The sun was up when we went to sleep, and it was still up when we woke up the next morning. The entire time we were in Iceland, the novelty of constant light never wore off.
This was the view that we left as we checked out of our hotel and climbed into our trusty steed of a Campervan, set-up the GPS and set-off...to the grocery store.
Our home for the next 10 days
The population of Iceland is right around 330,000, with 200,000 of that population living within the city limits of Reykjavík. That leaves a lot of (beautiful!) empty roads between us and the next destination, so we stocked up on provisions: bread, cheese, jam, vege, apples, skyrr, cereal and instant coffee. Our wee-van was equipped with camp stove, pots and pans - but we ate very simply throughout the day, with our food stored in a convenient icebox in the back. Almost every night we would treat ourselves to dinner out. More on the delicious food we ate later.
After the icebox was stocked, we hit the road.
I had plotted out an ambitious route for us, going counter-clockwise around the island, marking all the waterfalls that I wanted to stop at. First one on the list was Seljalandsfoss. It's a popular stop for tourists because it is such a short distance from Reykjavík. While this was a spot where there were certainly lots of tourists (including us of course) it really didn't feel like that many, and I never felt jostled or uncomfortable or bothered. You can walk behind this waterfall, and though the rocks we walked on looked like they were slick and slippy, they actually had lots of grip. I still took each step very carefully, and was mildly terrified the entire time.
The view from behind the waterfall. We were both thoroughly damp from the mist
Our next waterfall stop was Skogafoss.
You could walk right up to the waterfall, and from every angle, you could see rainbows in the mist.
The scale of this waterfall was incredible. Water crashing, from 200 feet up, We climbed the stairs to the top and were able to look down on it as well.
I was super excited for the next stop; the black sand beach at Vik captured my imagination when I first saw the video for Bon Iver's song Holoscene.
It is all shot in Iceland, and it wasn't until we re-watched this video that we realized we had been to all of these places. I didn't believe so many different scenes could all be shot on one small island, but I was mistaken. The landscape changes so quickly as you travel, it's remarkable.
Cave formed out of the basalt columns. It was about 50 ft tall.
Spying our first puffin of the trip.
Not having started out as early as we would like, it was getting late (though it was still stunningly light out) and we still had to find some dinner and make our way to our campsite.
We found a restaurant called Sudur Vik, where we squeezed in and had a delicious dinner while watching the final soccer game between Iceland and France. Everyone was very involved in the game - and I heard it said that everyone who lives in Iceland knows at least one of the team members personally. I wouldn't be surprised it that was true. Unfortunately, Iceland lost that match, but it was still great to watch it all play out.
The sun was finally getting a little low on the horizon as we made our way to our first campsite, Pakgil. The super rocky, twisty, narrow, cliffside road was slow going, and visibility was close to nil as the sun shone right into our eyes most of the drive. Daniel maneuvered it like a pro, but I am not ashamed to say I was ready to turn back at any moment.
En route to Pakgil. Our home for the night was just past the rocky dome in the distance.
So many sheep, everywhere. Heaven.
When we finally arrived, the sun was still up, but behind the surrounding mountains. It was dark, but we still explored around a bit. There was a cave filled with candles for cooking and eating, and a fresh stream that babbled right by our camp spot. It was beautiful and peaceful, and only 6 other people at the campground.
The next morning, over my morning cup of (instant, but serviceable) coffee, the beauty of the spot really impressed us.
Panorama from our van
If I was to go back, I'd be happy to stay at Pakgil for much longer. There were lots of hikes that started at this point. I had a great conversation with an Icelandic woman at the dishwashing station who told me that this is where she vacations for a few weeks every year and just goes hiking from this spot.
The rocks that looked over us as we slept.
Our drive back out to the ring road. The clouds made the ground look alive.
The rocky ground was alive, after all.
The first few days were already remarkable, and we were only just getting started.
This summer, Daniel and I went on an adventure, and that adventure took place in Iceland. On Canada Day, we left the heat and humidity of Southern Ontario for Iceland, a much cooler, and much windier part of the world.
We arrived early in the morning after not sleeping much on the plane. As soon as we stepped outside the airport, we were greeted with a bracing cool breeze, which woke us up pretty quickly. A bus took us from the airport to Reykjavík, and I was instantly blown away by the views. Brown earth piles in weird formations, green mossy hills, rocky oceanside, fissures in the earth erupting steam - that was all in the first few minutes before I finally conked out asleep for the majority of the ride.
