The First Days in Iceland: #1 and #2

Jetlagged and sleepy we scraggled out of bed the next day in time to venture once into town and get these Reykjavik City Passes, which included bus fares, museum entry, and best, entrance into spas. So what did we hit first? The SPA of course! Can't really take pictures in there, but they have several hot tubs outside, and it was snowing, so your bottom half is reeeally warm, and your top half is pretty cold, but its a luscious mix. It's a pretty Icelandic thing to do since all of it is GEOTHERMAL LY HEATED. They just pop by after work, swim a few laps, and then relax in the tubs.

Well after that experience we ventured out for a bit to eat.

All bundled up.



And braving the snow. It would flow right into our faces.


We happened on this hamburger joint where we got discounts with our passes and guess what? It turned out to be the place where the Cold War Peace talks were held! See the photo behind Abby and Mitch.


I REALLY LIKE HIM.

And do you know what it also did, that was oh so sweet? It kept a record of the population of Iceland on the wall behind us. And yes, a baby was born while we were there! A server stood on a stool, rang the bell, and added #320,011 while we were at dinner.

We crashed early, and the next day headed into Reykjavik's City Center.


Where they sold freshly canned Icelandic Air. I wonder if the tinned Salmon is just as fresh?


Caught views like this from the harbor.


Climbed on statues.


And went into the Culture Museum. We stopped into here because it had some Icelandic Sagas on display from Medieval times that I reeeally wanted to see. Do you know what else they had? A BOOK IN RUNES. Like Futhork and all that. I was beside myself. Do you know what Mitch and Fran saw? Some disturbing artwork of chairs shaped like private parts. That's what you get for not wanting to see Medieval literature come to life.


Do know what else we saw while we were in there? (Or I should rather say who?) The ex-prime minister of Iceland!! He was on trial there for their whole financial crash in 2008. I might have even been on tv as a camera got me in the background of the stairs as he left the room. So. This is Abby outside the Culture Museum because we couldn't take pictures inside.


This was a slide they had in a department store!!! Alot of their store designs had interactive features.



This is the main church, a Lutheran one, of which the entire population is pretty much a member. It was built after WWII and the top shows an excellent view of the city.

Here in front of the church is a statue of Lief Erikson America gave Iceland to say
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FINDING US FIRST."


Here's a view from the top of the church on the colorful Icelandic houses.


After that, we were starving so went for some Icelandic food at Cafe Loki (named after a Norse god). I cannot begin to tell you how delicious their food is. This is mashed fish on rye bread with moss tea. It doesn't sound appetizing does it? Eat it to believe it, folks. Abby, who is probably the pickiest eater I have ever met, took one bite of their bread and said, "This is the best stuff I have ever eaten." And the moss tea? It tasted rather like green tea, but more pungent. I liked it. The mashed fish? Delicious. So much so, I bought a cook book before I left. Does anyone know where to find rye flour in the UK?

At Cafe Loki. I couldn't resist, it's so momentous.


We walked around in a snow storm to find the National Museum of Iceland. Fran found some ducks.


What do you do when your sister-who-has-a-masters can't read a map? Make snow angels. Duh.



Prally my favorite part of the National Museum of Iceland. Each of these drinking horns is intricately carved with stories: some from the Bible, some from their mythology, some from their sagas. It's more exciting once you've read the Sagas and you hear how someone was slipped a potion into their drinking horn, and then it's like "Oooo! This is their version of roofies and this is what they drank it out of."

SB 2012: Part 1, London

Ok SO here are photos from the first leg of journey.

all journeys should begin and end at Kings Cross

DO YOU LIKE MY GLASSES???!?!


The brother arrives and we are at Picadilly Circus



my men at the most manly place in London: the Imperial War Museum

I can't even begin to tell you how incredible this museum is and how much I LOVE spitfires.



they even had periscopes that actually worked! along with an incredible submarine experience. My favorite bit? The WWI Trenches. I made Mitch and Fran go through them at the end when they told me they had somehow missed it. Confession? I completely lost my breakfast after going through the Holocaust exhibit. I couldn't take photos, but they had shoes and shoes and shoes from the camps and oh...


Ok so this fascinated me. They had carrier pigeons that in WWII they would drop to civilian areas, have them write responses, and set them free, where they would fly back to the origin. How sweet is that?


After the museum, we hurried to watch Wolverhamtpon get stomped by Fulham in the best stadium, Craven Cottage. We saw 5 goals and the American, Clint Dempsey scored TWICE.


We were purty happy despite the incessant onpour of rain.


How do you recover from 4 hours in the rain? A hot meal of course!
(And perhaps a cheeky pint?)



Yes, the world is truly a better place because there is coffee. AND because sister arrived!


Abby got me the DVD The 39 Steps years ago; it's a play written by a Scotsman that was on at the festival last year, and is now on tour at Picadilly Circus. I will need to see it someday.


Ok you can't see it, but I'm point to the word "BYRON" because it reminds me of one of my favorite people ever: because we used to skip class and read Oscar Wilde, discuss hedgepigs on coats of armour, cook Southern good, and because she is a distant relation to Byron, whom we both find endearing.


On the steps of Trafalgar Square and we had a moment: is this where the lady fed the pigeons from Mary Poppins?? Do you know?

One of the Trafalgar Lions. Who can resist, really?


After growing up on Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christies, the revelation that Scotland Yard exists was almost as good as the Americans on the tube who asked if they could get to Narnia through London.


To me this is London



Parliament. I once protested here, right before some guys dropped a smoke bomb. I left before they hit Charles and Camilla's car.

