“That we leave our homes, that we step through our doors to the world, that we travel our whole lives not because we want to collect exotic T-shirts, not because we want to consume foreign adventure the same Western way we consume plastic and Styrofoam and LCD TVs and iPads, but because it has the power to renew us—not the guarantee, not the promise, just the possibility. Because there are places our imaginations can never construct for us, and there are people who we will never meet but we could and we might. It reminds us that there is always reason to begin again.” - Stephen Markley, Tales of Iceland or "Running with the Huldufólk in the Permanent Daylight"
I apologize for the delayed posts...technical difficulties! My iPad doesn`t love the blog setting!
After arriving at 0 dark 30, it was wonderful to just get home and have a cup of coffee! Settling in to my new digs and unpacking all my goodies felt great! My humongous suitcase is now officially 3/4 empty ;O) Sitting with Dori and Hjordis and Dadda felt like I was home in another country. We laughed and ate and laughed some more. Later that afternoon I got to meet the main event - the grand babies! Valur and Binni are so much fun and, I must say, remind me a lot of my own two boys with their humour and energy. Valur has white blonde hair and blue eyes and loads of energy. I looked at him like “well, hello there...I know you!” While Binni kept us giggling with his funny faces and belly laugh. It was like seeing a younger version of you again Cai-Cai! The marshmallow guns were a huge hit as was the Pook toque for Gisli. The “smelly sock hat” brought forth much laughter as we experimented with all the diffferent ways we could arrange the socks. Thank you Theresa! Icelnadic scones were on the menu for lunch. These crepe-like pancakes were so delicious topped with butter and jam, smoked lamb and cheese or a new fav maple syrup! I think my Icelandic family think Canadians have a HUGE sweet tooth. I must say I enjoyed the smoked lamb and look forward to trying all the new things my days ahead hold for me. We braved the weather and went for a kick walk out to the sea before the amazing dinner Dadda was cooking up for me. I took one photo and then my camera pulls a lens error and I cannot fix it. (insert mild swearing and serious frustration here...) The waterfront has a public hot pot and beautiful black sand beaches and the salty spray on my face reminds me of walking along the sea wall, back home in Vancouver. We sat down to a delicious Indian dinner of masala, rice and homemade naan bread! With Coltrane in the background and warm dinner in our bellies the conversation flowed well and I felt so at home. I couldn’t think of a better place, or better people, in with whom to spend my evenings. To bed at midnight, trying to ice the jet lag, then long sleep lay ahead. I can’t remember the last time I slept until almost 11:00am!! I did feel much more clear headed after my first cup of coffee and treated the neighbour Fanney to my Canadian short-haired bed head! Lucky lady she was.... We munch on this amazing olive and seal salt bread, much like a ciabatta, with cheese and butter, jam and hummus. It was so delicious! (Even with the distraction of my terrible hair...) We spoke of travel and adventures both past and future and I felt like I had known Dadda, Dori, and Hjordis for years....laughing in the kitchen while we ate. Early in the afternoon we packed up into the car for a drive out to Hraunfossar, a “lava mountain” waterfall. En route we stopped at an awesome little Kaffhus (coffee house) in the town of Borgarnes in the Borgarfjörður (Borgar fjord). The latte was lovely, as was the sweet treat the cafe was famous for - the Love Testicle! Lol....its was really like a giant timbit with raisins but not quite as sweet as a donut. After a lovely coffee and sweets we trekked on to Reykholt to see a monument to Snorri Sturluson, the author of one of the most famous Icelandic sagas. There we stopped to admire a beautiful church from the 15th century and pay homage to this famous author/historian. Next it was on to Hraunfossa, where the many small waterfalls come straight out of a lava field. This amazingly blue water reminds me of Cozumel, only really really COLD! Glacial run-off in tempestuous eddies froth and churn below stone arches and a man made bridge. One side, Barnafoss, is the children’s waterfall. At one time it was the site of a stone arch but two children, skipping church, went missing and their footprints led to the stone archway. They were never seen from again and, in her grief, the mother had the stone bridge destroyed so as not to lose any more of the town’s children to it’s depths. Hard to say something so tragic is beautiful….but it is. Heading back up to the car we were stopped by a local farmer with a plate of Icelandic pancakes. She offered me one and, when asked about payment, she answered simply “just a smile”. Well, after diving in to the tasty goodness she was certainly well paid! These rolled crepes were filled with sugar and just the perfect treat after hiking around a bit in the chilly wind. Back at the house we got ready for Sunday dinner with Gisli and his family - roast lamb and potatoes. I can tell you that the lamb in Canada is incomparable to the lamb here! It is so delicious here! More time around the family table, laughing with the little ones, and enjoying the company was a great way to spend the evening. After sharing the virtues of their newly acquired marshmallow guns (man they really let those marshmallows FLY!) we laughed some more and played together at the table. “Bless” is the way we say goodbye here and I can’t think of a better way to say goodnight after such a great evening. Early to bed and early to rise as I get ready for my first day at school! Watch out Brekkubaejarskola, here I come!
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AuthorAubrey: "Leader of the Elves"....that's me. Mom of two amazing guys, wife to one bigger (yet no less amazing) guy and teacher of little ones. Blogging about the adventures (usually with my rubber chicken in tow) is one of my favourite things. Archives
April 2019
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