Homecoming

We made it home safely and even had a surprise welcoming crew! What a nice home coming and end to a wonderful year!

Quirky Iceland

As Paul noted, Iceland is unique in terms of both landscape and culture. During our stay, we learned a few interesting things about the country:

Tourism and fishing are their two largest industries.

Iceland is very expensive, and the value of the Icelandic Krona makes prices seem even worse. A cup of kaffi (coffee) costs about 5000 ISK - which equals about $5. A fishing license for certain rivers can cost as much as a 300,000 ISK ($3000) a day!

All the sheep and horses in Iceland are the same purebreds brought over by the Vikings. No other breeds of sheep or horses are permitted in Iceland.

A surprisingly large number of Icelanders believe in folklore characters - specifically trolls and elves. In fact, planning and research projects have to include a section on the impact of the project on elves! And, there are areas where elves are protected.

In the Thingvellir national park, you can stand on both the North American and European continents. Iceland grows about 2 cm a year as they separate.

Being a largely undeveloped country with uneven and unpredictable landscapes, Iceland is one of the few places in the world where jacked-up pickup trucks are actually practical!

Hot water for taps and radiators is heated centrally via geothermal plants and piped above-ground into homes and businesses. It's inexpensive - one of the only things that is - and there is no need for hot water heaters or furnaces.

Iceland is extremely active with many volcanoes around the island. In 2010, Eyjafjallajökull erupted causing major disruptions in Europe. The volcano Katla, is a much larger, more menacing volcano and is overdue for an eruption. Our quirky tour guide Jonas used this unique description to illustrate the difference: "Eyjafjallajökull is like chlamydia, Katla is AIDS."

Icebergs & Glaciers

The Vikings discovered Iceland about 1200 years ago. I can't imagine what is was like for those early settlers to live on this harsh, cold, volcanically active island. Today, Icelanders are a kind and quirky people. We took our last trip to the south west coast of the island with an Icelandic guide Jonas and his son Frederic. Jonas has a unique sense of humour that mostly is not appropriate for this blog. But, he did describe Iceland as the "ash hole of the earth" and when asked by a lovely woman from ny city what the large white balls were in the fields, he quickly stated, "those are marshmallows for the trolls" (bales of hay). As locals, our guides knew the land like the back of their hand. We visited secret waterfalls, a glacial lagoon where ice flowed into the ocean, and a black sand beach with crystal blue ice burgs. The highlight of the trip was definitely the glacier walk. We strapped on crampons and hard hats and walked on a massive glacier flowing down into the valley from higher elevations. It was a surreal experience. The ice was a beautiful mix of whites, blues, and blacks as the rocks and sand that the glacier picks up are deposited throughout the ice. In the back ground the glacier rose up the volcanic mountain forming a massive ice wall. The sun came out briefly while we were on the glacier. What a way to end this trip!

Iceland Adventure

Iceland is like nowhere else on Earth. This is the land of dangerously active volcanoes, frequent earthquakes, and giant glaciers. Yesterday we explored the area known as the golden circle. Here we saw several waterfalls cascading over volcanic rocks and a geothermal heated geyser erupting every few minutes. Today, we drove along a peninsula jutting out into the North Atlantic sea and witnessed sleepy fishing villages and jagged rocky shorelines with towering cliffs. It is summer in Iceland, but I still bought a wool toque. The cold here goes through layers of clothing with ease. I can't wait for the hot springs.

Reykjavik

Our flight landed in Iceland at 1 am. I knew that the days here would be very long. I was not prepared, however, for no darkness. Traveling from the airport to our hotel, it seemed more like 7 in the morning than 2 at night. Although the streets were fairly quiet, there were still occasional cyclists, joggers and walkers, so I guess others felt the same. We decided our first day in Reykjavik would be low-key (in preparation for a number of excursion filled days). We wandered around the downtown, visited the famous church and newly completed opera house. The weather is cool - more like a day in late October - yet the flowers are in bloom. The streets are pedestrian-friendly and lined with shops selling souvenirs, clothing and wool knits made in Iceland. Many locals speak English so getting around is easy. Already, from the little landscape we've seen, it's clear this is going to be a very interesting trip. And at this point in the year, that's saying a lot!

 

Leaving Barcelona

It's official, our walkout the world is almost over! As we leave Europe, and another chapter behind us, here are some of the things we'll miss most about our time in Spain:
The record setting number of bakeries per square kilometer! There was one at the street level of our apartment building, and no matter our whereabouts in the city we were never more than a block from one at any given time.
The inexpensive fresh produce available from local fruit and vegetable stands. Cherries were in season while we were in Spain, and at 1.50€ per kilogram we ate a lot of them! And I mean a lot! I must have pitted at least 10 kilos of cherries for desserts alone! I think I have withdrawal!
$15 bottles of wine for 3€!
Seeing elderly folk out and about - despite that they shuffled or used a walkers, they were out. It was nice to see, even though some would try to creep past me in lines.
Scooter "gangs"! Not really, but when I was out during rush hour, it sure looked like it. They're about as intimidating as the multitude of Yorkshire terriers around the city though. Spaniards like their small dogs even more than topless sunbathing!
Never being rushed out of a cafe or restaurant. Lingering long after finishing is practically a national pastime!

