vian in nature, the country of Iceland is unique in so many ways that I felt its quirkiness deserves to be high- lighted. From elves and trolls to glaciers and volcanoes, here are some fun facts about Iceland that make it the incredibly cool country that it is. Iceland was settled by Vikings from Norway some- time in the 800’s. This makes Iceland a fairly “ young” country when it comes to settlement. The Icelandic horses in the country today are unique in the fact that they are the direct


descendents


Agnes Smith Travels


from the horses the Vi- kings first brought over from Mainland Europe. The Land of Fire and Ice is due to the fact that it’s been shaped and carved by both volcanoes and glaciers. Because of this phenomenon much of this country was carved


out by slow–moving glaciers, chewing up the land and gouging deep valleys. But, contrary to belief, trees DO grow in Iceland. Birch, poplar, willow, mountain ash and Sitka spruce all occur naturally, but much of the original forest was used up by the inhabitants and for fodder by their sheep. Today, reforestation is being attempted but you’ll still definitely notice the lack of forests when you visit. This unique combination has made Iceland’s landscape otherworldly. Even though Iceland is not covered in ice, as its name implies, the landscape is pretty stark. Growing atop some of the oldest lava fields, you’ll find great expanses of squishy green moss. It takes about 70 years to grow a layer of moss. One note though, if you visit one of these mossy lava fields, please be kind to the moss. Don’t pick it or drive on it or frolic on it as did Justin Bieber on his visit there. Crazy as it may seem, the majority of Icelanders be-


lieve in the existence of fantastical beings such as elves. There are many amusing stories and legends about these creatures. Icelanders go so far as to suspend con- struction projects if it’s believed that the plans may interfere with or endanger current elf habitats. One guide told me that the smell present in Iceland isn’t


Iceland – the land of fire and ice M


y travel to Iceland was full of surprises of all sorts.


While definitely European and Scandina-


There is a rugged beauty to Iceland that many find irresistible. Travel to Iceland trivia


Cost of flights: Be prepared to shell out $1,100 to $1,200 round trip (in- cluding taxes).


Travel time: There are currently no direct flights from Winnipeg to Ice- land. With one stopover, the flight will take you 10 to 12 hours each way.


Time difference: Reykjavik is five hours ahead of Winnipeg, Daylight


Saving Time. In winter, the difference is six hours as Reykjavik observes Greenwich Mean Time all year long.


Distance: As the crow flies, it is 4,509 KM (2802 miles) from Winnipeg to Reykjavik.


Latitude. Reykjavik is at 64.1 mak- ing it the world northern-most capital. In contrast, Churchill is at 58.7 and


from sulphur at all, it’s the smell of the trolls’ dirty bath water. Yes, there are some weird foods in Iceland. Along


with things like whale, puffin, and dried fish one can also try fermented shark, sheep’s head and even pickled ram’s testicles. My husband and I did eat fermented shark. It was most unpleasant but we were too polite to say so to our host, the Bishop of Iceland. The even weirder part is that some of these dishes can be found in just about ANY kind of restaurant in Iceland includ-


u Falls can be serious Continued from page 1


slippery bathtubs. Take a tour and decide to deal with these hazards today. Don’t forget to include your front and back en- trances or the stairs to your garage. These trip taps can occur anywhere. You prob- ably already know where most of them are because chances are you have saved yourself more than once at these spots Shoes and do’s


Do take a look at your favourite pair of slippers. Are they easy to put on and easy to slip off? If so, they are probably easy to slip on – meaning, you can slip on them! Replace them with some snugger fitting wear – with backs. Yes, you may have to bend over to get them on, but that’s just more good exercise and stretching you should be dong anyway. Outdoor shoes should have non-slip soles. That doesn’t mean you need to abandon the high heels for a special night out, but everyday use requires some com-


mon sense foot wear. Running shoes are comfortable and trustworthy. Lighting and vision


Sometimes we trip because we can’t see where we are going. Make sure you have the right glasses and if the fancy tri- focals don’t work for you, get something that will. Be sure stairs are well lit and use the lights. We all too often think we know where everything is so why turn on the lights? But where one misstep can spell disaster, why take the chance? We hate to admit, but as we age, some things don’t work as well as they used to. So make sure you are protecting yourself as best you can. Chances are you should be taking a vitamin D supplement in the winter – ask your doc – and if you are having balance problems ask him to check your B vitamins. Too little or too much can both cause balance issues.


balmy Winnipeg is at 49.9


Temperature: Reykjavik’s average January temperature is only about 0 C. July, on the other hand, is relatively cool averaging about 11 C, although there was a record-breaking 30 C day back in 1939. It is kissed by the North Atlantic current which moderates the temperatures.


ing a Mexican place that advertised “traditional Icelan- dic dishes.” Iceland is the coolest place to go on vacation. With a population of only 139,000 people, it is ranked as having the friendliest people in the world. Come join the escorted tour with CANADA ONE


TRAVEL to visit Highlights of Iceland, Britain, Ire- land and Scotland. Agnes Smith RD. BHEc is a cruise and luxury vacation specialist.


Creating holiday memories – Holiday photo tips from a pro


Tony Nardella


perfect family photo can be daunting. We recently asked our preferred partner and Winnipeg’s own Tony Nardella of Nardella Photography for some helpful hints:


W • • •


Compose creatively and move in close


• Place the person or subject you


are photographing off centre and use a non-competing or uncluttered back- ground to help balance the composi- tion. • Try to crop in close to the persons face, this will put the attention on the person or subject that you are photo- graphing. By cropping in, it will help throw the background out of focus as well. • When shooting groups, make sure to shoot a lot of frames because there will always be some blinking eyes and people looking away. • When trying to take photos of a


large group, rather than having one long wide line or people try and have one row sitting in chairs and one row standing behind the seated row.


If


there are young kids have them sit or kneel on the floor in front. • Sometimes the best shots are when the person is not looking direct-


8 www.lifestyles55.net


ly into the camera and unaware they are being photographed. Try and cap- ture this as it is often just a few brief moments when that "magic spark" ap- pears.


Flash on, flash off?


• Whenever you cannot use a flash indoors, the results are less harsh. Try using window light to illuminate your subject without having the bright window in the frame. The bright light from the window will fool the camera. • Even if you’re shooting outside, use your flash in sunlight to help fill in dark shadows. Better yet, backlight your image or shoot in the shade. Use your brightness control to adjust be- fore or after you shoot. Keep it clean!


• Use an eye glass cloth to clean your camera lens for sharp images and vibrant colours. By Tony Nardella of Nardella Photog-


raphy. December 2017


hen family and friends come together to celebrate the hol- idays, trying to capture that


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