Chapter 1 - The journey begins...

Well I´ve been here just over a week now. We didn´t do much the first few days.. and yes I know what you´re all thinking and you´re right... I was jet lagged and was getting some much needed rest! ;-)

I´m staying in the capital, Reykjavik, which is a city by the ocean and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. There are about 150,000 people that live in this city, which is about half the country´s population. We have ventured out of the city a few times now and what strikes me most is the uniqueness of this place... It´s so peaceful, tranquil and untouched. “Some people claim that in the silence of Iceland´s wilderness you come closest to hearing God.” The terrain is very barren and full of lava/rock covered in moss, with hardly any trees at all. There is a saying here that if you get lost in a forest... just stand up.

Just before Easter, we traveled about 300km west and went to a beautiful place with an awesome glacier (which I can´t even begin to pronounce let alone spell!) We did a lot of hiking and the scenery was stunning... with the ocean on one side of us and the mountains and glacier on the other. We had the most perfect weather too... albeit a little nipply... it was maybe -5 or -10 degrees with wind chill... this is what the locals call “window weather”... beautiful to watch from behind closed doors! We went on the glacier with snow mobiles and had soooo much fun... the most fun you can have with your clothes on! And on that note – I´ve never had more clothes on in my life!! I wore tights, trackies, another pair of pants, hiking boots, a woolen skivvy, a wind stopper, a big jacket, scarf, beanie, two pairs of gloves and a full one piece body suit over the top of all that to go on the glacier. Not to mention a huge helmet that when I tilted my head in any direction I almost fell over! Some might have thought I was about to launch off to go to the moon with that sexy space helmet on! But alas I wasn´t cold!!

After our adventures of that day, we stayed in a farmhouse lodge for the night. The lodge was owned by a lovely local... a fat, long haired man who boasted a very strong smell some might call body odour! Given that it´s only April and the tourists are yet to arrive, we were the only two people staying in the lodge and he was obviously very pleased to see some people... let alone two women! He got even more excited (and I do believe I even saw some frothing at the mouth) when we stated we wanted the room with the double-bed as opposed to the room with the single beds. I think Birna and I both slept with one eye open that night and although I didn´t see any shadows lurking under the door during the night, he couldn´t stop staring at us the next morning as we were having breakfast and had a grin from ear to ear. Hmmm... Maybe the comment about us being porn stars for a lesbian film company didn´t help??

It´s snowing right now as I write this.. horray... I really wanted it to snow. Ever since I was little, I had a fascination with the snow... so I think I might go outside now to have a bit of a frolic! The weather has taken some adjusting to and has generally been between about 0 and 7 degrees. Whenever venturing out here, you should set aside an extra 10 minutes to ´prepare´ to go outside. So even a leisurely stroll involves dressing up like the Michelin man! So picture this.... long johns, blue trackies, grey skivvy, red wind stopper, big jacket, gloves, scarf and green beanie (which when you take off looks like you just rolled out of bed)... I know I know... very sexy indeed! And just when you thought I couldn´t look any sexier.... the cold makes my nose turn bright red and run like a tap – so I look like Rudolph the Reindeer and after our walks or bike rides, I have to chisel off the frozen snot above my lip!! So yes... I´m sure I´m making quite an impression on Birna!! (I´m thinking of starting a new trend actually... to walk around with tissues stuck permanently up my nose... what do you think? I can see it on the catwalk now – it´s going to be a hit I know it!)

So I guess the question on everyone´s lips... How´s things going between Birna and I. Well I feel so happy to be here and to be spending time with Birna and getting to know her better. We are getting along so so well and I feel very lucky that we have this time together! I have met the “in laws” and some of Birna´s other family and friends... they are all very lovely people who have been very warm and welcoming. They do speak some english which is great and when they speak Icelandic, I just smile and nod! The most common question that I´ve been asked (and all foreigners get asked) is, “so... how do you like Iceland?” It´s kind of a running joke that the locals always ask foreigners that question.

I am going to start a course in a few weeks... “Icelandic for Foreigners” to learn some of the basics of the language. So give me a month and I should be speaking fluent Icelandic like a true local. You may not recognise me when I come home.... as I´ll have a strong Icelandic accent... and not to mention, the colour of my skin will be whiter than the snow that has just fallen!
Anyways... Hope you´re all well and know that I´m thinking of you all.

Stay tuned for the next exciting edition of “the adventures of Iri in Iceland” ... coming soon... watch this space! xx