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July 16, 2011

Hop on, hop off. Adventures in Reykjavik.

Posted by Grendel's Mother under adventure, Friends, Iceland, travel
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On our first full day in Iceland we toured the quaint and lovely city of Reykjavik (pronounced rake ee uh vik). It really seemed more like a town. Our apartment was only a few easy blocks away from the downtown area—close enough to walk, far enough not to hear the very late night partying. Before hopping on the hop on, hop off bus, we found to our amusement a U.S Coast Guard tall ship docked in the harbor. Okay, come thousands of miles to tour a Coast Guard ship that hails from Connecticut. But on to the local landmarks…

First stop, the Iceland National Museum. They have collections from waaaaay back when the Vikings landed and kicked the little Irish monks out. I was delighted to get some history lessons here as well as see the fascinating works of art they created. The Vikings called the monks, Papar. Now I see where the words papist, pastor, father, etc. could possible have come from. There were cases full of weapons, jewelry, household goods, and more. But what really got me was the collection of horns. Some were drinking horns and others made to hold gunpowder. They were stunning—carved from wood and ivory in delicate, beautiful patterns. The Vikings also carved chests, door posts, chairs, and other items. There were also sections that covered how Christianity came to Iceland and seemingly spread fast and far. Some of that had to do to with the democratic society set up in ancient Iceland—but more of that later. In any event, the the Lutherans won out in the end. A great stop on our tour—the museum was two thumbs up!

So back to the hop on, hop off bus and our next stop, the Perlan. The Perlan is an observation deck, restaurant, and saga museum that of course—why not—sits on top of several very large water tanks high up on a hill with a view over the entire city. It was a sunny, perfect day to see the colors of the Lupin flowers (weed actually) laid out in front of the cityscape and ocean beyond. I dragged my fellow travelers into the saga museum which consisted of some interesting exhibits of various characters from real life Icelandic history as well as their epic sagas. Just in case you’re not sure what a saga is, it’s a fictional story about bigger-than-life characters from around the turn of the first millennium. These sagas were written about 700-800 years ago and are a chief source of pride for many Icelanders. I have read a few and while interesting, they aren’t quite as exciting as Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings (or even Beowulf for that matter). The style of the story telling is unique but it does give you a sense of the mind of an ancient Icelandic author telling an old tale. The museum was interesting enough. Kind of like the sagas—not quite Disney World but worth a trip (in my opinion).

So after the museums and scanning the city from far above, we ran to catch the bus. The bus driver lady was a bit put out by having to wait an extra 20 seconds while I hobbled my way to the door in my big ol’ ski boot (see previous post about bum leg). We all agreed that we didn’t think she liked her job too much.

Oh well, time for lunch and a chance to sample the menu at the highly recommended Icelandic Fish and Chips restaurant. The food was very tasty and the customer service was good (they were helpful about my leg—unlike a certain bus driver). My fish was a bit watery for me but good nonetheless (the sauces that came with it were good) and lots of people love it.

Now off to the Hallgrims church. First we had to wait for a funeral to end, but then we got to go in to explore and rode up to the top where there was an observation deck that kind of reminded me of the one in the Washington Monument. The views were fantastic of course and the church itself was a wonder of modern architecture. I’ve actually never seen a church that had windows in the front. It also had a huge pipe organ. Quite pretty.

From there we walked on home. While walking down our street, several cats came out to say hello. I wasn’t sure if they were feral and looking for a treat or just friendly like their human counterparts. One night when Amy and I came home I swear we were being seduced by a little “hooker” cat. She was standing on the corner and when she saw us, came right over and meowed. I patted her but Amy (smartly so) said with a smile, “I’m not touching that thing.” Little miss prostitute cat then ran ahead of us and proceeded to lie down and roll around showing us all her pretty parts like she was displaying her wares. Yup. Hooker cat.

We spent a relaxing night at the apartment laughing and having a dinner that was a tasty mix of cheese and fruit from the store—too tired to go out! Next up…the “magic bus” and the Golden Circle Tour.

Amy emerging from the Icelandic Fish and Chips restaurant

Butter and Jen do the sailor impression. Lots of fishermen in Iceland!

The street we lived on. Quaint sitting places dotted the area.

Hallsgrim Church. Some reseblance to the basalt rock formations off the coast.

The Perlan

The observation deck of the Perlan. The windows reflect the pretty sky.

The good ol hop on hop off double decker bus.

July 13, 2011

Four Viking chicks go on a trip.

Posted by Grendel's Mother under adventure, travel | Tags: Iceland, norway, reykjavik, vikings |
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Where do I even start? What a fantastic trip! I just got back from the land of the Vikings with three very awesome women. We toured through Iceland and Norway and were in constant awe at the endless beauty of both countries. Upon first reflection, I found the people of Iceland to be very friendly, the land to be a mixed bundle of topography, and the water and air as clean as it gets. Norway was a carpet of green hills, more urban, more expensive than anywhere I’ve ever been, and quite lovely and rich in culture and history.

