Author: Catherine Faiello

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A Love Letter to the Pool

Dear Blönduós pool,


I am writing from you from House 35 and I thought that it was important to tell you how grateful I am to have met you. You see, we had already heard such good things about you from Kathleen, but I will admit that I was a little bit hesitant about spending time with you. However, thanks to your lovable, warm, and inviting nature, I fell for you instantly. I mean, who wouldn’t?! Just look at your fun slides!!

I would like to thank you for hosting all of us from Montréal, and welcoming us with open arms as we learned about Icelandic culture. You became a place for us to meet and interact with locals and visitors, and where we came together as a group to chat, drink coffee, relax, and unwind. I think that the reason behind the cool, calm, and collected nature of the Icelandic people is thanks to you. Having time away from devices to simply just be in company with others was really special, too. You always know exactly what we need by just being you.

I really appreciate the fact that everyone keeps you so clean by showering (sans bathing suit) first, cleaning up after themselves, and respecting you as a key figure in their daily lives. What would the people here do without you? What am I going to do without you??

Thank you for helping me appreciate the art of the cold plunge. Sure, I absolutely adored being in the small warm pool next to the 5 degree bath, but sometimes a little reset is necessary. When feeling too hot, uncomfortable, or even just right, a light shock to the system helps to return to a familiar place feeling different, refreshed and peaceful. I appreciate this lesson from you.

Dear pool, thank you for all you’ve given me. You have changed my view on (Icelandic) public pools. You’ve shown me the magic what is possible when everyone can be at ease with and accepting of their bodies, and the treasured human connections that are created when sharing little moments in the day with others.

I love you and will never forget you. I hope we meet again.

Love,
Catherine Faiello (aka. the Canadian with purple in her hair)

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Say hello to the sky, and it will answer you.

A snowy day that welcomed us in early June.
Another side of Blönduós.
Clarity and depth.
Midnight sunsets by the water are always a good reason to break from studio time.
A midnight rainbow.
The fluidity between morning and night, sunset and sunrise.
The beauty and awe can never be reproduced to the same effect in a photograph. Be still in the moment.
After receiving a Whatsapp message from one member of the group saying, “Beautiful rainbow right now!!!”, I ran down the stairs of the Kvennaskólinn to experience this…
The golden hour view from House 35.
Say hello to the sky, and it will answer you.

The sky here in Iceland is a powerful presence that transforms the day, minute by minute. It may choose to cover the mountains in the distance, as if to hug them tight and let them rest during the endless sunlight. It moves clusters of clouds, exposes the tireless sunshine, shows off its brightest and most vibrant rainbows, and sprinkles raindrops on the hills of green. The Icelandic sky’s best artworks, however, are its magnificent sunsets and sunrises. The pinks and purples mix with the yellows and blues to create the most stunning artworks for all to appreciate.
The sky is alive. It breathes, smiles, cries, and sleeps. Make sure to greet it in the morning, thank it for its energy, be present in its beauty, and love it for all that it is.

Catherine Faiello