Okay, moving on. Seriously folks, I’m working on a book. Yes, you heard me. Or rather, yes, you READ that write. I mean right. Thank God for spell check. Out of all of His inventions, spell check is one of my favorites. Now if God could just gift someone with a talent that allows for a cheap robot to clean my bathrooms and the litter box, that would be awesome as well.

Still not moving on. I got nothing folks. I’m reading a book called the Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. I’ll be blogging about that soon. Cool stuff. So far I’ve gotten the back story about a dude named Honi who drew a circle in the sand and prayed to God for rain. And God answered. I’ll be asking you for your stories—where you have seen God answering your prayers, so think about it and share it. We really shouldn’t be shy about sharing those beautiful stories of answered prayers. Or you can send me your prayers and I’ll add them to my journal of prayers. I’ve started one and I’m liking it a lot. 

So to recap, I’ve been writing prayers. Writing a book. Wrote a bunch of holiday cards that took awhile. And not writing in this blog. But I have been collecting super funny photos from my facebook friends’ posts. That’s really what I started out to do until you just let me blab on and on and on. Okay, so here are some of the most recent ones. Laughter. I think that is one of my all time favorite God blessings. Enjoy.

If you want to create a greeting for someone, just tweet #02Santa a message and he’ll deliver it via YouTube. Here is Santa’s message to my wonderful nieces and nephews and Grendel’s cousin, Scooby.

Merry Christmas, HO, HO, HO!

So in order to get presents for these kids, I needed to go to Toys R Us before Thanksgiving. Holy hell. A Saturday afternoon spent at that place in the holiday season is my version of what eternity in hell would be like. And to make things fun, God had a great laugh by making me go back to exchange both the gifts I got—on two different occasions. But I’ll tell you. It didn’t take away one bit from the absolute joy it is to give a gift to someone else. Especially a kid in need.

My nieces then asked a huge favor from me. They wanted to go shopping on Black Friday. I told them they owed me big. That was the day we were supposed to sleep in (or fake it while Grandma finds a way to make enough noise to bring the entire house out of bed). But no. I went shopping. On Black Friday. Kill me now.

After that I was beginning to have enough (not completely but near enough) of the material side of Christmas. That night we went to Longwood Gardens to see the Christmas displays. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it. It’s so beautiful and the horticulturists who work there are master artists. Not just the display of lights but the various trees and flowers as well as the gingerbread houses and trains—oh my, it’s just so incredibly fun and breathtaking. I was so inspired I went out and bought more crap to decorate my house. Okay, so I wasn’t quite done.

But now, today, after spending a really fun dinner last night with friends and their adorable three-year olds, I started really thinking about the advent. I listened to a sermon online tonight about God’s will and plan for us and how we need to be ready and open for opportunities and to always seek His council before making decisions. So now I’m inspired for the right things. God. And preparing for this season when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. I’m going to light my advent wreath candle tomorrow and say a prayer. Something like this (note, this is something I got online from this Web site and it’s by Victor Hoagland, C.P.—the beginning part, the other part is by God via the prophet Isaiah):

As our nights grow longer and our days grow short,
we look on these earthly signs—light and green branches—
and remember God’s promise to our world:
Christ, our Light and our Hope, will come.
Listen to the words of Isaiah the prophet:

The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those who lived in a land as dark as death
a light has dawned.
You have increased their joy
and given them gladness;
They rejoice in your presence
as those who rejoice at harvest,
as warriors exult when dividing spoil. Is. 9:1-2

Then all pray:

O God,
rejoicing,
we remember the promise of your Son.
As the light from this candle,
may the blessing of Christ come upon us,
brightening our way
and guiding us by his truth.
May Christ our Savior bring life
into the darkness of our world,
and to us, as we wait for his coming.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

So I thank you God for pressing upon my heart the true reason for Christmas. I pray for all of you reading this that you have a joyous Christmas filled with love and mercy and time spent with loved ones. Especially those wonderful children who bring so much joy to our life.

Now please don’t go without enjoying a little laugh from an old sitcom, Laverne and Shirley. This is Lenny and Squiggy singing a powerful message about the holiday!

