Iceland - The Golden Circle

Mountaineers of Iceland picked us up at just after 8 AM. Hafsteinn (call me Haf) was our guide, accompanied by two videographers from the company (Alex and Marco) who rode along to take pictures for a new brochure and website update. And, thank goodness they were there. Read on to discover why.
Our tour vehicle is a one-of-a-kind truck made here by the company. It takes a Ford F350 Super cab engine and and front end, then melds that to the body of an old Expedition, creating a limo-like, 6 door off-roader that rides very smoothly on the paved roads while being able to navigate the lava beds and glacier tracks of this tour.
We drove around the coast road but the morning was kind of foggy with limited visibility, so not much to see except for rugged cliffs, pounding surf and lonely cottages and houses. I can’t help wondering how these folks stay sane out here in the hinterlands but I guess their daily lives are so focused on working that they have little down time.
Our first stop was the small waterfall, Flaxa Tunda, which houses a big salmon ladder off to the left of the falls and some gorgeous scenery.  From there , we traveled to the bigger falls at Gulfloss and discovered the tale of Sigridur who with her sisters began leading tourists to the hard to reach falls in the late 1800’s.The water falls into a gorge that I could not climb down to get a good image of, so you’ll just have to imagine the 100’ chasm into which the water flows. This water comes from the Langjokull glacier which is our next stop after the geysers.
The smallish geyser park offered a 20 minute stroll over lava beds winding through a series of fumaroles and geysers, one of which had the nicety to erupt while we watched. It wasn’t Old Faithful but it was cool.
Snowmobiling on a glacier was a lot more involved than I anticipated. First, we had to stop and let the air out of the tires so they had more surface on the iced-over lava of the road, then we had to suit up in first a heavy snowsuit, then in a bright orange weather-all cover up, followed by a head/neck warmer and topped by a heavy duty motor cycle helmet with visor. I could hardly move, getting into the truck to drive up to the glacier filed and the snowmobiles was a feat!
All was worth it to stand on a glacier and walk around throwing snowballs and looking at bleakness wondering how Peary and Amundsen ever managed to stay alive! The black over the snow is not all lava, most is the ash from the 2007 eruption which is gradually going away but covers everything! It even rains ash when the mists come and dirties the car windows so riders can’t see a thing. 
After the glacier, we went to the national park to view where the tectonic plates between Europe and America meet. About three years ago, the plates jarred apart and left a huge ravine that sports a walkover and was where a season 2 episode of Game of Thrones was filmed. Amazingly enough, the water here is 100% clear and people dive in it. We came across a few divers returning from their swim. Then we hiked through a birch forest over trails that rivaled those of the cliff walk on Guernsey until we came to the tectonic plate wall!!! Humbling! Mom would have been in 7th Heaven! This is looking down into the Earth where the plates jarred open three years ago. There’s no way to get an accurate sense of the depth of this hole.
All over Iceland we saw the ponies and the sheep for which the island is famous. We even spotted a riding club out for a jaunt.
As the tour wound down, we stopped for excellent pizza at the biggest farm furthest from the sea where everything on the pizza was locally sourced!

We arrived back at Silica, tired and happy after a 10 hour tour of this scenic and intriguing country!

The Blue Lagoon Spa Experience

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Collecting our passes for The Blue Lagoon, we trekked off through the lava field for the kilometer stroll to the facility. Brisk winds and light rain made me very happy to have a quilted parka and good hiking boots. I am intrigued by the moss (which signs warn us is flammable and also not to be walked on.) and by this yellow-leaved plant growing alongside the path.
















Today we enjoyed our spa experience that was included in our package. That of course, was after we FINALLY woke up this morning. We both slept in until after 9:00 AM!! Breakfast was another fantastic hard-boiled egg, fresh pineapple, watermelon, Earl Grey tea and Icelandic sausages (made from lamb) and the best yeast rolls I have ever eaten!
The spa experience was wonderful. Neither of us brought a camera or phone into the lagoon, though we were almost alone in this. I was amazed by the frequency of cameras in plastic baggies, in cases and just being held head high...this need to document everything leaves me almost breathless. Why not simply enjoy this sensual experience?
 It was entertaining to think about being one of the lifeguards. These guys were bundled up in all weather gear with fur-lined hoods watching over the folks floating around in the bubbling water.The water is between 95-100 degrees and bubbles in spots through the lava floor of the lagoon in no pattern, so you wander the lagoon seeking hot spots. The depth varies from 2-5 feet. We took the silica and the algae mask treatments but have no photo proof. Silica dries and washes off leaving your face tingly; the algae mask is oily and doesn’t dry, but leaves skin smooth.
We dined at The LAVA Restaurant on langostino soup and cod with cauliflower and lemon mayonnaise accompanied by sparking wine. 
Walking back through the lava field, I decided to closely inspect a lava tube but couldn’t get really close as that darned moss I am not allowed to walk on is everywhere.
Tomorrow is our big adventure - The Golden Triangle tour. Early bed tonight as our tour pickup is early.

