Saturday, July 31, 2010
Photo Mishap
I was about to post a bunch of photos, but I can't get them to load. I'll try again later today, or maybe I need to find different internet. I'm not really sure what's wrong, but I will keep trying to upload them.
Photos from Reykjavik
Here's a long overdue update of photos. I forgot that when I was in Alaska I would incorporate the photos in my posts. I think I liked that more, especially since I tend to get back up this way. So starting with my next post, I'll try to get back to keeping the photos with the updates they belong with.
This is a shot of one of the dozens of cups of hot chocolate I've had from cafes and bakeries all over Iceland. This particular one has been my favorite to date and it was at a lovely little cafe about 5 minutes from my dorm in Reykjavik. I miss that place, especially with all the less than stellar hot chocolate I've had in Akureyri.
This is the outside of one of the geothermal plants near Reykjavik. It's pretty new, so it looks super modern, both inside and out.
The inside of the same geothermal power plant.
The president of Iceland's house. Even he has a white house. He lives just across the bay from Reykjavik.
The president of Iceland himself. He seemed like a great guy, very knowledgeable about both the happenings of his country and renewable energy technology.
A sunset on the bay where Reykjavik is located. This was probably a little before midnight and it doesn't get that much darker as the night goes on.
This is a shot of one of the dozens of cups of hot chocolate I've had from cafes and bakeries all over Iceland. This particular one has been my favorite to date and it was at a lovely little cafe about 5 minutes from my dorm in Reykjavik. I miss that place, especially with all the less than stellar hot chocolate I've had in Akureyri.
This is the outside of one of the geothermal plants near Reykjavik. It's pretty new, so it looks super modern, both inside and out.
The inside of the same geothermal power plant.
The president of Iceland's house. Even he has a white house. He lives just across the bay from Reykjavik.
The president of Iceland himself. He seemed like a great guy, very knowledgeable about both the happenings of his country and renewable energy technology.
A sunset on the bay where Reykjavik is located. This was probably a little before midnight and it doesn't get that much darker as the night goes on.
Verslunarmannahelgi -- The Shopkeepers Holiday
I meant to do an update a couple days ago, but I always seem to let the time slip away. My days tend to blur together, so hopefully I can remember everything that has happened since my last post.
Thursday was our last day of class for the week. We had our "final," which was a debate over nuclear energy. I was on the side against nuclear, and I'd have to say that I think we did pretty good. Of course I am biased, but I think it's actually easier to argue against nuclear since there are quite a bit of disadvantages. Plus this whole summer we've been working on a renewable energy project, so our group stood by the fact that renewables are much better than nuclear. After the debate, we had a speaker that just graduated from the University of Akureyri. I'm not going to say she was the worst speaker ever, but she was certainly close. Holy cow, it was the most awkward and embarrassing lecture to sit through. It honestly seemed like she didn't know what she was talking about. Luckily after an hour it was over.
Dinner Thursday night was a whole mash up of Eurasian tastes. We had this wonderful spicy chicken dish that has some sort of curry in it, delicious sticky rice (I'm a huge fan of rice), and garlic bread. So none of it really went together, but it was all great. That night I just hung out at home with my Icelandic mom and brother. We watched several American shows, but they all had Icelandic subtitles which are exciting to look at.
Yesterday was another off day for us. We originally planned to hike across the fjord again since it didn't work out Wednesday. (Instead on Wednesday we went shopping and spent the afternoon at the pool. The slide at this particular pool was incredible and so fast. I swear Icelanders must be the happiest people ever just because they have so many pools) However, the weather didn't really agree with us again, so I just walked partway across the bridge that spans the fjord and then hung out in a bakery with another of the girls here.
That afternoon, Marty, my family, and I went fishing. It was so great. Marty and I both caught fish. We were pretty thrilled about that. Then when we were walking back to the car from the river, we had to go through a field that had Iceland horses in it. We managed to convince them to come over to us and we got to pet them and feed them. They were adorable and they had soft noses. A perfect way to end our fishing trip. Then once we got home, we had our fish for dinner. It was pretty cool to catch dinner and then eat it. We also had potatoes from the garden. Finally, last night I went downtown for a little and listened to a band that was playing outside on the circle in the center of town. They played both Icelandic and American music, so what I heard was a good mix.
This morning I got to sleep in, which was exactly what I needed. We've been walking all over and I feel like we go all day long, so I always crash at night. This evening my family here is having a barbecue which should be tasty. Then I'll probably come back downtown for a little and see what is happening with the festival.
