Monday, June 29, 2009

FIREWORKS FESTIVAL

REYKJAVIK - AUGUST 2008

After the Marathon, the concerts, the performances and fashion shows and before the traditional runtur - pub crawl -, the Menningarnótt (Reykjavik's Cultural Night) offers a display of fireworks for your delight. I've always loved fireworks, probably because I was born on the site of the best New Year's fireworks in the World - Madeira Island! So, even without a tripod, I couldn't resist making a post of the pictures I caught on August 23, 2008. As there is almost nothing to tell, you'll get roughly only the pictures!!


"RADISSON HOTEL 1919"


"FIREWORK BOATS & MOON"


"LIGHTS"


"WAITING FOR THE DISPLAY"


"STARTED"






"STARS"


"OUT OF ANGLE"



"MID-SHOW"



"FIRE"




"FULL SKY FINALE"


"THAT'S THE END"


"RUNTUR - After the fireworks, restaurants and pubs stay open until late. It's time for the traditional Runtur (pub crawl). Most locals however tend to counter the expensive bar prices either by consuming a lot of alcohol at home before going out or by cruising around in their cars for hours without getting into the bars... These, mainly on Laugavegur Street and on the roads leading to it, tend to have a Jekyll and Hyde character: beer and coffee throughout the day, buzzing drinking and dancing in the evening"

44 comments:

Trotter said...

Hi Folks! This post is dedicated to all those who, like me, love fireworks. It’s probably a bit monotonous but it works as a pause after the excitement of the rainy day in Reykjavik and before departing to explore Iceland. Amazingly, it didn’t rain a drop from two hours before the fireworks up to at least two hours after. Lucky guys! Enjoy and have a great week!

rochambeau said...

Thanks for the Fireworks!
Very nice.
YOU and Mrs. Trotter have a nice week too. It will be a surprise to see where you head next!!
Keep Trotting~
Constance

Rajesh said...

Fantastic shots. In India we have something called Deepavali (festival of lights) where lot of crackers are busted.

Ron said...

Awesome night photography! I love the fireworks pics, too:)

Venksh said...

Hey Gil,
wow awesome picx... reminds us abt our festival of light(Diwali). seems like u had changed to fireworks mode in ur cam to capture this sight...

Kven,
http://kollywoodmoviereview.blogspot.com/

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Fabulous shots! I love fireworks too! These are brilliant!

Oh by the way, I noticed August 23, 2009 in the writeup above the pictures, perhaps an error?

ßrigida ∫chmidt © Copyright said...

Wow! Fireworks! You know I celebrated my 2006 new year in Vietnam. As a tourist, I didn't know that they prohibit fireworks any occassion! So yeah, my New Year was lame and sad :(

hpy said...

And no trolls?

alicesg said...

Wow beautiful. I always love watching fireworks. They are so magical.

Cuckoo said...

So, this post is dedicated to me as well ?

I like fireworks too. The first time I saw fireworks on water was on Geneve lake. After that many more....

Nice captures, Gil.

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

Belles photos, je suppose qu'elles n'ont pas été prises en cette saison sous le soleil de minuit.
Je rencontre depuis quelques semaines des problèmes pour accéder à plusieurs blogs dont le tien depuis l'un de mes lieux d'habitation.

bindu said...

Looks like fun! Fireworks weekend is coming up here, and I'm hoping to take my tripod and try to get my first fireworks pictures. Yours are a good inspiration!

Voegtli said...

Hello Gil,

After weeks, I can finally put a comment. I don't know what was wrong, but every time, the comment box did not come when I clicked on comments. Which was funny, because on other blogs it worked.

You have been enchanting me with your posts on the Baltic states. Another, since long, project for visits as a retiree, even if I am a "retarted" one. I also liked what you showed on Island. It reminded me of Norway, a country I have visited several time and which I love.

Rhonda Hartis Smith said...

All of your pictures are fabulous but I really like the last one with the pink reflected on the water with the boat---perfect!

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

Superbe.
Nous attendons le 13 juillet pour les feux d'artifice de notre fête nationale.
Et de plus mon problème d'accès est résolu (merci).

Asian Traveler said...

Awesome, I love fireworks. I just enjoyed looking at your shots.

Alexander said...

Very nice display of fireworks. :) Nice captures!

Alexander
Alex's World! - http://www.kakinan.com/alex

Unknown said...

You have captured the fireworks perfectly, must be a lot of fun there :P

P.N. Subramanian said...

Although the photographs are as beautiful as they used to be but the event is not as splendid as we have at Thrissur (Kerala) India. The fireworks last the whole night during the month of May every year. Although climatically it is formidable during the peak summer.The festival is known as "Pooram". You may google out.

