Hot and cold and very beautiful

Here's a potted version of my Iceland trip -as always I've been trying to cram so much in, I've run out of time.....

On Thursday morning I tramped around Reykjavik - a city centre which is even tinier than I'd been led to imagine - it really is like an English county town, except with a slightly strange collection of buildings, a mix of corrugated steel and concrete. There's a lot of building work going on, not all of it popular (the locals really don't want yet another hotel, and who can blame them?) and the graffiti "taggers" as well as the artists have made it this far north - so I wouldn't call it picturesque, though it has a charm and of course with an incredibly low crime rate it has no edge to it. I saw a police car today, and apparently that's quite rare!

It's very laid back (service in some places a bit too much so!). For lunch yesterday I was in search of traditional lamb soup, but couldn't find it so ended up with some jolly nice fish soup in a restaurant called Laundromat - it's the first time I've paid £14 for soup, but I was in a rush to get to my free walking tour and desperation had sunk in. If you want a burger or any other kind of fast food in Reykavik, it's easy! I did succomb to a hot dog from the famous van today - been here since 1937. It was only a couple of quid and actually quite nice for a hot dog. Fastest service ever!

I was recommended a nice little cafe bar called Kaffe Konsul and can report back that both coffee and cake are excellent, and service with a smile in easy chairs.

The walking tour was taken by a wag who fancied himself as a bit of a comedian, and gave us quite a lot in the way of history, but not much in the way of walking and I'd like to have seen a few more monuments, historic buildings and such - it didn't help to orientate me the way that other tours have done. But I met 3 really nice women and met them again on the Golden Circle tour, and we've been out for dinner tonight as it's the last one for all of us. And despite the Icelandic comedian where the only part of his act we understood was the strangled cat, we had a nice evening listening to some Christmas songs, eating fish and drinking wine. Kate, Tracey and Annie, I hope we meet again soon - it's been a pleasure.

Also on Thursday night I got on a coach that took me to another coach that took us out south east of the city to see the Northern lights. I did see the aurora borealis but not in colour - it was white and subtle but very pretty nonetheless, and I was quite mesmerised. Once it had ebbed away, we went on to Thinvellir to try and catch some more - though sadly they didn't materialise, I did see the best starry starry night ever, plus shooting stars and more twinkle than I could every imagine. No pictures whatsoever have come out - :0(

A first this trip - going to the theatre to watch something in a foreign language! I'd been lucky enough to be given a free ticket to the National Theatre of Iceland's version of the RSC's Robin Hood - I was told as it's very visual so I should be able to work out what was going on and I could - it had a lot of As you like it about it, with Maid Marian being Martin and so on. It was very physical, almost circus-like, with lots of music and performed with great vim and vigour. But considering it's a production aimed at families, was quite surprised by the level of suggested violence. Really - hangings, threatened beheadings and throat slittings, a tongue cut out - plus quite a lot of sexual references that even I and the kids could understand, plus a wet camisole (there was much use of an on-stage pond, and a fiery pit - really well used) . I guess Icelandic children are brought up on Vikings....enjoyed it nonetheless, with very inventive use of a massive sloping backdrop covered in green velour.

However, having gone straight home to bed on my return the night before, apparently I missed a spectacular show visible from the city itself if you were high up enough. So last night after the theatre I went out to the beautiful church (below)which is fairly high up and was treated to 4 little shows - I got very excited and cried a bit.

The other bonus, courtesy of Wendy from Colerado who was also up at the church (we'd met at breakfast on the first day, and she loves Reykjavik so much she's been about 12 times), was a moonlight visit to the sculpture garden of Einar Jonsson. It was made even more special by the sparkling frost on the sculptures, which are quite breathtakingly beautiful. I returned there tonight with Tracey, Annie and Kate, as a consolation prize for not having seen any aurora...

I didn't really take any pictures of the Blue Lagoon as I hadn't realised I could acquire a special waterproof pouch, but to be honest it all got a bit misty and hard to see. I enjoyed the warm waters, and the mud face pack - would like to have stayed a bit longer and spent more time in the sauna and steam room, but must admit that the presence of the annoying and slightly drunk American I mentioned in my FB post was a bit of an encouragement to get my scheduled bus. Very pricey though! 10 quid for a towel, a drink and a few samples on top of the entrance fee included in the trip. The area around it is like a lunar landscape - beautiful and bizarre.