A quick 30 minute walk from the bus station to our hotel woke me up again, and after we checked in, we found out we were just in time for breakfast! Cleaned up and fed, we ventured into the city for exploring. We walked the streets for hours, enjoying the sights and sounds that are so similar, yet so different, from what we're used to. The sun was bright, the wind strong and cold, the views just wonderful.
A striking mural. They were everywhere.
Sólfarið, or Sun Voyager, by Jón Gunnar Árnason.
View through the peculiar windows at the Harpa Concert Hall
Statue of Odin, situated on a hill overlooking much of the city.
We found dinner at a fish and chip restaurant, aptly named Icelandic Fish and Chips, that was on a pretty side road by the harbour, and packed full of hungry tourists and locals alike. It was delicious, with several choices of unique yogurt sauces for the spelt crusted fish and side potatoes and mango salad We tucked in, and neither of us left a crumb behind. We stopped at lots of little shops, including the Handknitting Association of Iceland. There you can find a selection of lopapeysa (Lopi is the type of thick, warm woolen yarn used, and apparently "peyesa" means sweater. That would mean saying Lopaeyesa sweater is like saying "wool sweater sweater"). The authentic Lopaeyesa design dates way back to the 1950s (not that long at all) and there is a great article on the Huffington Post about the sweaters. I didn't pick up a sweater, or even yarn for one... yet. I had heard rumours of Lopi being sold in grocery stores, and wanted to check it out for myself.
Our walk back to the hotel on the edge of the city that night was bright and sunny. We walked through a park full of sculptures, and Hólavallagarður, a cemetary that was as full of trees as it was graves. It was a peaceful, sprawling place. A nice way to end our first evening in Reykjavík. Sleep came easy that night, with the curtains blacking out the midnight sun. We needed to be fresh, as the next day we were hitting the road, and starting our circumnavigation of the island.
After the hustle and bustle of the move back to Ontario, we have been taking things a bit slower. While it took us a month to pack everything up, it has taken double that to get almost properly settled.
Our new (and old) home base. This is the view off our balcony.
Inside it is warmer, with housewarming roses!
Our new place is great. We got started right away with putting things together, and without even realizing it - it looks very similar to our last apartment, with some extra square footage.
I've been promising lots of people pictures for a while, so without further ado... welcome to our new place!
At this point, we still have a little bit to do. Dan's office is put together, but not particularly exciting. There are still some clothes to sort through, and the last few boxes of odds and ends to deal with. But, all in all - we're home!
At the end of November, we decided to move back to Waterloo, date dependent on when we found someone to take over our lease. We had a pretty casual attitude about it, we'd find someone sometime between January and July. A week later, much to our surprise we found someone to take over at the first of January. At the beginning of December, Daniel went to Waterloo to find us a new apartment, and a week after that, we had signed a lease and had a moving van booked.
Since then, things have been a bit of an exciting blur. We went from being
perfectly settled in NJ and leisurely making plans for a Christmas trip
to Colorado, to: "We-Are-Moving-Back-To-Canada-In-A-Month-Time-To-Wrap-Up-Everything-Now". Every night after work, I would take boxes home from work and pack up a few things. First some books, then the games, then some clothes. It was genuinely satisfying to see things tucked away in cardboard.
We had family visitors in mid-December who helped with a bit of packing and made sure we were fed and watered after work every night (and fed and watered well!). We had the first of many mini-Christmas-celebrations with them then. There were holiday Christmas parties with work, goodbye visits and parties, and as much socializing as could be fit in with the general make-up of our days that were primarily: Work, Pack, Sleep, Repeat. The entirety of December buzzed by.
One of the highlights of December was getting something checked off my New Jersey Bucket List: Seeing a New Jersey Devils game. It was a last minute invite by some awesome friends. We got to visit with them and see a super exciting game. It was a win-win scenario for us.
It was Habs vs. Devils. It went into overtime and was super exciting.
And then, all of a sudden it was moving day. We had decided to do it all ourselves. One truck. 2 people. A lot of elbow grease. It was weird to simultaneously feel like we don't have many belongings (Oh wow! all of our stuff fits into the back of a truck!) to having too many belongings (oh. wow. Our stuff fills a truck).