L. Neusiedler said...

beautiful display of colours and light!

diane b said...

Great captures of the fireworks and without a tripod too. I saw a film on TV shot in Reykjavik, It was interesting to see the places that I've seen on your blog. The film was called "Girl in a Restaurant" I think??

lv2scpbk said...

That first shot of the light eluminating the building is wonderful. Loved all the fireworks. Now I don't have to go see them, I already have.

Mariposa said...

how fun! I'm sure you had a great time

Jurgen Huibers said...

Nice photos of the fireworks, it's not easy to always get clear photos of it but these ones look good. I didn't had any problem this time entering your blog. It looks like moving the widget helped a lot.

MedaM said...

It isn’t easy to take firework photos but you have managed to take really nice images of it. I love fireworks very much. I've always enjoyed looking at all those wonderful and colourful shapes. I am now ok, but there was a period of time when I didn’t enjoy in its sound at all especially when it started suddenly. That is the sound I listened almost four year during the war.

Nikon said...

I love fireworks, too, Gil! I've never tried to photograph them, though!
You did a fabulous job.
(Sounds like a crazy night there with the pub crawl :-)

Anonymous said...

Spectacular-looking fireworks!

Paz

Shionge said...

I remembered corresponding with a penpal from Iceland and sadly we have lost contact ;(

What a great display of fireworks there Gil and thank you for visiting me :D

PeterParis said...

Amazed by how you managed to get such good photos of the fireworks. Never managed. Maybe a new try July 14th?

Also impressed by the dark sky, but yes, they were taken end August and the autumn is already there in the Nordic countries!

Not surprised by the Nordic drinking habits! :-)

Ash said...

Gorgeous images!

Maria Verivaki said...

fireworks displays are always fun - you are good at taking night shots (i;m not)

Beefybob7 said...

Pub crawl and fireworks. Can't beat that Gil!

Bob

Emery Roth said...

Excellent low light photography. My special favorite is the one where the fireworks highlight the boat.

Neva said...

HI Gill, love your Reykyavik photos....Your firework shots are wonderful...you are right ...my daughter has many many photos she needs to go through! She should do a blog like you. I love learning from you. Hope all is well with you and your lovely bride.

Louise said...

EXCELLENT PHOTOS!!!!!

You are so right about the drinking there. Probably middle-school kids were part of that crowd.

The best fireworks I've ever seen in my life (although my travels have been MUCH less that yours) were over Reykjavik on New Year's Eve. Not a formal show, but just what the city does. If you ever have a chance, it's a wonderful time to be there. (13 days of Christmas and all, too.) Go up on a hill overlooking the city and just watch. I've seen it twice. Awed both times.

Pietro Brosio said...

Gil, these are magnificent pictures! I like fireworks, too. From 1 to 3 July at Rapallo, you certainly know this nice Ligurian town, every night there is a great fireworks display for the Our Lady of Montallegro Feast. It's worth being there in these days (this year unfortunately I couldn't)!
Have a very nice weekend!

Gattina said...

The pictures came out very nice !! It's not so easy to catch well fireworks !
I still have a post to write about Morocco, then I will describe Venice but not the touristic side.

april said...

Great fireworks. We have some in Cologne once a year: Nacht der Lichter, with music.

Azer Mantessa said...

haha
love fireworks!

indicaspecies said...

Hehe...fireworks! I like the last but one picture best.:)

Chuckeroon said...

.......and who isn't a sucker for fireworks? P.S. I'm so glad you liked my bus stop reflection. I took the photo that way just for you!

Light and Voices said...

My favorite holiday is 4th of July. There are no presents. Folks get together and share food, beverages and conversation. Such a blast! And then fireworks light up the sky. Your photographs of fireworks are awesome!
Joyce

Trotter said...

Hi Folks! Sorry for the long delay in replying to your comments and for the absence from your blogs, but two extremely busy weeks and some days abroad made this inevitable! I’ll try to recover during the next month, when most of people go on vacation and I stay working... ;))

Constance,
Unfortunately the spectrum of the surprises is substantially reduced; so, the tours are becoming less and less frequent and much and much closer to home... ;)

Rajesh,
I wish I could attend one of those Festivals of Lights; it must be something absolutely stunning!!

Ron,
Great that you like fireworks; it’s one of my favourite entertainments. Just adore the colours, the forms, the noise and the smell... ;))

Kven,
I could actually had changed it to firework mode; the problem is that I had a recent camera and didn’t had time to check that there was such a mode there... ;)) Anyhow, the pictures came out quite fair!!!

Rakesh,
Great you also enjoyed the fireworks!
Thanks for drawing the attention to the typing error; corrected!!

Brigida,
Vietnam? Oh dear, it seems you had a Veteran’s New Year, witout hte fireworks... ;))

Hélène,
No trolls!!