I always say that people make priorities with their time. When you haven’t seen someone in awhile and you say you should get together (you know what I’m talking about), the truth is, you can see them—you just need to make it a priority. That’s not to say that all my wonderful friends are not priorities—they definitely get lots of “mind time”—that is I think of them often. And luckily I have been able to see some good friends recently—at the beach and up in Pennsylvania, here at home, and occasionally during the week. But I have to say that spending time with my family last weekend was a highlight. It was a cold, rainy day but we managed to have loads of fun. As much fun as I have with friends and co-workers, there was something really fun about our family time together. It’s precious and I thank God for the blessings he has bestowed on us. I’ve been thinking even more about that lately as several friends have lost loved ones in the past week or two.

One of the things I really like about my nieces and nephews is how they can enjoy time with us without having to play video games or spend a lot of money. We spent a small sum on some pumpkins and then the creativity of these junior artists took over as they carved their masterpieces. Each one of them had something funny and creative in mind for their Halloween projects. My little neighbor Cayden and his mama Tracie stopped by to help me carve my Cyclops pumpkin.

It’s the small things that count. The time spent with loved ones is precious. Through all the stress, the leg pain, the errands and chores, and travel for work, what I remember of this fall season are the days I’ve been able to spend with family and friends. A walk today with a friend, a block party, a weekend shopping with the girls, carving pumpkins, sitting on the sand getting the last of the summer rays—it’s been great.

Now that I’ve managed to get the neighborhood kids to toss my pumpkin in the woods (with great fanfare), it’s on to winter. What will the next adventure be? Don’t know yet but I’m sure something fun will happen with all these wonderful friends and family members!

I’m almost done scrapbooking, so maybe some interesting blog posts will crop up. Or maybe I need to get busy writing that novel. Or, maybe actually watching the dang Netflix video that’s been sitting on my TV for three weeks. Hmmm, so much to do, so little time. What’s keeping you busy these days? How do you decide what to do and what not to do? Anyone want to come clean my house? No? Okay, just come over and we’ll get started on the gingerbread house and holiday cookies! Happy fall!

But of course we have to address the obstacles to living out the carefree lifestyle that exists in our dreams.

Money—or whatever is needed for those pesky plane tickets, hotel rooms, etc. Doing the backpack thing and staying in dirt-encrusted hostels is not for me. Maybe when I was in my early 20’s—but even then I needed to know that there was a safe room for me to lay my head at the end of the day. I’m not saying I won’t camp out or need a four-star hotel. I just want my 40-year old back to not be in a knot in the morning.

Time—those sweet precious vacation days we work so hard for can be few and far between for the normal American. The Europeans have it great. Having said that, I’m grateful for having a life where I do have time off and don’t have to work three jobs or 90 hours a week.

Travel companions—getting someone else to come along with you to share the experience makes exploring this world so much more fun and meaningful. Whether the travel companions be friends or family, it’s really important for me to go with people I can have fun with.

For the most part, these obstacles can be overcome. You may not have the money or time to travel far and wide but you can make smaller and more budget-friendly trips and experiences wherever you live. For me, well I’m going for broke. I spent several years saving every penny I earned, putting them away for a time when I could start going on some trips. At the very moment I was about to start spending it all, I was laid off. That money ended up coming in handy while I was out of work. God definitely was looking out for me. If I hadn’t saved during those preceding years, I would have been in serious trouble. I am so blessed and grateful that I was able to save at all. God is good and He provides in mysterious ways.

But now I have a job again and my outlook on life has changed a bit. Am I still a saver, planner, and overall worrier? Yup. But I’m not going to let opportunities pass me by. I’m going to explore this beautiful world God created. I’m going to learn about other cultures and deepen my knowledge of history, anthropology, geology, languages, geography, and foodology. I’m going to meet people who will share their traditions, legends, historic landmarks, grandmother’s recipes, and beliefs. I’m going to marvel at the heaven-reaching mountains, the deep blue oceans, the colorful plants, the sand-swept deserts, and the luscious green forests. And in between I sure wouldn’t mind spending some time relaxing in Bora Bora (you know the place where the huts sit on the water and you can jump into the clear blue water right from your bedroom? (That’s where a sugar daddy would come in very handy.)

