Glitsky

Glitsky: sky (cloud) + glitra (glitter)

The past few days have been a smattering of ethereal atmospheric weirdness and crimson clouds, balmy balmy days and clear night skies with frequent northern lights. It all started with a luminescent formation in the sky midday yesterday that had the house all a-giddy and giggling, a kind of iridescent piece of fluff in dim daylight that looked a whole lot like mother-of-pearl floating in the sky.  It was incredibly bright and prismatic.  Today the glowing clouds crept again from behind the smoldering black and pewter that coated the rest of the sky during the sunset, a stark and stunning contrast.   Via Eygló we know now that these are ´glitsky´. From the Icelandic for cloud, ´sky´and the word for glitter. Glitter cloud.  In English, it's the slightly more clinical "nacreous cloud," or "polar stratospheric cloud."  Another beauty of the country—in Iceland, "glitter cloud" still counts as scientific jargon.  They are incredibly rare and happen when the stratosphere is cold enough, between -50C and -70C, that ice crystals begin to form and refract a rainbow of colors from the sun that lies below the horizon. I´m beginning to run out of words but I will compensate with a photo are two or four hundred and seventy nine, soon.

I still can´t upload my own photos but for now here is another from Yogan.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=147647468618048&set=a.145812825468179.24647.123593164356812

With the frequency of magical happenings it´s getting really difficult to think about leaving.

Heading to one of the oldest towns in Iceland tomorrow. Seydisfjordur.  Also, the homemade sauna had a test run tonight, all is working swimmingly.  A steamy birch-scented oasis in the middle of a frostbitten field.