When I came back I checked out the National Gallery of Iceland and was a bit disappointed as the main exhibition by Nina Tryggvadottir didn't float my boat. They're very proud of a Picasso they acquired 'Jacqueline au ruban jaune'

and I really enjoyed the scupture of Nina Saemundsson, who also has a work just down the road of a woman and child. There are lots of great sculptures around the city too

Mother and child

From a distance - yes I thought he was real...

Sculpture in the park

My last day was the Golden Circle coach tour which took in Thinvellir the rift valley where the tectonic plates of Eurasia and North America meet, Gulfloss with the amazing waterfalls, some exploding geysers and finally a little show at Fakasel of the very cute and very talented Icelandic horses, who have 2 extra ways of moving beyond a walk, trot or gallop - they also have a tolt and a pace move where their legs go 19 to the dozen and their rider remains remarkably still. And here are some photos of all these beautiful things

Sundown near the geysers

My name is Mushroom, and I can trot really really fast

Golfloss

The rift valley - America meets Europe

Orgasmic guyser

|Little ponies in action

I left early this morning with a slightly tight and fraught journey to the airport in terms of timing - and Mr Minneapolis was in my departure lounge, but thankfully although he didn't recognise me I still hid anyway. Home is very mild in comparison, and the first load of washing is done. I now have 9 weeks til I go back to work and it's going to be so tough....

Iceland is beautiful place - it's so dramatic and wild, yet Reykjavik is so parochial. Can't decide whether I want to return for the land of the midnight sun or again when it's snowing with a second chance to see a more animated northern lights and the beauty of the snow and ice. Gotta save up first though....thank you Vikings....

Down to zero

Well actually that's probably a bit overdramatic. They've obviously had some snow here in Reykjavik, but although it's certainly chilly compared to dear old London town it's only just dipped below freezing at the moment.

After a busy month volunteering for Crisis at Christmas (which will continue til mid January) and You Me Bum Bum Train (good fun), and taking over SLT Box Office (if I offer to do any more volunteering, will someone please shoot me), I have a mini break in Iceland as I got a Groupon deal which seems to be one of the cheapest ways to get a chance to witness the wonder of the Northern lights.

After an ok flight from Gatwick via Squeezyjet and 2 well-organised coaches, arrived at this nice little Hotel Fron around 8.15pm. I'm handily slap bang in the middle of the city centre, with the main shopping street  Laugavegur right outside my window. Haven't really explored very much beyond here as of course when it's dark it's a tricky exercise, plus I was hungry and concerned about kitchens closing. Pity really, when an ok salmon dinner with a glass of wine and a coffee has cost me £30 - so I have to ignore the "sod it" instinct over the next few days I think to be good to my waistline and my wallet!

When I say it's the main shopping street, it's more like a county town rather than Oxford Street - quite narrow, chicaned and with very little traffic. Lots of nice shops, some quite out-there merchandise, but not many price tickets in the windows. And a Rossopomodoro Italian joint, which is a bit bizarre - of all the chains to find. All very Anglicised, apart from the restaurants which sell puffin, lobster and whale meat, none of which I will be eating. There's also a cuddly toy shop devoted entirely to puffins, and one to polar bears. Polar bears aren't native to Iceland, but apparently one or two have rocked up. Odd. There are probably more of them in the shop.

The coach driver said that a lot of coaches have gone out in search of the Northern lights tonight, so I do hope that we get clear skies tomorrow which is what's needed to encourage their appearance.

I'll keep this pretty brief as I want to have an early night to make the most of the one full day I have in Reykjavik tomorrow - plus I have no pictures yet. I worked out tonight that this is the 27th place I have stayed in since my long leave began in July, and the first one that I've bought thermal underwear for. So I hope it does get colder, else that will feel like a waste as it never seems to be cold enough at home, and being a woman of a certain age my need for this type of garment has diminished considerably - I'm usually the one glowing violently in the corner of the tube carriage......