Democracy is being allowed to vote for the candidate you dislike least. ~Robert Byrne

Sauðárkrókur at around 10pm

So today is the first day of summer according to the Icelandic calendar - which means a day off from work... very nice.

When I woke up this morning the sun was shining and the sky was a clear blue, as the day progressed the clouds rolled in and now there is a fairly cool breeze outside.

So, the first day of summer is a pretty big thing here. Everyone you meet you wish a happy summer and thanks for the winter... love that. Also the scouts have a bit of a parade to the church and have a special scouting service. (I was asleep... bad me).

Here in town the local women (most of whom teach or are assistants at the primary school) decided to have a bit of a market in the "black house" , selling knit wear, jewellery and giving away coffee and pikelets - the museum next door was also opened to let folk check out the exhibitions. To make it a little more interesting they asked the local motorcyclists to come and join them (as you can imagine - motorcycling is only done in the summer months here). They had a really good turnout.

Also today, the local co-op - KS celebrated it´s 120th birthday and opened the new workshop that is just down the road (and subject of a lot of my photos when I am walking the dog). It was a really good day and by the looks of how many cars were there I would say that probably 70% of the locality showed up for the entertainment, speeches, cake, kók og prins that were on offer.

Now am off to dinner at Olafshús with Maggi, Sigga, Helgi and mum (today is maggi´s parents 38th wedding aniversary... )

A perfect day - work tomorrow - but only for one day and the tax returns seem to be coming along... I love my life.

Have I told you - the dog's on heat... talk about pmt....

and that the cat is scarily crazy sometimes... just ask Maja, Olga, Kristinn and Anna.....

and the quote is because general elections are on Saturday - and I still haven´t decided who is getting my vote - this is a first!

The umpire... is like the geyser in the bathroom; we cannot do without it, yet we notice it only when it is out of order. ~Neville Cardus

Time for the weekly post sans photos...

Today was spent learning how to be a judge/umpire for an athletics event that will be here on the first weekend of August. UMFÍ is the Icelandic young peoples sporting organisation and because a town that was supposed to host had to bail (probably due to recession and not having the money to build the track etc)... so Skagafjordur offered to be host this year. One of my cousins is the head honcho in the athletics side of sports here in the fjord and has called upon me and Maggi to be the main computer entry people during meets here. Anywho, now he has decided that I really need to know the rules.... So on a beautiful spring day - I was indoors learning the legal weight and length of a javelin spear... hmmm more useless information - however, bright side - orange pieces of pie in triv may now be more accessable (so long as the question relates to track and field...)

I pinched the pic after the post... suitable or what..

http://www.lapsura.com/drawings/archives/images/trivial-pursuit.jpg

to give correct reference to where the image came from...

Poems and songs with pipes and drums A thousand welcomes when anyone comes... Author unknown

the reason for the trip to London... power drumming from Ross and Nick

this is nicko doing his thing....

and here are Snowman doing their thing...

Another reason for going to London was to try and find the right retro wedding dress for Olga.. The perfect dress is a simple ivory dress with a rounded collar - not high with a waist and in fabric that "stands" for itself - ie no frilly crap.. anyone with any ideas.. have now checked out ebay and also dress patterns.. I kind of like this one

but I know that this is not what she wants... too much perhaps...

Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest. Robert Montgomery

Ok so off we went to London. Breakfast at the airport was all important - I had already had my cheerios and súrmjólk, so I figured a corona and a pack of crisps was the right start for a holiday in London...



We had an amazing time, day one was spent at the tower and checking out the ravens - the best thing about the tower really - apart from fish and chips.. I kid ofcourse, but hey...

Nice fish....

The evenings were spent around the kitchen table enjoying the latest in crisp varieties... cajun squirrel, onion bhaji, chili chocolate, builders breakfast, fish and chips, and one more that I can not remember... must have been bad.

We went on the eye... twas well... a good view... but for someone suffering from a fear of heights it was well... I could have lived without it.. Nah, am glad we went up.

Finally managed to catch up with my most dearest childhood friend Dom and his wife Yanira, the nicest people a person could ever have the honour of calling a friend.. and the best thing is - nothing changes that.

The British museum was also on the list of things that should be done... and what is better than a case full of cat gods.

My beautiful niece Olga... a great host and a wonderful human being!!

The ancient house in Walthamstow.. a great name for a great house, which unfortunately is no longer a pub, nevertheless we managed to find a few others.

This was the Freehouse, which had a fine selection of ales and quiz nights each week where you could (if smart enough) win 250 GBP... worth a trip back me thinks.

Then we found another place that had pie... hmmm meat pie... also has karaoke and bbq... and also a good selection of ales and a great loo.

but all good things must come to an end and now I am home sweet home and happy again.. (not that I wasn´t happy before) but hey it is always good to be home.

“You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; Samuel Johnson

Yes off to London early on Sunday morning. Will hopefully have lots and lots of great photos from the time there to show you folks..

So far the plan is to arrive around midday on Sunday, go in the evening to experience Snowman play an accoustic show. Then just let life take over till Wednesday when we go and meet up with nephew Nick and the band he is currently playing with... and Friday fly back to Iceland... so basically the trip is totally unplanned and will just unfold.. and hey - London... so much to do - so much to see ... so many ales to try..

I need probably not mention that I am going to miss the dog...