Oh, I don't think I've actually mentioned the festival yet. It's called Verslunarmannahelgi, which is the shopkeepers holiday. Traditionally it was a time when all the shops were closed so the workers got some time off. Now, however, it seems like everything remains open and there's tons going on downtown. There's a giant stage set up and little booths with people selling the traditional carnival foods and toys. Lots of bands are playing in the bars around town, and basically there's just lots of things going on. This is the perfect weekend to be in Iceland because there are celebrations all over the country. I'm excited to see what will be going on this evening.
Thursday was our last day of class for the week. We had our "final," which was a debate over nuclear energy. I was on the side against nuclear, and I'd have to say that I think we did pretty good. Of course I am biased, but I think it's actually easier to argue against nuclear since there are quite a bit of disadvantages. Plus this whole summer we've been working on a renewable energy project, so our group stood by the fact that renewables are much better than nuclear. After the debate, we had a speaker that just graduated from the University of Akureyri. I'm not going to say she was the worst speaker ever, but she was certainly close. Holy cow, it was the most awkward and embarrassing lecture to sit through. It honestly seemed like she didn't know what she was talking about. Luckily after an hour it was over.
Dinner Thursday night was a whole mash up of Eurasian tastes. We had this wonderful spicy chicken dish that has some sort of curry in it, delicious sticky rice (I'm a huge fan of rice), and garlic bread. So none of it really went together, but it was all great. That night I just hung out at home with my Icelandic mom and brother. We watched several American shows, but they all had Icelandic subtitles which are exciting to look at.
Yesterday was another off day for us. We originally planned to hike across the fjord again since it didn't work out Wednesday. (Instead on Wednesday we went shopping and spent the afternoon at the pool. The slide at this particular pool was incredible and so fast. I swear Icelanders must be the happiest people ever just because they have so many pools) However, the weather didn't really agree with us again, so I just walked partway across the bridge that spans the fjord and then hung out in a bakery with another of the girls here.
That afternoon, Marty, my family, and I went fishing. It was so great. Marty and I both caught fish. We were pretty thrilled about that. Then when we were walking back to the car from the river, we had to go through a field that had Iceland horses in it. We managed to convince them to come over to us and we got to pet them and feed them. They were adorable and they had soft noses. A perfect way to end our fishing trip. Then once we got home, we had our fish for dinner. It was pretty cool to catch dinner and then eat it. We also had potatoes from the garden. Finally, last night I went downtown for a little and listened to a band that was playing outside on the circle in the center of town. They played both Icelandic and American music, so what I heard was a good mix.
This morning I got to sleep in, which was exactly what I needed. We've been walking all over and I feel like we go all day long, so I always crash at night. This evening my family here is having a barbecue which should be tasty. Then I'll probably come back downtown for a little and see what is happening with the festival.
Oh, I don't think I've actually mentioned the festival yet. It's called Verslunarmannahelgi, which is the shopkeepers holiday. Traditionally it was a time when all the shops were closed so the workers got some time off. Now, however, it seems like everything remains open and there's tons going on downtown. There's a giant stage set up and little booths with people selling the traditional carnival foods and toys. Lots of bands are playing in the bars around town, and basically there's just lots of things going on. This is the perfect weekend to be in Iceland because there are celebrations all over the country. I'm excited to see what will be going on this evening.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Food Food Food
At my stay with my Icelandic family, I've finally been trying some of the more traditional Icelandic dishes. No more Subway and pizza for me.
One night we had pork chops with this amazing barbecue sauce. I probably could have eaten the sauce all by itself. We had potatoes, which are huge here and I'll probably end up eating some sort of potato at every meal. And we had this awesome side dish of chopped up granny smith apples with a sauce of sour cream and something else. It was incredibly delicious. The tartness of the apples went wonderfully with the sauce.
Monday night we had lamb balls. Or I think she said it was mixed meat, but probably mostly lamb. That was cooked with cabbage, which apparently I like. I didn't know that until then. Again, we had potatoes. The family also put this strawberry jam on the meat, but I tried it and it was much too sweet. We had actually had these lamb balls once before in Reykjavik, but these were much much better than the ones I ate there.
Last night we had a casserole. In it was cut up bread, ham, and pineapple. It was cooked in a creamy sauce with cheese on top. I didn't know it was pineapple until I got a bite and I was pleasantly surprised. That was enjoyable too.
So basically I don't think I've had a bad meal here yet. The family has been great and I'll be upset during the second half of next week when I have to go back to eating the cheapest meals possible. I must enjoy this as much as possible.
Today we're supposed to go on a hike across the fjord, but I don't think the weather is going to agree with us. But we don't have class, so I guess we'll end up doing some other group activity.
If I have enough time this afternoon, I may try and go to a cafe to upload some photos. I haven't actually tried it here at the house yet, so maybe it'll work. But I do have some photos I want to get up here. Later today, I'll get on that for sure.
