Muse Food – Fairy Houses And Other World Building Hints
When the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I visited Iceland, we were fascinated by the fairy houses, tiny homes crafted by humans for the hidden folk.
In a story, structures like that would be a strong hint we weren’t in a purely human world. It is a hint of magic, of the paranormal, of the unknown.
And hints like these are powerful in storytelling and for worldbuilding.
Because a much beloved story technique is to, at first, make a world seem like the reader’s world here in present day Earth. That is comfortable. It is relatable. The reader can focus on the characters.
Then we slowly introduce the unusual world-specific elements, pushing the reader out of their comfort zones.
Little hints such as fairy houses or a clockwork-like clicking sound deep in a forest or upside down rain are great ways to start this transition.
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Visiting A Botanical Garden In Akureyri, Iceland
Akureyri, Iceland is a fairly small and extremely walkable town.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I spent a good portion of our time there exploring the Botanical Gardens, which are absolutely gorgeous.
There were so many flowers and many were bright colors like vivid purples or deep blues. The bees were buzzing. The birds were singing.
There were displays of older farming equipment like tractors placed throughout the gardens. And charming little buildings.
It is well worth a visit.
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Waterfalls In Iceland
If you love to see gorgeous waterfalls, Iceland is your place.
(smiles)
These are merely some of the waterfalls situated within easy walking distance from the small town of Grundarfjörður, a site not especially known for waterfalls.
Every stop we made in Iceland had at the very least one beautiful often-glacier-fed waterfall near it.
Many can be seen by the road. And there are usually paths if you wish to hike closer to them.
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Isafjordur Culture House i.e. Public Library, Iceland
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I drop in on public libraries wherever we travel and one of the prettiest in the world is the Isafjordur Culture House i.e. Public Library in Iceland.
Each room is different and designed for readers. There are window reading nooks, comfy cushioned wingback chairs, lovely displays and a couple beautiful meeting spaces.
The Isafjordur Culture House was built in 1924-1925 and served as a hospital until 1989. There’s a wonderful little display of older hospital equipment and supplies (a must-visit for lovers of the Mills & Boon Medical series).
It is, of course, free to enter. And the staff were friendly. (smiles)
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Gullfoss, Iceland
One of the stops on the Golden Circle Tour the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I went on in Iceland was the Gullfoss, a beautiful waterfall near Reykjavík.
There is a great viewing platform really close to the parking lot. (This is where we took first photo on this post.)
If you want to get super close to the waterfall, there’s an easy trek down to it. We got a bit wet on this trek but dried off quickly in the wind.
I loved how the Hvítá river has carved huge crevices in the rock. Water is SUCH a powerful force.
Icelandic Horses In Grundarfjörður
One of the sights I was most looking forward to seeing in Iceland was the Icelandic Horse.
And I was NOT disappointed. Outside of the towns/cities, the horses were everywhere.
And they were GORGEOUS!
(The photos in this post were all taken in Grundarfjörður.)
Icelandic Horses are short and stocky. But do NOT call them ponies. Locals are very proud of the horses and they are not happy when travelers call them ponies.
The usual rules to wildlife pertain to these horses. Don’t feed them unless you have their human’s permission. Don’t get too close to them or touch them unless you’re given that okay. Admire them from your side of the fence (if there is a fence).
They are beautiful creatures. (smiles) They deserve that respect.
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Geysir Hot Spring, Iceland
One of the stops on the Golden Circle Tour the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I went on in Iceland was the Geysir Hot Spring.
Strokkur Geyser was definitely the star of this site. It ‘erupts’ every couple minutes, shooting water high into the air.
But there were awesome bubbling hot springs. And some great hikes.
The scenery was amazing.
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Straddling Two Tectonic Plates In Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
While we were visiting Iceland, the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I participated in a Golden Circle Tour. One of the stops was Thingvellir National Park.
Thingvellir National Park has some gorgeous scenery, some amazing history, and awesome hikes.
But the highlight for me were the rock formations. And the fact that it is where the two tectonic plates – the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates – meet…sort of.
I say sort of because there’s a gap between the two tectonic plates. The locals call that gap no man’s land. That land isn’t technically on either plate.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby also loved the Silfra fissure. We didn’t have enough time to snorkel in it but the visibility from the bridge was amazing.
And there was a nice walk to a large lake (not shown).
It was a great stop and I could have happily spent days exploring the park.
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