So here is my so-called bucket list of places to visit. (The whole “What I want to do before I die” thing includes a heck of lot more than travel.) Anyway, I’m tired of the phrase “bucket list” and feel that a new name is in order. One of these maybe?

• Dawn’s Lambeth Walk. I did some research and the Lambeth Walk is a song from a musical about courage and acceptance that became a rallying cry for the Brits during the London bombing in World War II. It sounds kind of fun and cool. Look it up.
• Tribal Wanderings. I’ll bring my culture and experiences to those around the world—and get a bit of other tribal customs in exchange.
• Dawn to Dusk: Live the Path not Yet Taken. Ok, now I feel like I’m working on a brainstorm session for work—trying to come up with some random and witty theme.

Okay, let’s call it: Dawn’s Day-Tripping Dreams. Something exciting to think about and something to try to attain. If you’re in my circle of family and friends and are interested in planning a trip to one of these places, give me a shout! Or, if you own a travel magazine or run a travel business and want someone to visit these places and write about them for you, also give me a shout!

Dawn’s Day-Tripping Dreams (not in any specific order and subject to change)

1. Peru (Machu Pichu and the Nazca lines)
2. The Holy Land (Israel)
3. Alaska (cruise around the glaciers, see the wilderness inland, Denali, etc.)
4. Italy (Rome, Venice, Sienna, tour the countryside, visit the Vatican)
5. African (Kenya and Tanzania) safari
6. Napa Valley (wine tours)
7. Australia (the reef, Sydney, the Aborigine land, Uluru, etc.)
8. New Zealand (see the mountains and majestic scenery)
9. Galapagos Islands
10. Brazil (Rio but also cruise the Amazon)
11. China (the Great Wall, the Terracotta army, etc.)
12. Russia (The beautiful onion domes, red square, Moscow, St. Petersburg)
13. Normandy (tour the WW II sites, see Mont Saint Michel)
14. Paris (been there but would go back again and again and again…)
15. Greece (Ancient historical sites, cruise on the gorgeous waters, etc.)
16. India
17. Montana (maybe some kind of dude ranch experience)
18. Upstate New York and Maine (in the fall for the turning of the leaves)

I’ve been blessed to see so many places in my life and many of those places I’d love to visit again. France is a favorite and I would go back to see other parts of Egypt, Ireland, England, Canada, and various states in America. And of course I can’t go very long without visiting my Aunt and cousins in one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on earth—Walloon Lake, Michigan. There are some things you need to stick with and that’s one of them.

What’s on your dream list? Tell me and maybe we can talk about a little walk about.

Let me give you an example of why I’m not happy with this show. The other week there were three couples on. One couple was fighting because the woman was buying so many clothes that the husband thought she was going overboard and didn’t need all those clothes. The woman admitted to changing a couple times a day and enjoying having hundreds of pairs of shoes, scarves, necklaces, etc. In fact she had so much jewelry it would take her several years to wear all of it (one item per day). I was shocked when the celebrities voted with her and against her husband. Seriously? She was way too overboard with the amount of things she was buying. Unbelievable.

But here is where it gets really bad. In the same segment, another wife and husband were fighting because the husband thought she was writing too many thank you notes. Ummm. I can’t believe this is even an argument. They interviewed the son of this couple who first of all is a kid (kids often exaggerate, hello) and obviously prompted to tell the camera how crazy his mom was so that there would be some drama in this episode. But of course the celebrities were too dumb to notice that. So they voted against her and for the husband.

Let’s recap. These judges voted in favor of a woman who was displaying materialistic, selfish behavior and against a woman who was displaying gracious, polite behavior. One was obsessed with herself and the other was making other people feel good.

So I’m done with this show. In addition, I don’t think it’s very nice to give the winner of the argument a billboard that says they were right that is posted in their hometown. I’m not married but I would not want to humiliate my spouse by rubbing his nose in it in such an obnoxious and public manner.

Shame on you TV producers. You turned a cute show into a pathetic display of how we allow out-of-touch celebrities and drama-seeking producers to shape our lives. If you agree with me then I would suggest you send a card to a friend or loved one for no reason—just make them feel good!