V for VICTORY. V for Vendetta. And V for Churchill. He makes WWII seem so real and makes me so proud to be American.



So much has happened here. Isn't Britain a truly great nation? To look at one building and have about 20 different people pop into your head must stand for something. But perhaps I am biased because half of them are poets and dead queens.


Aaaand we are off! Baggage packed: check. Taken over half the tube: check. My baggage overweight: check. You'll be delighted to hear that not only could I not lift it up the stairs, I couldn't lift it down the stairs. At one point I just rolled it down the stairs like a sled at which even those pious businessmen could not keep their stiff faces.

Sprung Break

The triumvirate, London, Buckingham Palace

I've just spent the last ten days with my siblings and had the best time ever. My thoughts are entirely scattered, and it will probably take a few days for me to assemble them, but my immediate overwhelming emotion is gratitude. Even though these past few days have been wonderful and snowy and stressful and joyous, I'm more excited that I was able to experience all of those things with my brother and sister, that I shared it with them. I honestly think that I couldn't hand pick better siblings. I don't think I've laughed so much in the last week than I have in the last 3 months. I'm determined one day to either live near them, or make enough money to be able to see them a gazillion times a year. I love that we are three; that we don't really look alike, but Abby makes the connection between me and Mitch; that Mitch is the funniest person I know; that Abby is as tough as iron and has a heart of gold; that we are all born in odd years; that we know the same stories and often share the same thoughts; that they are brave and industrious; that we have shared so many exotic experiences; that we encourage and challenge each other in all aspects of life. After they left, I spent the entire train ride back watching our childhood favorite, the BBC Chronicles of Narnia. I could gush all day on why I like them so much, but will spare you the need to go watch something cynical after such a slobbering post and end here, with the promise of actual photos and stories soon.

Itinerary with Siblings

Here's a small itinerary for our time away:

Friday, March 2: Fran and I train down to London

Saturday, March 3: Pick up my brother at airport

Monday, March 5: Pick up sister at the airport;
Evening, fly out to Iceland.

Tuesday, March 6: Northern Lights viewing expedition

Friday, March 9: Return flight to London

Sunday, March 11: Both brother and sister return to the States
Fran and I train back to Edinburgh

Northern Lights

still shot from this source

Ever since watching an episode of Bear Grylls in Iceland I've wanted to go. I remember it exactly. He was talking about the landscape, with all these pockets of caves and dens, and he said, look at these, look at this landscape and you can easily see why people believed in trolls and fairies living in places like these.

And I was hooked. Fascinated that somewhere the landscape and climate could affect belief in such a way. What's also incredible about Iceland is that one can see the Northern Lights. I read somewhere (though I can't find it now) that the Northern Lights are at their peak right now, and have even been said to be seen in Scotland this winter.

Seeing the Northern Lights has held a fascination for me since childhood. I remember watching the movie Balto and my mom telling me that Northern Lights actually existed. And then, that their real name was Aurora Borealis, and the princess from Sleeping Beauty? Her real name is Aurora. As a child of seven, the prospect of seeing this natural wonder dazzled me.

Finally, Iceland has some pretty darn cool sagas. They're the stories that surround Beowulf without being specifically English: ones with wolves and fire and magic and evil witches and incest and shape shifting. When one of my professors first told me these stories, (UNC Brit Lit 101, Ted Leinbaugh) I was riveted. Now I know several people at Durham working on Icelandic Lit. and their papers? Always interesting.

So yeah. I'm rather embarrassed to admit this, but that's where I'll be going next week. My brother and sister are flying over from the States and we'll stay a few days in London, and then we're all going to Iceland. Fran too. I've been pouring over guidebooks, planning, and attempting not to plan. It hasn't quite hit me yet that I'm going, but I think by Monday, once both siblings have feet planted on English soil, I'll be so happy to have an experience to share with them I might just wet my pants.

A Real Library

Central Reference Library, Edinburgh

I am pick-eee when it comes to where to work. I'm sure this is a very bad habit. I can work in coffee shops for an hour or two, but then I get distracted and bored and the coffee gets cold, and that is YUCK. The Edinburgh University Library is ok: it has some beautiful views over the meadows, but the low ceilings remind me of Davis Library (UNC) and sometimes I feel like I'm getting squashed. THAT and it is so competitive to find spacing. I hate that. Then there is the NLS. The National Library of Scotland is friggin amazing. It is a copyright library, so it has a copy of every book that was ever printed in Britain past... I dunno, 1900 or something. It has high ceilings, but no real windows with a view. Worse, there are all these really good academics, who actually know what they're doing, milling around and I feel so intimidated! BUT the NLS is good because 1. it has delicious soups and bread for pretty cheap and 2. I sometimes run into the lady I nanny for, and she is the salt of the earth and makes me feel better about, well, everything. Still, I don't frequent the NLS as often as I should.

But today I waltzed into the Central Library to get a book on Iceland, when they directed me to the reference Library. As I climbed two huge flights of steps, my hopes rose, and I thought, maybe it'll be beautiful. And ya'll, it was. I discreetly snapped the above photo. It has huge high ceilings, at least two stories. There's even a little Bannister and ladders for the really high up books-- sort of like Beauty and the Beast. The desk all face the same way (yay!!), it is spacious, and it wasn't crowded. It reminded me a lot of Wilson Library at UNC. I knew Edinburgh had to have a really beautiful library somewhere, and I'm cross with myself it's taken me so long to find it. Now just need the motivation to leave my teeny room with its unlimited cups of tea and mess for some real working. Am I the only one that think reading books should come with a beautiful room?

One of those days

"Men like chocolate. Women need it." - M.A. Macleod