Daniel tetris'd all of our stuff perfectly into the back of a truck.
The last night in our empty apartment we were wiped out, asleep by 9:30, sleeping on the floor, just like when we first arrived... Well, not just like - this time we slept on a proper mattress, not camping pads.
The last few things to get packed up are always so odd.
The next morning, the weather was perfect, and we were off! The border crossing was quick and simple, and it was heartwarming to have the officials welcome us home. As soon as we crossed into Canada, it had started to snow. It was a perfect welcome home gift... well, until it turned into a proper storm, and we couldn't see the road and realized that u-hauls aren't equipped with snow tires. Fortunately Dan is a winter driving super hero, and delivered us safely to our overnight spot with Sean and Nicole, just in time for dinner (and it was delicious!)
The next morning, Sean, Dan and I unloaded the truck into our new place, and once again we were struck with how much stuff we have.
Unpacking is one of my favourite things.
At this point, 95% of the unpacking is done. My goal is to have it done by the time of my next post - that way it will be apartment tour time again!
Princeton was an awesome adventure full of good things and excellent people. It was time for a new adventure. We're happy to be back - it feels like home.
7 years ago, it seemed like everyone in my life was moving
away and on to new and exciting things. My university town had been a
safe little nest, and having stayed in that nest longer than most, it
was time to break out. My little world had been so small for
so long, and then all of a sudden, friends and acquaintances who had
always been just steps away, were now scattered all over the country,
and the world (myself included). It's been amazing to see where people's
lives have taken them, and getting to visit them - that's my favourite
part.
I have been promising to visit my friend Rian since
she moved to the Yukon. A promise that has been unfulfilled for longer
than I'd like to admit. This February the wistful hopes and dreams of
going to visit became a reality when a friend texted me: "I was just
looking at the mileage I have earned and I have enough to fly to the
Yukon for free!!" I replied soon after: "I have enough too! Let's do
this!".
And with that, a plan was made. Tickets were booked. We packed our bags. On September 16th, we were on our way.
Of course, travel selfies were a must.
After
20 hours of travel, my first thoughts I had as we exited the airport
were not positive: "Oh my gosh cold." "Is it snowing?" "Why am I
wearing sandals?" Thankfully it wasn't snowing, and I had proper
footwear packed away for later. But as the shock of
"we're-really-not-in-New-Jersey-anymore" faded, all I could think
of was the air. It smelled good. It tasted good. I found myself
gulping it back like water.
That night we stayed in
the coziest little AirBnB, a tiny cabin called The Bunkie just outside
of Whitehorse. It was just perfect. There was a 3-legged dog named Dr.
Pepper and an outhouse where you put your TP in a paper bag for burning.
We learned later that you can extend the life of an outhouse by not
putting toilet paper in it. Now you know too.
The
drive from Whitehorse to Dawson City was a long and beautiful one (hence
the video I previously posted) and was a pretty fun part of the trip.
We had a budget and didn't want to pay insurance for an extra driver, so
Meaghan (my hero!) drove all 533 km. I did my best to be a good
co-pilot. Feeding her snacks, opening her lip balm, and singing the
entirety of Taylor Swift's newest album. At one point we passed by a
sign that said "You are Now Leaving the 911 Service Zone" We still
don't really know what that means, but we're glad we didn't have to find
out.
We stopped at almost all of the marked scenic lookouts. One of the best was at Five Finger Rapids.
It was actually this beautiful everywhere.
It
was here we met some others who were having their lunch at the sole
picnic table. They asked us to join them, and in only a few minutes of
chatting we realized they knew who we were going to visit. They were so
friendly, and they gave us some great advice on what to do. My favourite
comment from one of them was: "Lots of people live off grid, but
Rian and Chris take it to a whole new level." In a few hours we would
find out for ourselves what that meant.
To get to
their house, you drive 20 minutes out of town, park, walk for a few
minutes, and then canoe across a pretty fast-moving river. I've always
been impressed by my friend Rian, but seeing her maneuver canoes full of
dogs, gear, some city-slickers (us) and a baby all while laughing is
awe-inspiring.
Best and most "Canadian" commute ever.