Alice SG,
We are already two, the fireworks’ lovers. ;))

Cuckoo,
Welcome to the group! Can’t believe you were in Geneva for the Giant Fireworks of the Geneva Festival... This year is on August 8th!!!

Daniel,
J’espère que le problème d’accès sera résolu; il semble que le «widget» des «followers» causait des problèmes, mais je l’ai mis beaucoup plus en bas de la marge et il semble fonctionner maintenant…
J’espère que les feux d’artifice de la Fête ont été superbes !!!

Bindu,
These were taken without tripod; no way to carry a camera that doesn’t fit into the pocket… ;))

Pete,
It seems there was a problem with the Followers widget; Thanks to Juka14, I moved it down on the sidebar and it seems things started working!!!
I also love Norway, but since they became rich with the oil, things have become much more difficult to visit there… ;))

Rhonda,
Great to read you back here! I’m truly glad you enjoyed the pictures!!

Asian Traveller,
It seems we got a good selection of firework lovers in the comments to this post!! I wonder who else is a fan… ;))

Alex,
Great to read you here; and knowing you’re a fireworks lover!

M.Kate,
It’s always a great fun when I see fireworks!! It must be something genetic... as I was born in the land of the World’s Best New Year Fireworks... ;))

Subramanian,
One whole night of fireworks is an incredible event... and a costly one for sure!!! I would like to see that, but sometimes I prefer an intense finale rather than a twenty minutes slow show... Anyhow, at the peak summer in India, I don’t think I will ever see it... ;))

Lara,
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it!!

Diane,
«Girl in a Restaurant», I’ve never heard about... but Reykjavik is an amazing town... ;)) Interesting to recognize the spots we’ve seen on the blogs, isn’t it?? Enjoy!

Barb,
The building is the Hotel Radisson 1919 where we stayed; and actually it looks great under the lights...
As for the fireworks, I’m sure you had a great festival on the 4th of July!!!

Trotter said...

Second Part for the benefit of Blogger... ;)

Mariposa,
I had a great time; even the rain stopped for the fireworks... ;))

Juka14,
I’m happy with the photos... though I didn’t try the «firework mode» I have in my camera; only found it much later... ;))

Medam,
I can imagine that the sound of the fireworks didn’t seem quite friendly after the war experience; no wonder you didn’t like to hear it... But hopefully things will be quiet for the next years...

Paul,
I always try! Sometimes it works; sometimes the pictures come out awful... ;)
You’re right: that pub crawl makes a completely crazy night!!

Paz,
It was just a aperitif for your 4th of July fireworks; Unfortunately I’ve never managed to be in NYC for the date, not even when I had a friend living directly over the East River, with the best view in town for the event... ;))

Shionge,
A pen pal in Iceland? Amazing... Actually I had several in Sweden; also lost...
My pleasure to visit your blog; sorry for the delay!!

Peter,
I’ll check what you got on the 14 juillet... Hope you managed! You know that the Canon G9 (and I think the G7 too) has a firework mode; I didn’t know when I took the pictures, so I can’t say whether it works or not...
I’m not surprised you’re acquainted with Nordic drinking habits! ;))

Ash,
Great to read you here. Hope everything is fine with you!

Maria,
I must confess that night pictures and against the light are my nightmares... Sometimes (seldom indeed) they come out reasonable... ;)

Bob,
I can understand the leaning towards the pub crawl; at least from what I read once on your London experiences... ;))

Ted,
That picture with the fireworks illuminating the boat is fairly nice, but I prefer the one with the moon; hard to catch that one... ;)

Neva,
It would be lovely to see the pictures your daughter took min India in a blog; I’m sure they are lots and stunning!!
Everything is fine here; and also with the bride from 39 years... ;))

Louise,
Middle-school, University and older; boys and girls; men and women; everybody was drinking... ;)
I think I know what you mean with the fireworks spread all over town; nothing organized. It must be similar to what happens in Munich... but probably even more interesting!

Pietro,
How could I forget Rapallo; it’ lovely and on the way to Portofino and to Cinque Terre! But I’ve never been there early July... ;-(

Gattina,
Your post on Morocco is awesome; and I’m sure the Venice one will be wonderful!! And surely you did find some cats there... ;)

Ingrid,
Nacht der Lichter? I don’t remember having heard about it in Cologne... but it must be quite interesting!

Azer,

Welcome to the group!!

Celine,
So, here we have another member to join the group and see the world... Welcome to the Firework’s lovers club!!

Stuart,
Thanks for the reflection picture!! That was a great shot indeed!!

Joyce,
I agree with you: a holiday with no presents, just food, drink and talks, and a stunning fireworks show to end (or start) the night is the best!!