Photos from Iceland...so far

 Great room/common area of Silica Silica Lagoon - geothermal seawater from 2000 meters below the Earth’s surface
Babara relaxingAnother view of Silica Lagoon

Iceland - Land of Fire and Ice ... And Howling Wind

Icelandair runs an excellent airline. I had to take back my nasty thoughts about the Boeing planes they fly as the 757-200 we were on was very comfortable and I had lots of leg room. An unexpected bonus was that I‘ve lost so much weight I didn’t require a seat belt extender!! A second bonus - the seat between me and the guy at the window was empty - so I even had stretch room! Noise-cancelling headphones helped eradicate the constant plane chatter and allowed me to sleep for several hours.

We landed in Reykjavik early, before 6 AM. Walking off the those covered stairs into a howling, rain lashed wind was a shock to my system. The ladies from Jacksonville who traveled near us were concerned they hadn’t brought enough layers! My new coat worked perfectly!! Our driver was waiting to take us to the Silica, but Barbara was blown across the parking lot as the wind caught her suitcase...I had no problem but she is small enough that she felt overwhelmed. Our driver mentioned this was unusual, even for Iceland, and was the effects of Hurricane Ophelia’s last push as a storm.

Once at the hotel, we had breakfast, then chilled in a corner of the great room watching the sky lighten and this wonderful landscape appear. I can’t capture the mist’s blowing over the lagoon in streamers as the wind whips around the lava outcrops, but it is simultaneously stimulating and soothing.

Wendy, the concierge with whom I’ve been communicating, stopped by to great us. She came from Kansas three years ago and never went home! She suggested we take a walk over to the mountain and walk the loop or take a dip in the lagoon as we wait for our room to be ready. We are so comfortable that we’ve declined and remain sipping tea in our corner watching the landscape.Later, Adda, the day manager, came over to welcome us and to assure us we had the first ready room. The hotel has only 35 rooms and is fully booked! 

I am a bit frustrated as I can’t figure out how to import the photos I’ve taken. But I will.

Football and Foreign Travel

Fantasy Football is ending its 6th week and I am stunned at the rapidity with which the weeks have passed. This experiment is 2/3's over and I remain interested, not intrigued, but interested. My poor Rowdies suffered an ignoble week last week as I underestimated the effect of two players (one being one of my quarterbacks) having the same bye week. Despite the humiliation of gaining last place in the league, I rebounded (Yes, I know that's an inappropriate basketball reference, but I don't know the appropriate football one.)

This week my boys earned 226 points…a huge increase from the miserly 126 of last week. I have learned to shuffle players with almost no anxiety, just look for one with higher points estimates than the one currently on my roster. At least, that's what worked for this week.

Maintaining this advance may be tricky as I'm not going to be even remotely focused on football (real or fantasy) for the next week since I'll be touring Iceland!

I'm a bit anxious about this flight as it's been years since I flew cheap, cheap economy (I confess to be a flight-class snob who is willing to pay for comfort.) My tension comes from fear that I'll be too big for the seat (the plane is an American Boeing and not the very comfortable Embraer I so enjoy.) and possibly spending my flight next to a screaming baby, in front of a kicking child or a body-odor adult. Sigh. I am SUCH a wimp. I have attempted to lessen my angst by prepping my voice-cancelling headphones and acquiring several audio books. Though Barbara and I are seated next to each other on this flight, I'm guessing we'll chat for a while before I disappear into Scott Brick's luscious voice recounting the Nelson DeMille novel I've downloaded.

Barbara arrives here shortly. Tomorrow we drive to Orlando, leave Mary Todd at Park, Bark and Fly (Joe's hearty recommendation) and board Icelander for our 7 hour flight to Reykjavik and the Silica Hotel at the Blue Lagoon.

We have a couple of tours scheduled but are mostly thinking our week will be spur-of-the-moment. For example, our flight lands at 6:30 AM and while the hotel stores our luggage we're going to walk the lava field trails until our room is ready or enjoy a complimentary Spa visit. (I even packed a swimsuit!!!!)

My good mood is heightened as Letreze, Jean, Rhoda and I donated 20 children's quilts to our Middleburg Fire Station #14 this afternoon.

More later after we arrive!

Fantasy Football - Week 4

I am very definitely learning about myself during this experience. I have discovered that being involved in any contest activity is not something that I enjoy by myself. Yes, I know that observation seems obvious, but it's a new one for me. I need people around to share with as I complain, cheer and grouse. I need an audience? WOW! Perhaps that shouldn't be such a revelation after 40 years of standing in front of students!

Additionally, I have been unprepared for the degree of competitiveness I feel when I read the scores. I know I'm competitive in board games because I loathe losing but I always presumed that was because the winning and losing was all on me; now I find my competitive side rising even in a situation where I have very little actual control over the final results.

My team did better than expected last week and I rose two places in the league stats. Of course, that won't last but, still, it feels good not to be at the bottom.