Amy and I took the hop on hop off boat over to the opera house while Butter and Jen took the ferry over to the island that hosted a number of museums. The opera house was an architectural wonder with numerous angles, windows, and other “cool” features making it quite interesting to explore. We walked up to the top where you can walk across the roof and back down again along the smooth slope of concrete.

Next stop was the island with all the museums. It turned out to be a pretty decent sized area and Amy and I huffed it quite a ways to the Viking museum where we met up with Butter and Jen for awhile. I loved the Viking ship museum. It held a couple of ancient boats as well as some beautiful carvings, an old carved wagon, and a funeral tent (can’t remember exactly what it was called). I honestly wasn’t sure before I went in that I would really like it but I did. It’s very worth it if you ever visit Oslo.

We then made our way over to the cultural museum. It was actually a very large site that had some collections inside a large building—my friends explored a photo exhibit there—as well as replicas of old Viking homes, churches, communities—you name it, scattered across many acres. They even had one section that was a replica of a more modern (but still colonial-type era) town. I fell in love with the Stave Church. It was truly magnificent. The shape and style was ornate, different, unusual, and filled with—of course—carvings. I can’t get enough of those, they are so beautifully done. There were some painted scenes inside the chapel and a number of crosses over the numerous gables and doors. A number of the houses throughout the museum site (as well as in other areas we explored) had grass growing on the roofs. I thought it interesting that we are now starting to go back to the days of the ancients. It’s considered very “green”—that is energy efficient and environmental friendly—to have grass growing on your roof. There are some corporations trying it out now. Must be something to it if the Vikings were doing it thousands of years ago. Along the paths I came across a group of young people in costume dancing some old jigs they used to do back in the day—that was a fun little treat. I ended the tour looking through some of the old houses they built. They were built up on foundations set at the corners (kind of like our beach houses on pilings but not that high). I guess the snow or floods made that necessary—who knows. But the homes were of course beautifully built. They didn’t just throw up some boards or mud, these people were architects.

My legs were giving out so it was time to hop on the cheap boat back to the wharf. My friends explored some more museums and we met back at the hotel to go to dinner. What to have for dinner in Norway? Why Chinese of course. Yup, went to a fancy Chinese restaurant—very nice indeed and the food was absolutely yummy. It was expensive and spicy too, but the service was excellent and it was a very nice way to wrap up a trip.

But we weren’t done yet. Nope. Amy and I had a mission. To visit the ice bar. The one in Iceland we were told was a dump, but this one was an offshoot of the famous ice hotel. They let people in every hour on the hour (the bartender needed a break to get out of the cold). So while we waited, we chatted up with Nikolas, my new favorite boyfriend who is now on top of the future ex Mr. Crowe list. He dressed us up in warm clothes and in we went. Lars—who also was making his way on to the favorite list—served us some quite yummy cocktails in glasses made entirely of ice. I would show you photos but it was so cold my camera froze and we only have fuzzy memories of that establishment. Seriously though, it’s an experience worth having if you get the chance. The entire place was made of ice—the booth, the bar, the glasses, the walls and floor—and it had fun etchings of things throughout. There were carvings in the walls and tables, handprints, and some things that got stuck in the ice. After last call was called, Amy and I were helped out of our jackets and boots by the darling Nikolas and headed back into the warm night of Oslo. We walked around a bit to get our last taste of the city, and headed back to the closet I called home for the night.

I recommend both Norway and Iceland to everyone. In fact, I’d probably recommend going in two different trips and taking longer in each country. But that’s me and I typically like to get more immersed into the cultures I visit while there. I’m blessed and grateful for the opportunity to travel to these places with three wonderful friends who made the trip really fun. It was a 40^th birthday trip for Jen and a 50^th for Butter and Amy and I went along for the ride! Thanks ladies!

If you have had your own adventures in these places and want to share, please do! Or if you are traveling there and want some more details or suggestions on things to do, not do, etc., just write a reply and I’ll get back to you. Again, my prayers go out to the victims of the attack on Oslo—just a week after our visit there. It was a shock to hear about that and having been through 9/11 in Washington, D.C. I can say it’s a scary, horrible thing to live through. God Bless you Norwegians and others who are healing from those wounds. Thanks for your hospitality and I hope to come visit you again.

