The Thinking Swans, Iceland – Somewhere In Time Weekly Travel Photo.

Somewhere In Time is a weekly travel photo from around the world. Enjoy!

One thing I loved about Iceland was the language. I don’t mean the accents or the words–it’s the simple fact that people in Iceland appreciate language. In Reykjavik, I remembered thinking very clearly that language and thoughts permeated almost everything–the street graffiti was poetic; the newspapers were written beautifully with words that made you think, stop and really think about what you were reading. The bookstores were beautiful, intimate and busy.

At one point walking around Reykjavik I thought to myself:  “Iceland is a thinking man’s land.” It seemed very apparent from the first day that the Icelandic people were philosophers at heart. To me, it feels like the type of place that you could go and ask a question and it would be answered with another question but in the end it would make complete sense. You would be more inspired and creative because of it. You would be invigorated about life. I wanted badly to spend a winter there and learn the language, so I could wear woolly sweaters and sit in front of living room fires partaking in the deep thinking conversations that I imagined they must have when it is too cold to go outside. You know, the kind of thinking & talking that arises when you are in your home with only your thoughts (and hopefully several good bottles of wine), kept inside because of the elements.

We were driving from Hofn to Reykjavik and I was passing the time by clicking away out the car window wondering what the camera might find. I love shooting out of windows–any kind of window will do but a moving window is my preferred poison. Shooting out a moving window engages me in a 1-on-1 way with my environment–a way that is totally different than if I am just a passenger in a car. It’s a quiet, thinking time for me that I really cherish.

I spotted these swans floating around in this little pond, and I asked Randy to pull over so I could get a better shot but in a moment they scattered & fluttered away. It was very cold & early in the morning–it was actually the same morning as the other photo of the blue Icelandic sunrise.

I didn’t have enough time to make what I wanted of the photo–of what I saw in my head. Quite frankly there are definitely some technical issues with this photo. It almost didn’t make the cut for the Somewhere In Time series because of them but there is something about it that keeps pulling me back to it. I don’t know exactly what it is but at the moment these peaceful, bobbing, quiet swans struck me as so inherently beautiful that I had to take a photograph of them.

They bring me back to Iceland. The graceful & poetic curve of their necks are visual reminders of a place that appreciates philosophy and the beauty of language. When I think back on my own personal journey in Iceland the swans are always there.

*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

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