I actually prepared for this week by scanning my players' stats in order to make line-up alterations as needed. I, also, thought to read the in depth injury report rather than just react to the little flag next to a player's name. This led to the astonishing discovery that the flag was misleading as he'd put in a full practice on Friday and was looking good according to his coach. So, I left him in. My very first totally independent and unassisted line-up decision! We'll see if I made a good one or not.

I fully intended to watch (or at least, listen to) the afternoon games involving my players, then while I was cleaning house in preparation for sewing group meeting here tomorrow, I ran across an old book, opened it and disappeared in the world of Travis McGee for several hours!

The NFL simply doesn't have the magnetism of John D. MacDonald's imagination!

Fantasy Football vs. Irma

WHAT a week!!

After my Draft Night experience, I was actually looking forward to watching a football game in which I had a vested interest. With Irma looming in my future, I made my preparations for a long period of no power - I laid in batteries, candles, canned goods, charcoal and lighter cubes, lots of paper reading material,a  battery operated radio and several small battery-powered fans. As ready for Irma as I could be, I went to my first Fantasy Football game night and Tom Brady never showed up!!! The game as interesting from a viewer perspective as I and thought my two colleagues would be very raucous and opinionated about players and plays and coaching choices, but they were actually rather sobered by the Patriots' lack of game. Janet was over-the-moon that the Pats would not be able to match her beloved Dolphins perfect season but that was about the only upbeat excitement of the evening.  I drove home in the quiet before the storm. 

Irma blew into town and screwed up every one's plans. Mother Nature does not like being taken for granted and she made the very clear as 100+ mile an hour winds shattered trees and structures. (I never thought I'd be grateful for last year's hurricane, Matthew, but that storm's less severe winds took out most of the deadwood, thank heavens!) Irma did enough damage; I shudder to contemplate how much worse it would have been if Matthew hadn't cleared out a bunch of stuff.

I lost power on Sunday evening after midnight. (!t lasted longer than I expected.) When the storm passed out of my area Monday afternoon, I found I had no cell service as towers had been damaged as well as no power. Also, the creek flooded and I couldn't get out until the bridge was visible. So mostly I spent Monday and Tuesday, reading and listening to WOKV our local talk radio/CBS affiliate that kept information flowing. 

My house sustained no damage at all. I had a bit of flooding, but the only structure that I lost was the middle part of my patio fence! I was very, very lucky. My two favorite neighbors had the same degree of minor damage. Sometimes it pays to live on the second highest point of land in the county! 

That said, I quickly tired of sardines and tuna as my edible staples and went in search of alternative dining only to discover I couldn't get out of Middleburg - Blanding was blocked off as Black Creek flooded our "downtown." 

It took two more days for the water to recede enough for me to check up on Letreze, who had to take a canoe to the house we stitch in to verify that the creek was just below the roof! Helping remove all the sodden fabric and magazines and papers reminded me of March 1967 when IWC closed school so we students could help sandbag the Mississippi at Rock Island and Moline. Filthy work that made you acknowledge just how little humans really do control.

When I finally made it to a spot that had a cellular connection, I discovered an email from Janet reminding me that I had to update my FF roster as one of my players had been injured and was out for the rest of the season. WHAT!!!! In the midst of all the chaos right now, I'm supposed to think about FF?!?!?! 

Well, I did and concluded that FF is to the rest of my league what reading is to me - a necessity in my life as it allows to escape, to avoid, to ignore what's wrong in my life. SO, when Jean and Brian invited me to visit their air conditioned house (THEY had power) I did so and while there made my roster changes. Idiot that I am, I declined their invitation to stay over. I regretted that decision a couple of hours later when I couldn't get comfortable in the evening heat. Sometimes, I just don't know what's good for me!

Power restored, I am giving huge, huge thanks to utility company employees and volunteers who make my life very, very comfortable. If I could, I'd make brownies for every single one of you! I have definitive evidence of the relationship between temperature and sleep - once I had cool air, I slept like a coma victim for 11 hours!

It's Monday. One week ago Irma wrecked this area. I have friends who are homeless. I have learned that adversity breeds strength - that Letreze is incapable of admitting defeat and will fight for every inch of ground and that Jean will make a positive out of any experience (as she took out wet sheetrock in the Creek House, she grinned noting, "I can now add house demolition to my CV." ) I was fiercely reminded of my own limitations when I tried to keep up with those two hauling and hammering and carrying. I may have lost a lot of weight but I am not in their category of fitness. On the positive side - I was stunned and touched by the number of Cunarder friends who emailed me from all over the world to make sure I was okay and to offer thoughts and prayers. 

Fantasy Football vs. Irma? Irma won. Coping with her aftermath obliterated FF from my consciousness until I got an email and a phone call last night from two different friends, each reminding me about the football games on television and asking which players I had involved in them. Neighborhood drama precluded me watching, then this morning Janet emailed me condolences on my injured player. What, AGAIN! Now I have to change the lineup!! Sigh, this just never ends. BUT, I did recognize three player names as I listened to the news this morning!! Progress!!!