Amy and Jen pose with a palace guard in Oslo.

a glass viking ship outside the opera house in Oslo.

 

Kids at play on the roof of the opera house in Oslo.

 

Amy at the opera house in Oslo

 

The Oslo Opera House

 

A beautiful carved wagon from the viking ship museum.

 

The Stave Church at the Oslo cultural museum.

 

Crosses on the Stave Church

 

One of the viking houses in the cultural museum.

 

Me in the big coat sitting on an ice bench at an ice table at the ice bar. Camera froze so photo is blurry.

First thing in the morning we hopped on the train out of Bergen. If you’re traveling this way you may want to consider going light on the luggage. Or finding a hot dude to travel with who can lug it around for you. But all was okay and there was plenty of room to store the bags and get great views of the fjords and mountains. At the quaint town of Voss, we changed over to a bus. They were short on busses but these Norwegians know how to move fast and a driver was found tout suite (yes, that’s French but it sounds better than “gang,” the Norwegian word for right away) and a bus showed up for the rest of us who were out-elbowed by the others. The bus drive to Gudvangan took us through some even more picturesque countryside. (I love saying Gudvangen, it’s fun and rolls off the tongue. You should try it.) The real fun was the harrowing sharp, hair-pin s-turns down the steep mountain side. At the bottom of the hill the driver told us to breathe and we all laughed because we actually were holding our breaths. Now off to catch the boat.

Ahh, the boat. This was the part of Norway I was most looking forward to. The fjord tour. As we got onboard we walked through to the other end of the boat, up two flights of stairs and then back again to the other end of the boat to the only space that was left, this little corner in the back of the boat. I planted my butt down and Amy, Jen, and Butter found spaces along the bulk head. At first I was kind of upset that all these tourists had once again pushed their way onto the boat and grabbed all the nice seats up front. I was upset that is until the boat left the dock and then turned around! Poetic justice. We ended up having the absolute premier rock star positions on the entire boat. Our view was straight on unobstructed and it was truly magnificent. Mile after mile, we floated through the water that cut between steep cliffs hosting long, flowing waterfalls. Occasionally we saw houses and farms and wondered how they got their cable.

Some well-meaning but idiot tourists on our boat kept feeding the seagulls that were flying around us. While it did make for some nice photo ops, I vowed to stomp on the bird guy at the first sight of seagull poop. Some of these pushy tourists tried to worm their way into our space but we held tight to our real estate and got excellent photos during the entire three-hour cruise. Once we docked in Flam we had a couple of hours to eat, shop, and play. If you take this cruise/trip you can make plans to stop off overnight at any of these places and take extra fjord tours, or go hiking, or partake in some of the other activities available.

The next segment had us back on the train and up, up, up the mountain. We stopped briefly at a waterfall. Suddenly, some Celtic-like music started blaring out of speakers somewhere and a woman appeared out of the remains of an old stone house. As she danced around the falls and house she seemed like some kind of witch. It was pretty cool. At the top of the mountain, I bought a $13 cup of beer while we waited for our next train on the Flam railway.

The train from Flam took us by crystal clear waters that were formed from the blue and white glaciers dotting the landscape. We ended up going back and forth bus to train to bus to train to bus before arriving back in Oslo. It was a long day but a great way to see the Norwegian countryside if you don’t have time to really explore.

After keeping Amy awake the night before we decided I should get my own room with sound-proof walls. I do believe that aside from those little sleeping holes they have in Tokyo, this was the most expensive square foot of sleeping space I’ve ever had the misfortune of staying in. Seriously, when I spend $250 on a hotel room, I’d like to be able to take a shower without bumping into the sink, be able to not have to hear a concert playing outside until 1 a.m., and be able to get out of bed without jamming my toes into the walls. But I will say that the concierge’s at the front desk were nice and just a little cute, so we had something good to say about the hotel. Breakfast was pretty good too.

