So mum and I are back from our big trip.... twas really really good. It started as all trips in Iceland must... in Rvk. We checked out the art work outside the Perla - I had to go and have a second check at the cancer clinic.... After 4 hours of waiting all was good, nothing to worry about..... I was relieved - very very relieved.
Relaxing with my big brother Helgi and his son Gunni.... we all like a good sofa.
Next day early morning take off from Keflavík, we had a great flight - best was that there was a really good view of central Iceland and all our lovely glaciers.
In Frankfurt Kristín was there to meet us as the airport which was an added bonus as I had left my normal glasses in the car in Kef and didn't really look forward to taking a rental car. Added bonus to that was that the rental car people had cancelled our reservation as for some reason it had shown a pick up at 10am - we arrived at 3pm.... my bad - but I was extremely relieved to not have to drive in Frankfurt - especially not without glasses.
the two Kristin Helgadóttirs, so nice - I know mum really really enjoyed the time we spent in Frankfurt and thanks to Kristín and Reynir for being so good to us while we were there. Chauffeurs on call as well as great meals and great companionship. Lovely people. I don't have a photo of Reynir - but I have plenty of video material... yep I had a video the whole time - have three hours of tape to edit and put on disc.
My wonderful wonderful friend Amanda, my godson Matthias came via train to Frankfurt on the Friday to spend time with us - I don't know what I did in the this life or the former ones to get such wonderful friends... so blessed. Bernd my old boss and good friend, father to Matthias and husband of Amanda drove up later to have dinner with us - and breakfast the next day. They have done so much for me over the last 16 years - I will never ever be able to repay them - but will do my best.
Matthias and Bernd... two sweeties, knowing them and having them in my life has made my life so much better.
Then, we met up with the rest of the tour group at Frankfurt airport on the Saturday. Off we went on a bus trip from Frankfurt to Strasbourg, we almost ended up being stuck in the wonderful thing that is called a stau.... a traffic jam on the autobahn... they take 3 hours to get through, but our driver spoke to another driver and we were able to avoid it and make it onto the boat in time for dinner.
Then the trip began and we sailed along the Rhine from Strasbourg to Amsterdam. Stopping in Rüdesheim, Köln, Nijmegen and finally Amsterdam. The following photos were taken between Rüdesheim and Köln, the most picturesque part of the tour as well as the one with the best weather.
Then there is a whole chapter about the meals on the boat.... oh boy were we over fed. I am wearing a pair of jeans that I bought in Frankfurt, they were snug when I bought them but now I feel like a tightly strung piece of meat.
Our tour guide was Íris, the blonde on the left - she was brilliant, so positive and happy and able to break the communication and cultural barriers that were there with the Icelanders and Germans, helps that she lived in Mainz for 20 years and speaks fluent and lovely German - also helps that she has such a sunny and bright disposition - no one can not like her. The lady to her right is the Badda the wife of one of my cousins (Helgi Sæma).
Yes the food, I didn't take my camera to every meal.... but one meal I did... this was a lovely smoked salmon starter. We had a huge buffet breakfast, 4 courses for lunch and 3 at dinner.... oh boy talk about over eating....
After dinner there were a few of us addicted to the nicotine that met at the back end of the ship.... twas a good group of folk.
The second to last night was a gala dinner so everyone dressed up... Here are the sisters three that went on the trip, ma, Guja and Mæja. looking pretty good for being 85, 91 and 79.
With every meal we had as much to drink as we could given the time and the amount of food we had to consume...
On gala night we were in Nijmegen - in Holland - which happens to be the home town of one of my closest friends from my time in Iceland 1986-1989. She and Gregor met in Iceland and thats where love first bloomed on her last night on the rock.. . they kept in touch and met up and finally she moved to his home town in Holland and has been there for over 16 years... I last saw them sometime in the 90's. When we met - it was like it was yesterday. That's the definition of being BFFs
In Amsterdam we went on a bit of a road trip on a bus and part of the trip was to a place that sold clogs and cheese.
Our boat/ship's stern...
My lovely cousins Helgi and Kristín.
Coming home was excellent and Snotra was there to meet and greet us with lots and lots of meows (how do you spell that?) I haven't taken a photo of Freyja yet to post. But she seemed quite happy to see me.... she has gone to bed....
The road trip home was excellent and the weather today has been brilliant.
Ah yes, holidays are good, and this one was excellent, got to know cousins that I haven't talked to much and haven't really known. Now we are all the bestest of friends as well. Mum and I did good too, we can share a cabin for 5 days without a problem. Have posted all the photos on flickr - will do the video and will send it to my fellow travelling relatives.
Almost forgot!!!!
Today was my lovely grandson Henry Þórs first birthday - ofcourse forgot to take the camera, but am sure that Olga and Vicki will post photos on their blogs. He is just the greatest!!!!! And don't forget to check out Majas blog for pics of the lovely Olivia! My God my relatives have lovely children!
3 comments:
Bernd and Amanda don't seem to have changed since I first met them 10 years ago, you'd only know they were older because Matthias is all grown up!
What's this about the cancer clinic?
Sounds like a really great holiday, and I'm craving smoked salmon after seeing your photo of that entree...
Thank you for the fantastic travel diary and photos. Sounds amazing!So nice to see your old buddies again. And the cousins, I don´t know Guja´s lot that well. Still good to be home I bet.
I called Henry my Grandson.... ofcourse I meant grand nephew.... sometimes I forget that I don't have children of my own so have taken over those of my siblings! Cancer clinic was a second check after the mammogram that I had here in the hook, had to wait hours as they forgot that I was there (was getting pretty worried - had had a second mammogram and was waiting for a sonar thingy) Mum was in the waiting room getting even more worried as it was unusual how long I was taking. Twas a good holiday and the salmon was amazing - they used quark (like skyr)with herbs in the roll. Yep Unnur, really good to be home! But a great holiday nevertheless
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