After being
shown the ropes of the Johnson-Lougheed-Smith homestead (Don't wash the
dishes with drinking water, don't let the fire go out on a cold night,
decaf coffee is in the redbag and shouldn't be brewed in the milk
frother, and most important - sing on your way to the outhouse if you
want to scare off bears) we felt right at home thanks to our hosts and
never wanted to leave. I'd give up indoor plumbing in a heartbeat to
stay there forever.
The next
few days were just the best. We got to meet Rian's awesome partner,
her kick-ass kid and her dogs.
We knit and read books.
Rian read "The Gruffalo" many times to a captive audience... And Maggie.
We drank
coffee and picked berries.
Picking lingonberries. We put them in a pie.
We drank whisky by candle-light. We taught
Maggie to high-five.
In November 1966 the price of gold dropped and production ground to a halt. People were told to stop work and everyone put down their tools and walked out. The whole compound is a huge time capsule.
We were toured around town. We drove up to the top of the Dome and were snowed on.
Our last night in Dawson City we saw a beautiful display of Northern Lights. It was a perfect way to say goodbye.
Aurora Borealis. I was agog.
There
seems to be a joke that people who visit Dawson City either never
leave, or if they do - they spend the rest of their lives plotting
how to get back. I can't put my finger on what made such a strong
impression on me. I was only there for a week. Only a taste of what it
means to be there. The best description I have seen is this: The
freshness, the freedom, the farness." It's from The Spell of The Yukon
by Robert Service (full disclosure, I found that featured on the Yukon
Tourism website) and who better to describe the indescribable than a
poet.
It
feels like moments ago that I was hiding under the broadest brimmed hat I
could find, coating myself in sunscreen and dodging from shade spot to
shade spot during the hot summer days here. Now all of a sudden the
weather has made a turn toward the bearable. Temperatures are in the
14-20 degree range (celsius) during the day, the pervasive muggy sticky
feeling in the air has abated. Being out of doors is enjoyable again.
This summer has gone by like a whirlwind, and when I look back on it, it isn't hard to see how.
What
I thought would be a quiet, long and hot summer quickly transformed
into a busy, short (but still hot) one. We had visitors come to
us in June, July and August. A long drive up the East Coast to and from a lovely New Brunswick wedding with stops in Maine,
Massachussets, and Nova Scotia to visit friends and family.
There was a
whirlwind weekend trip to Calgary to attend and photograph a wedding.
I had so much fun photographing this wedding! I only got misty-eyed 100 times.
A
trip to NS to celebrate a large family wedding and visit even more
friends happened over Labour Day weekend.
Group shot of the eve of Sean and Nicole's beautiful wedding.
Thanks for reminding me to take the picture Nicole!
My final trip of the year
just ended with an epic adventure to the Yukon (which I will share more about soon, promise). Dan just got back from a
conference in Seattle. We have both spent a lot of time in airports.
And
this was just the summer. Spring went by quickly. Winter was a bit of
a blur, and before winter there was autumn. Last Autumn we had just
arrived in Princeton. The whole year has zipped by. It was our
Princetanniversary October 1st. One year. It has gone by fast thanks to
interesting and flexible employment, all of our many amazing trips, new
friends, and every wonderful visitor. While adjusting to all of the "new" in our lives, every piece of mail, every text,
every email and phone call from family and friends has made this move not only doable, but
enjoyable.
October 8th 2015 - Photo #4 in our Yearly Photo Project
So, here's to another year! More adventures,
travel and fun (Only 300 or so days until the next wedding I get to attend)
In the short term though, I think I'll stay put for a few months and
enjoy the cooler breezes of fall.
Last week, one of my best pals and I packed our bags and made the long trek to Dawson City. It was a long overdue trip to visit a friend from MtA, and I now understand a little bit about what draws people there every summer, or compels others to make their lives there. It isn't for everyone - but I sure wish it was for me. I will continue to live vicariously through my friend, and visit much more frequently (which shouldn't be a problem, just more than once every six years).
I'm not sure what I want to say about the trip and the visit yet - but I know I will sort it out. In the meantime, let me share this rag-tag video compiled of clips of the drive. Meaghan rented the car and I wasn't insured to drive it, so I took 1,000 pictures and more video than I knew what to do with. I tried my hand at video editing, and this is the result.
