Walkabout to the New Road

I made it up the street and to my initial goal, the sign that says “Warning, explosions!”.  There was nobody there that day though, so I could stumble about without getting into trouble.

The street I walked up to get to where I was.

The view a little to the right.  My next destination was those dumpsters on the right.

And to the right still… This is the intersection we’ll be using to get onto the new road. It’ll make it easier for me to get to work, I hope.

The intersection from a little further along. We would turn right to go home, onwards is down the hill on the other side (towards work), behind me is up the hill.

The view in the other direction, up the hill, where they’ve been blasting through rock.  Next stop: That wooden pallet by the side of the road.

The wooden pallet, and two rusted dumpsters filled with all sorts of random junk, including a busted washing machine!

Selfie time! Looking at some birds, apparently.

Got to give those crutches some love!

I kept going, up that path on the left. It’s the old walking path that’s been there for a long time. The path/road on the right of the mud-ridge is the road-to-be.

Hello there, big machine.  Please don’t eat me.

The houses by the big machine, downhill. I’m sure they haven’t been very happy with the explosions.

A little further up there were no more houses on my immediate left. In the distance is the triangular “Buddha” (formally a “stupa“) where I figured I’d end up if things went ok with my foot.

On my right, the not so lucky houses sitting on the edge of the new road.

Looking back down the path I’d come up. The method to my walking madness was to walk a bit, dump the crutches to the ground, take photos all around me as I stood, pick up the crutches, and keep moving.

Further up still, by the fallow lupines. They’ll rise again in the spring. I believe this area is designated a “conservation site” by the city council, and “a habitat of nature spirits” (Huliðsvættir)!  See for yourselves!

Ah, this is where the real explosive work has being going on.

Looking down the road-to-be.

I little further up, I came upon a light-machine.

A little further along still, there was yet another gap in the ridge/pile of earth next to the road. They’ve sure exploded a lot of rock away.

Looking down the hill again. I can’t remember if the road is supposed to be one or two lanes in each direction. I guess time will tell.

Behind me was an intersection of walking paths. The green fence on the right belongs to the local cemetery, and the road to the right circles it. Not feeling quite up to such a long walk, I went straight ahead, essentially taking a 90 degree left turn from the path I was on previously.

Walking along the cemetery fence, with the Buddha/stupa in sight.

This is a new-ish cemetery, and it’s quite empty still.

I saw very few people on my walk. Off in the distance is a lady walking her dog, who side-eyed me on my crutches as she passed me, and probably wanted to ask me if I was ok (in the head, probably).

Ah, hello there, my old friend.

If I had continued on my path, I would have come upon the not-very-impressive local national church (that white thing on the left side). I much prefer the Buddha.

I found a comfortable rock to sit on.

My formidable walking shoes, and muddy crutches.

The view down the hill. Our house is there, if you know where to look.

I took a moment to play with my 100 mm macro lens.

Muddy rubber.

It’s early days for spring yet, so not a lot of colors to be found.

A big stone ogre about to chow down on some grass trying to hide in some snow.

I find it forever amusing that when this stupa/Buddha was installed, this place was out in the country. Now it’s right by a grocery store, a church, a sports center, and a lot of houses!

I could tell Finnur had (a least tried to) put Emma down for a nap.

Selfies with 100 mm lenses are pretty impossible!

Rusty wire.

Crow-berry plant.

That rusty metal seen from the side.

Deadish grass.

The top of the stupa.

Proof that I was there!

My stuff. I’d like to thank Augusto for the continued loan of his gloves. They came in very handy as the wind was freezing cold.

I figured I’d take the short route home, which meant going down that hill. There’s a path there if you look closely, mostly safe for crutches.

The stupa from below.

The path was surprisingly snowy, so I walked to the side of it.

The most dangerous part, but I made it down still upright. Sloooowly.  (As I was passing this house, a guy came out, reeking of alcohol, who asked me to call him a cab, because his phone card was empty.  I obliged.  That, and the sorry state this house is in, didn’t fill me with a lot of confidence regarding the character of the people that live there.)