So that’s it for Norway in a Nutshell. One more day in the saga to talk about—so stay tuned!

Near Voss on the Norway in a Nutshell tour.

One of the many lush waterfalls on the tour.

 

The scary ride down the mountain.

 

Jen, Butter, and Amy get rock star parking on the fjord tour boat.

 

Along the Gudvangen fjord tour.

 

These guys followed us for awhile.

 

Another beautiful farm along the water.

 

The dancing witch by the waterfall.

 

This glacier flows down blue and white so clear and beautiful.

 

No words needed. On the Flam railway.

We arrived Monday night (July 4) in Oslo and immediately had to figure out the transportation system because the rail lines near Oslo were under construction. In fact, a lot of Oslo seemed to be under construction. Some very friendly and helpful people led us to the bus that would take us to the other bus we needed to catch to get onto the overnight train to Bergen. We took a lovely ride through the countryside as the sun set and darkness fell. Yes, there was some darkness in this part of Norway—being a bit more south than Iceland. When we got onto the train, we had to carefully figure out how to maneuver in the sleeping compartment. I felt like I was back at camp or college where you have three feet of living space and tons of stuff. The space between the bed and wall was as wide as the narrow part of my suitcase. Amy slept in the top bunk and we had a very cozy night listening to the sounds of the countryside passing us by. Trains can be a very pleasant way of traveling. The ride tends to be pretty smooth and comfortable. A note of warning should you decide to take the overnight train to Bergen. The guy in charge of waking everyone up has a key to your compartment and he isn’t afraid to use it. Amy and I were momentarily shocked to see a very large scandinavian man looming into our little closet first thing in the morning. Glad we were decent!

It’s now 7 a.m. and we are getting off the train in Bergen and heading for our hotel. Upon arrival, we asked the front desk clerk if we could check in early. Nope. Okay but we can store our stuff and go exploring, so that’s cool. I asked the young man what the temperature/weather was going to be like that day and he replied, “Did you come to Bergen for the weather?” Whoa, smart ass. I don’t suppose you notice the very weary look on my face that just changed to the look that says, “Just answer my question you stupid brat, I had a reason for asking it and don’t need some jerk like you treating me with such disrespect—especially considering I am a paying guest in the hotel you are working in.” After telling him yes, we decided against Tahiti and the Caribbean and wanted to visit Bergen for it’s beaches and spas, I walked away to change into the appropriate clothes for touring the city for the day.

Off we went for a quick breakfast in a bakery that someone recommended. It was okay. Kind of fun to see the locals coming in before heading off to work for the day. There were several young men that came in and flirted with the pretty girl behind the counter. The McDonalds around the corner that was located in a very un-McDonald’s type building would have been fine with me. Just kidding—I don’t do that when traveling. The horror! So moving on, we got our hop on hop off tickets and Bergen cards at the visitor center and started the day. Passing by the famous fish market and its stalls of seafood, clothes, trolls, fresh fruit, and more, looked very tempting.

I got off the bus at the cultural museum and took a quick tour looking at the ancient Viking artifacts, American Indian artifacts, and some Egyptian mummies. An eclectical little place, and interesting, but I had little time to explore everything. So the hop on hop off bus took me around back to the downtown area where I got off to explore the Bryggen museum where they had an excavation of ancient lot where early settlers lived. Bergen (on the southeast coast of Norway) was once an international hot spot and the capital of Norway. The early settlers were smart and saavy players. After the Bryggen museum I strolled around the grounds of Haakon’s Hall and then went in for a look-see. King Håkon Håkonsson had the hall built between 1247 and 1261. It had very interesting decorations—these tapestries with what I would describe as kind of Viking hieroglyphics on them.

Feet hurting but the desire to explore overcoming the pain; I went over to the Floibanan Funicular and stood in line to take my turn on the train that took us about 350 yard up the steep slope of the mountainside. One of the things I was really looking forward to that I had to give up doing was hiking around and down the mountains here. The boot was helping me walk but all I could do was stare out at the scenery and down at the town of Bergen while doing some people watching.