One night we had pork chops with this amazing barbecue sauce. I probably could have eaten the sauce all by itself. We had potatoes, which are huge here and I'll probably end up eating some sort of potato at every meal. And we had this awesome side dish of chopped up granny smith apples with a sauce of sour cream and something else. It was incredibly delicious. The tartness of the apples went wonderfully with the sauce.
Monday night we had lamb balls. Or I think she said it was mixed meat, but probably mostly lamb. That was cooked with cabbage, which apparently I like. I didn't know that until then. Again, we had potatoes. The family also put this strawberry jam on the meat, but I tried it and it was much too sweet. We had actually had these lamb balls once before in Reykjavik, but these were much much better than the ones I ate there.
Last night we had a casserole. In it was cut up bread, ham, and pineapple. It was cooked in a creamy sauce with cheese on top. I didn't know it was pineapple until I got a bite and I was pleasantly surprised. That was enjoyable too.
So basically I don't think I've had a bad meal here yet. The family has been great and I'll be upset during the second half of next week when I have to go back to eating the cheapest meals possible. I must enjoy this as much as possible.
Today we're supposed to go on a hike across the fjord, but I don't think the weather is going to agree with us. But we don't have class, so I guess we'll end up doing some other group activity.
If I have enough time this afternoon, I may try and go to a cafe to upload some photos. I haven't actually tried it here at the house yet, so maybe it'll work. But I do have some photos I want to get up here. Later today, I'll get on that for sure.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
First Day in Akureyri
So it's finally time for a major update. And luckily I can access my blog here, so no more relying on Jeff to get things posted. Though he did do a fabulous job.
Yesterday the drive from Reykjavik to Akureyri took pretty much all day. We made several stops along the way. One of the stops we got to meet Caitlin's husband and son, who is about 2 and adorable. Caitlin is our "TA" for the remaining two weeks, though she isn't really a TA. During the summers she takes college groups around Iceland, which is what she is going to do with us since we have a lot of traveling ahead of us.
One of the better stops on our way north was a natural geothermal pool. Right on the coast of a fjord, a farmer made two pools with rock walls and a rock floor. The water was wonderfully warm and it was so cool to think that it was all natural. Plus we got to jump in the ocean. Well, some people jumped in. I stuck my feet in and it was freezing, so I quickly got out. But at least I can say I got in the ocean. And maybe it was the Arctic Ocean, I'm not totally sure, but I'd like to pretend it was the Arctic Ocean.
Then we got to meet our family. I feel so lucky with who I'll be living with. I still haven't met the older son, but the two children I have met at Gunnar and Karilina. They're both adorable and so full of energy. We had a family dinner of burritos. Not really Icelandic at all, but it was still tasty. They have a house rule where no one is allowed to leave the dinner table until everyone is done eating. I'm definitely a fan of this rule.
After dinner, Marty and I met with most of our group downtown and got some ice cream. Gunnar said the place we went was the best ice cream in all of Iceland. Not sure if I totally agree, though it was good. And I finally got my chocolate ice cream, but it wasn't totally chocolaty. I should have stuck with the vanilla soft serve.
Once we got back to the house, I met Karilina since she had been at a friend's house all day. Then the father got home with pizza. He was testing some of those cases that keep pizzas warm during delivery. He drove over an hour and the pizzas were still the perfect temperature. I'd say it was a success. And the pizza I tried was onion and corn. Weird but I enjoyed it. Finally we watched the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Very cute and I highly recommend it.
That's all for now. Right now Marty, Jose (our professor), Caitlin, and I are chilling at a cafe downtown. I love this place and I can't wait to explore more today. I'll attempt to post photos later this afternoon/evening.
Yesterday the drive from Reykjavik to Akureyri took pretty much all day. We made several stops along the way. One of the stops we got to meet Caitlin's husband and son, who is about 2 and adorable. Caitlin is our "TA" for the remaining two weeks, though she isn't really a TA. During the summers she takes college groups around Iceland, which is what she is going to do with us since we have a lot of traveling ahead of us.
One of the better stops on our way north was a natural geothermal pool. Right on the coast of a fjord, a farmer made two pools with rock walls and a rock floor. The water was wonderfully warm and it was so cool to think that it was all natural. Plus we got to jump in the ocean. Well, some people jumped in. I stuck my feet in and it was freezing, so I quickly got out. But at least I can say I got in the ocean. And maybe it was the Arctic Ocean, I'm not totally sure, but I'd like to pretend it was the Arctic Ocean.
Then we got to meet our family. I feel so lucky with who I'll be living with. I still haven't met the older son, but the two children I have met at Gunnar and Karilina. They're both adorable and so full of energy. We had a family dinner of burritos. Not really Icelandic at all, but it was still tasty. They have a house rule where no one is allowed to leave the dinner table until everyone is done eating. I'm definitely a fan of this rule.
