rum Buffalo (UK)
• WOODKID (FR)
• MASSIVE ATTACK (UK)

 Woodkid band were great and one of their videos was shot in Iceland, the most famous one: 'I love you'.

And my favourite Massive Attack brought 3 vocalists, so the public got really crazy. That's a pity that the sound was so unbalanced. They played even 'Unfinished Sympathy'! :)) The public were extremely enthusiastic!!! But no encores were played.











I also enjoyed the festival going to the outdoor swimming pool Laugardalslaug near by with Michał, my Polish friend that knows almost everything about rock music :)

Still some other great music festival are waiting for us in the second part of the year. So stay tuned! :)

Nature ART :) Painting of nature in geothermal area near Nesjavellir ;)))

Nesjavellir geothermal area. That's how I was imagining planet Mars! :) Colourful desert, hot because of geothermal activity and astonishingly beautiful!!! In the distance geothermal power station looking like a cosmic space ship. Amazing imaginary landscape!

I travelled only with Darek this time, my close friend that has been helping me a lot during the last months. On Friday during the day (6 of June), as the weather was great and we both have summer holiday in school. So we decided to go on a small trip during the day :) Magical land, Hengill and Nesjavellir, just close by Thingvellavatn lake, about 40 km from Reykjavik.

 It's such a wonderful and charming place, you need a good weather and sun to appreciate it fully! We went for a hike there to the small waterfall and a little canyon where we had a picnic by the geothermal warm stream. Like in Hobbiton or Elven paradise :) I had been there once before in July 2013 with my Icelandic friend from couchsurfing, but the weather was grey and rainy on that day.
Looking forward to go there again, especially the area around Thingvellavatn lake is very charming :) Sjáumst! :)

 

Endless days, white nights: no need to fall asleep?

Since the end of May I am having a problem to fall asleep early because the light is still intense and the sunset is just before midnight.. So why go to sleep if there is a nice daylight outside? Waking up few times during the white night, often falling asleep after 2 am :) Time of the sunrise and sunset in Reykjavik is shifting very fast: on 1 Jun 2014 it was 03:23 and 23:30, 6 Jun 2014 prolonged to 03:12 and 23:43, today on 14 Jun 2014 it is 02:59 and 23:59. Finally, one of the longest days, 21 Jun 2014, will be from 02:55 til 00:04 the next day. That's really amazing and challenging! 

A lot of solar energy is in the air all day round! Even I have dark and thick curtain in my cosy wooden room it doesn't help much. I live very close to the sea and intense morning light is coming to my window very early. Beautiful, creamy and golden light of the early sun. Clear and sharp, completely different then in any other part of the Earth! :))) I wonder how it will be during next weeks and months.. Stay tuned :)