Saturday, September 5, 2026 – A small hand drawing
Each day through Ukrainian Heritage Month, we’ll share some easy-to-do ideas that you can try on your postcards to Defenders. I’ve set a goal of sending 30 distinct postcards to Defenders on which I will try some art. 30 days. 30 cards. Simple art.
Postcard challenge
I’ve always thought that puffins are really cute.
Then, seeing them up close, so much smaller than imagined, they are, of course, absolutely cute! 😉
So, I decided to draw a puffin on today’s postcard as Iceland is home to many puffin colonies, and my postcard is from our travels in Iceland. It’s no great work-of-art; however, I hope that the primitive attempt makes a Defender smile.
About the card I chose today
The postcard is an image of people walking along the Alping (pronounced Althing) trail in Iceland. It’s Iceland’s historic open-air Parliament, a UNESCO heritage site located in Pingvellir National Park (pronounced Thingvellir). You start at the top, then walk downward toward the Lögberg – or Law Rock.
Icelanders established their parliament at this location in 930.
That’s right! Over a thousand years ago.
It hasn’t been an easy ride, as recently as 1944 Icelanders voted to be independent from Denmark. Present-day Icelanders just rejected in a referendum the question of whether to explore joining the European Union (EU). Still fiercely desirous of independence.
The Alping is located on a centuries old 7km-wide rift in the land, where the North American and the Eurasion tectonic plates are pulling apart, at a rate of about 2cm/year.
The Lögberg is where the Lögsögumaður – the Lawspeaker – stood to recite the law of the land from memory – over long periods of time.
We enjoyed a lovely morning hike along the Alping, then down to some waterfalls and for a short distance round the rift valley lake which, at 84 square kilometres, is the largest natural lake on Iceland. There is a species of Arctic Char in the lake from which all four distinct sub-branches of the species evolved from a single ancestor. Certainly, a case for Darwin!
And there, at the edge of the lake, and just below the Lögberg, is the summer meeting house where the President of Iceland brings guests for meetings. Idyllic and symbolic.
There are a lot of reasons to visit this beautiful natural and human historic site!
Our visit to the Alping reminded us of the struggles many people have faced to achieve freedom.
As Ukraine again, again, and again today, defends against tyranny.
Tomorrow … another hand drawing attempt.
Share with us your ideas and ways in which you acknowledge Ukrainian Heritage Month.
Email your images to us along with a brief explanation and we’ll share: postcardstothefront.canada@gmail.com
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