After dinner, Marty and I met with most of our group downtown and got some ice cream. Gunnar said the place we went was the best ice cream in all of Iceland. Not sure if I totally agree, though it was good. And I finally got my chocolate ice cream, but it wasn't totally chocolaty. I should have stuck with the vanilla soft serve.
Once we got back to the house, I met Karilina since she had been at a friend's house all day. Then the father got home with pizza. He was testing some of those cases that keep pizzas warm during delivery. He drove over an hour and the pizzas were still the perfect temperature. I'd say it was a success. And the pizza I tried was onion and corn. Weird but I enjoyed it. Finally we watched the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Very cute and I highly recommend it.
That's all for now. Right now Marty, Jose (our professor), Caitlin, and I are chilling at a cafe downtown. I love this place and I can't wait to explore more today. I'll attempt to post photos later this afternoon/evening.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Welcome to Akureyri
A little over four hours ago we made it to Akureyri and met our families that we will be living with over the next week and a half. Marty and I are with a great family with three children, though we've only met one so far. He's about 12 (I think) and really energetic. We wanted to go downtown to meet the rest of our group for the evening and he led us down there. We're fortunate that we're only about a 5 minute walk from downtown. Other people's homestays are much farther, up to a 40 minute walk. So Marty and I lucked out.
More updates to come. I'm pretty beat at the moment. It definitely seems like my time here will be great. Can't wait to get to know both the family and the city more.
More updates to come. I'm pretty beat at the moment. It definitely seems like my time here will be great. Can't wait to get to know both the family and the city more.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Good-Bye Capital City
Today is my last day in Reykjavik until the very last day of my trip when I
need to fly home. It’s been a fantastic two weeks and I’ve definitely
fallen in love with this town. If I don’t come back at least once in my
life, I’ll be pretty disappointed.
Yesterday, we were fortunate to have the morning off, which means I got to
sleep in. In the afternoon, we visited a nearby geothermal power plant.
The particular one we visited was fairly new, so the building was ultra
modern. We got to go inside and see all the giant machines where the hot
steam turns the turbines. There was also this great interactive wall that
explained the whole geothermal process. And it didn’t even smell that bad.
There was a tiny hint of sulfur in the air, but it wasn’t terrible. I
guess I’ve gotten used to it since I have to shower every morning in smelly
water.
Today we got to do what most of the tourists do – visit the Blue Lagoon.
It’s this great hot spring that’s heated from the geothermal plant next
door. The weather today was overcast and pretty windy, but I think that’s
perfect for when you’re soaking in really warm water. It was such a
relaxing experience and it was a great way to end our stay here.
The water was an unusual bluish-white color and you couldn’t see anything
in the water. This led to most of the guys taking off their swim suites so
they could be completely “free.” I guess they were enjoying themselves.
But it was a just fantastic experience. The lagoon is located really close
to the airport, so if anyone ever has a really long layover in Iceland,
definitely consider going. The only bad part is how bad the water dries
out your hair, but that’s a small price to pay.
Tomorrow morning we head up to our home stays in Akureyri. I’ll let you
know what my family is like once I meet them!
need to fly home. It’s been a fantastic two weeks and I’ve definitely
fallen in love with this town. If I don’t come back at least once in my
life, I’ll be pretty disappointed.
Yesterday, we were fortunate to have the morning off, which means I got to
sleep in. In the afternoon, we visited a nearby geothermal power plant.
The particular one we visited was fairly new, so the building was ultra
modern. We got to go inside and see all the giant machines where the hot
steam turns the turbines. There was also this great interactive wall that
explained the whole geothermal process. And it didn’t even smell that bad.
There was a tiny hint of sulfur in the air, but it wasn’t terrible. I
guess I’ve gotten used to it since I have to shower every morning in smelly
water.
Today we got to do what most of the tourists do – visit the Blue Lagoon.
It’s this great hot spring that’s heated from the geothermal plant next
door. The weather today was overcast and pretty windy, but I think that’s
perfect for when you’re soaking in really warm water. It was such a
relaxing experience and it was a great way to end our stay here.
The water was an unusual bluish-white color and you couldn’t see anything
in the water. This led to most of the guys taking off their swim suites so
they could be completely “free.” I guess they were enjoying themselves.
But it was a just fantastic experience. The lagoon is located really close
to the airport, so if anyone ever has a really long layover in Iceland,
definitely consider going. The only bad part is how bad the water dries
out your hair, but that’s a small price to pay.
Tomorrow morning we head up to our home stays in Akureyri. I’ll let you
know what my family is like once I meet them!
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