Catalonia Tour

My friend Javi took me on an excursion to the coast north of Barcelona. I meet Javi in Sydney, and as luck would have it his job brought him back to Barcelona while we were here. He is an adventurous guy with a far greater tan than me. He pointed this fact out several times while we hiked along the coast and jumped into the cool blue Mediterranean water. Hanging out with a local allows for a far more unique and interesting trip. What a beautiful part of Catalonia.

Sightseeing in Barcelona

Barcelona is the Spanish city which draws the most tourists, and it's easy to see why. The downtown is bustling and lively, with endless shopping, restaurants and pubs, as well as beautiful architecture and attractions. 

Barcelona Gothic Cathedral and La Rambla - a popular downtown shopping street.

Casa Batllo, a modernist museum (above) and Park Guell (below) created by Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudi. He was also the man who envisioned and designed the Sagrada Familia church.

Last weekend, we took a funicular (it had the feeling of a gondola but was more like a rail car) up to Tibidabo, which is known for it's beautiful church, amusement park(!) and spectacular views of the city and beyond.

This week we also went for a bike ride along the beach, which was lovely. As if the huge stretch of beaches in Barcelona weren't enough, there are numerous beach towns within an hour's train ride. We visited Sitges - a favourite among Catalans - with my parents at the beginning of the month.

 

Seville

We visited Seville, a city in the southern region of Spain. We expected soaring temperatures into the high 30s, as the south of Spain, Andalusia, is famous for its heat. In this old city they built the streets very narrow to cast a day long shadow on the people, hoping to avoid the scorching sun. Fortunate for us, it was a comfortable 25 degrees during our short visit.  History is alive in this city as the old cathedral and palace still dominate the central part of Seville. The palace is fascinating as it is a mix of moorish and Christian architecture. The moors from Africa conquered Spain for 700 years and when the Christians finally reconquered the land they left much if the Islamic architecture in place. At one time Seville was one of the most powerful cities in Europe. Spanish ships loaded with new world riches sailed here to unload their gold.

Summer Solstice

It's been an interesting few days in Barcelona. Sundays in Spain are still widely regarded as a day of rest. Outside the downtown core, nearly all shops and stores are closed on Sundays - though some restaurants open. Given this information, I probably should have been more concerned when the power went out in our apartment building late Saturday afternoon. We didn't get it back until mid-morning on Monday - almost 30 hours later! Just in time, too. June 24 is Summer Solstice in Spain and a(nother) holiday. The night before is the biggest party you have ever seen! Think a city-wide New Year's Eve bash put on by a frat house! People setting off fireworks everywhere and anywhere there's 5 feet of open space. We immersed ourselves in the action by heading to the beach, along with half the city. It was interesting to see so many people out and celebrating together. But also chaotic and slightly overwhelming. After returning home, we admired the fireworks extravaganza from our balcony.

Mediterranean Summer



Jenn has done a great job surviving the language barrier in Spain. She ventures to the local fruit stand and has figured out what the fruit vendor is asking -"medio kilo" half kilo, "bolsa?" bag?, "algo mas?" anything more? She arrives home with delicious and cheap food - like the best cherries I've ever had for $2 per kilo. My language adventure has progressed well here in Barcelona. Every once in a while I catch myself saying something in Spanish that two months ago would not have been possible, and that feels good. Interestingly, in Barcelona, Catalan and not Spanish is the first language spoken by locals. Yet, this is such an international cosmopolitan city. It is easy to meet people from other parts of Spain and beyond.

Sagrada Familia

A visit to the famous cathedral, the Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona is a must. This just might be the most outstanding man made structure I have ever seen. It is simply awe inspiring to stand in this church and look up at the multi-coloured stain glass windows and giant tree like columns. The detail in the design is just out of this world. It hard to believe that one hundred and thirty years ago the brilliant architect Antoni Gaudí envisioned this cathedral. It has been under construction ever since and will not be finished for several more decades. Our photos and video will not do it justice but at least it will give you a glimpse of this incredible place.

Barcelona

We're in Barcelona, our final European destination before we begin the journey home. We were welcomed into the city with gorgeous summer weather and our largest apartment of the year! Our apartment has not only a separate bedroom, but a dining table for 4 and two balconies! It feels like a castle! Our bathroom also has a second ceramic bowl with faucet. After much debating (bidet, urinal, footbath?!) my dad finally settled things by Googling it and informed us it's a European bidet!
My parents have a few days left in Barcelona before they continue on their European tour. It's been fun sightseeing with them, although I hope we're not wearing them out - we've packed at least a month of sightseeing into their week here. It's been a great introduction to the city for Paul and I. We look forward to sharing what we discover!

Paris, the city of light and pickpockets!

Paul and I had a great time exploring Paris with my parents. Our hotel was conveniently located a block from Paul's favourite attraction - the Arc de Triomphe. In addition to attending the French Open, we toured the Louvre, ascended the Eiffel Tour, strolled the Champs Elysees and visited Les Invalides and the Notre Dame Cathedral. The old buildings are beautiful and the city glows from their gold accents by day and lights at night. It's lively and busy, the streets lined with tourists. Unfortunately, the tourist attractions are also frequented by pickpockets and scammers. There are many online warnings about this unseemly side of Paris. Here's a link to the most common cons. We encountered all of them within a few days! Although exasperating at moments, it didn't detract from our positive experience and enjoyment of the city. Jenn