My friends were on other missions that day and we met up later at the hotel. Before I headed back I took an ill conceived but pretty walk through town. Back at the Comfort Inn, I decided I had to stay close by to eat (no more walking) and had a surprisingly wonderful meal right at the hotel restaurant. I ate outside at a little table and just enjoyed looking out onto the European town as the sun set low in the sky. Nice.

So Bergen was a quaint town with some fun attractions. After keeping Amy up all night with my nocturnal chatter, we headed out of town for our next tour. Stay tuned!

Brygeen in Bergen. The Hanseatic houses line the wharf area.

View of the Bergen wharf area from the top of the funicular. McDonald's in Bergen. Not your typically golden arches.

 

The architecture in the Bryggen area of Bergen was very cool.

 

An artistic way of beautifying a sewer cap in Bergen.

 

At the top of the floibanan funicular.

 

McDonald's in Bergen. Not your typically golden arches.

Amy and Jen treated themselves to massages while Butter and I took our turns in and out of the various steam baths, waterfalls, and relaxing rooms. I find it humorous that when I put on a mask (of the “mud” kind) at home, I lock myself away so no one can see me. At the Blue Lagoon, everyone lathers on the silicon mask and swims around—nothing to be embarrassed about here!

Butter and I were in heaven. This place was meant for people like us. I did not want to leave but Amy threatened me so I had to obey and get ready to leave to catch our flight to Norway. The only downside to the experience was that it left our hair a mess. I could have walked out of there with dreadlocks. But no worries—a few showers later and my hair was smooth once again.

What I Really Think You Should Know About Iceland

I would like to go back again. I think I’d explore one of the big glaciers to get a better look at those, maybe try the ring road, and rent a car to visit some other areas and places. And of course—I’d spend an entire day at the Blue Lagoon. That may not be your thing to do, but if you like that sort of thing, get there early and reserve a nice massage appointment.

There were some funny things I saw while driving around. I think I’ve mentioned all the faces and creature like things I saw in the mountains and rock formations as well as the animals—sheep and horses playing and romping around like I’ve never seen before. The light of the night and the disparate topography all made this volcanic island a treasure to visit.

If you go, remember to stock up on alcohol at the duty free shop, be ready for all kinds of weather, bring a mask to block out the light, go with fun friends and/or family, reserve a tour with Goecco Adventure tours, turn in all your Kroner before you leave or you’ll get stuck with it, open your mind to seeing the hidden people (elves, trolls, and who knows what else), knock on the prime minister’s door and say hello, and take me with you!

I know I’ve forgotten some of the incredibly fun memories I shared with the girls, but as I leave you with these thoughts of Iceland, I’m recalling the guestbook at Inga’s. The first entry was written by some men who had quite a great time—telling us all how they got lucky. They signed their entry, “the French guys.” Pretty much every entry after that made reference to the French guys, getting lucky (or not) and was signed by such people as, “some English guys,” “three singing sisters,” “four friends from four different places in Germany (I think),” some “Canadian guys,” and of course, “Four American Girls.” (I wonder who those last chicks were.)

Goodbye Egil, Njall, and other saga heroes. Goodbye Inga and Olga. Goodbye Jonas, Ymir, and Villi. Goodbye goats and horses. Goodbye vomit dude. Goodbye taxi driver. Goodbye new friends from our tours. Goodbye funny viking hats and troll dolls. Goodbye waterfalls, mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, oceans, hot springs, marshmallow farms, black beaches, lava fields, and ancient explorers! We came, we explored, and we left better than we were before.

Now off to Norway!

My hardworking boot gets dressed up with my new viking hat.

That's me way in the back soaking up the hot water at the Blue Lagoon while wearing a silcone mask.

 

An Icelandic lullabye on the plane pillow.

Bye bye and hushabye,
Can you see the swans fly?
Now half asleep in bed I lie,
Awake with half and eye.
Heyho and welladay,
Over hills and far away,
That’s where the little children stray
To find the lambs at play. 

Sunset at 11:30 p.m.

 

A artist's vision on a building in Reykjavik.

 

Many of the streets (gata) are named after saga characters, heroes, and gods.

 

Can you see the troll dude?

 

 

 

These guys were all across this mountain side.

 

This troll watches over a beautiful waterfall.