To get a full snapshot of these two countries we ended up taking quite a few trains, busses, minibuses, vans, airplanes, and taxis. We were pretty impressed with the public transportation system in Norway—having experienced how they find fast and suitable solutions for getting people where they need to go even when tracks are out due to construction, accidents, and random sheep crossings.

People keep asking me about the highlights and I just don’t know where to start. Each day brought new discoveries, new friends, new beautiful sights to behold. I love to travel the world and see all that God has created. I’m going to write a series about our trip so that anyone who is interested in traveling to these charming countries can hopefully get a feel of what to do, not do, or do again and again! I also will have to write on my company’s blog about the marketing side of this trip. I think the character of the Icelanders mixed with a bit of luck (so to speak) of a volcano erupting and catching the eye of the world, gave them an opportunity to sell themselves. I definitely bought into it and now have become a net promoter! Gooooooo Vikings!

If you have traveled to these countries and would like to share your experiences here, please do. The more perspectives the better. And maybe some extra laughs I may have forgotten about. Let’s get started!

Pre Day One

I drive up to the parent’s house and drop off the Grendel dog. Grendel would have done very well in Iceland—land of the sagas. His name is taken from an ancient tale that has some resemblance to the sagas. And completely off topic but something to note as I weave the tale of this journey, my right ankle is encased in a boot—to help me walk and heal a hairline fracture. Yup, going on a hiking type of trip with a bum leg. Oh well.

Day One

Meet Amy at the Philly airport and cruise up to Boston. We find the Moossachusets Cows and are already laughing. Butter and Jen arrive at about the same time and we are off to check in at the Icelandair counter. Upon arrival in Iceland, we stop to take a photo of the dinosaur coming out of an egg, get some booze at the duty free shop (they don’t sell alcohol in shops like we do), and then hop a bus for Reykjavik and arrive at Inga’s Guest House at about 1 a.m. It’s still light out but I note for the girls that “Sunrise is at 3 a.m.” Amy laughs and says, “You mean in two hours?” Yup. Awesome. Inga’s beds are comfy and we love our rented apartment so close to downtown! Next up, touring quaint Reykjavik.

Jen stands near a wall in the Iceland airport. It says it all and why we came on this trip.

July 20, 2010

Riding the tidal bore.

Posted by Grendel's Mother under adventure, travel
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One of the main reasons I wanted to go to Nova Scotia was to visit the Bay of Fundy. This area boasts the world’s highest tides. At one point they reach up to 55 feet. That’s akin to a five story building.

So here’s what happens that makes it kind of interesting. The tide comes in from the ocean and gets funneled into the bay and then into the Minas Basin. It then gets funneled further into a narrow river called the Shubenacadie (Shoo bin ack uh dee). When the tide goes out, the river is almost drained dry—lots of sand can be seen and the water that is left is extremely shallow. Then, when the tide comes in, it meets the water that is receding and forms what is called a tidal bore. A wave.

My parents and I arrived at the Tidal Bore Rafting Park and Cottages and sat on the deck of their restaurant overlooking the river. It was dinnertime so we ordered the Lobster rolls and took some photos of the dry river bed. Just a little while later we noticed a very fast moving body of water filling up the river. It was amazing to see. Seriously, the river was filling up before our eyes in less time than it took to have dinner.

The next night we hopped on board the zodiac and took a nice serene trip up the river. We got to see a few bald Eagles way up in the trees and the banks of wet mud on either side. Travis was our guide and he was a nice local kid who I would characterize as someone who lives for today. Travis just bought a house on the river in the flood zone with no flood insurance. During really high tides his basement floods and they fish right off his deck. When he told us the river widens by two feet each year I teased him about how in a few years he’ll just have to open up his refrigerator door to catch fish. Travis was a good guy though. I must attribute some great wisdom to the guy. He said, “You never know what’s going to happen when the tide comes in.”

And with that we hit the fast running water and he proceeded to drench us in the waves. The last bit of dunking managed to throw me and another camper off the side of the boat. I don’t remember much—just that Travis said not to hold on to the boat or we’d get sucked under. That was precisely what was going through my mind when I was under water. That and getting caught in the motor. But my Dad, who was halfway out the boat after I went over, said I “popped” right up. Yeah. Popped. I swam very hard to the surface with a ton of waders and wet shoes on. But all was well. I got into the boat and up the mud banks back to our warm cabin all safe and sound. Funny how the pulled muscle in my back didn’t hurt until much later.

All in all, it was a really fun adventure and I’d recommend it for all. But try to go during the mid cycle of the moon. If you go during a full moon you may end up getting more than dunked into the “Shubie.”