Winter is nature's way of saying, "Up yours." ~Robert Byrne

Today is officially the first day of winter in Iceland, and it certainly pulled out all the stops in order to make sure that we realised this - more on that later.
This week my friend Rachel came to visit me, Rachel lives in Hamburg, but is originally from Melbourne, we met in Hamburg when I was living there. The visit was a spur of the moment thing and I thank her for taking the time to come up here to the frozen north! Good for us Icelanders to get some Euro´s spent in the country. Here is Rachel on the hill above town - see those great mountains. I do so love this place!

On Thursday night I invited Maggi and Guðný over for dinner - we had roasted sheeps back... yummy!! followed by the usual berry dessert - this time with strawberries from mums garden, blue berries from the hills above town and blackberries imported from somewhere... as usual it went down well with copious quantities of red wine.

´We don´t usually go out on a Thursday night - but as Rachel was here we made an exception to our normal drinking rules and went to Mælifell, THE bar in town. Rachel found our references to THE shop, THE bar, THE restaurant quite amuzing (you see we only really have one of each... bit like the third world really - but hey - have you heard - there is a recession)

As you can see the bar was a bit deserted. We managed to have a good time, played a game of pool and drank a beer or two. As THE taxi driver was not answering his phone I decided to brave the elements and the possibility of losing my license and drove Maggi and Guðný home. Well, we got as far as Maggi´s where a mini party ensued - this was sooooo out of character for all of us - we blame Rachel for this ofcourse. Anyway got home again (I was ofcourse on the water by this stage). The next morning Rachel was taking the bus to Reykjavik, so we were up at 8am had coffee at mums and then I picked up Maggi, drove him to work (his car being down here), then took Rachel to the bus, then picked up Guðný and drove her to work (her car was downtown too). After all this I had a nap - as you do.... However, before napping I went for a walk with the dog and saw this front coming in.

With the cloud came snow - lots of it.

This was today, no driving the subaru till I dig it out of the snow...

Main street - this morning - looks good hey!

Spent the afternoon at Herdís´s shop finishing the lighthouse - not bad hey.

My house really does look good in snow...

Maggi just called to say that he is snowed in and so won´t be making it to dinner - yep Winter has definitely arrived. Now to do the tag/punch thing that Maja did.

A lovely horse is always an experience.... It is an emotional experience of the kind that is spoiled by words. ~Beryl Markham

The horse feast was last night... for those sensitive folk that may be reading this blog and find the idea of eating horsemeat offensive, please stop now.

It was great! Started at 7:30pm with some God awful bubbly wine - which one managed to swill down. The venue was Hotel Varmahlíð run by my cousin Gunni's wife Svanhildur. The guest chef was Friðrik V from Akureyri (but as was soon anounced he is from Skagafjörður on his father's side and Þingeyjarsýsla on his mothers). Excellent chef and great entertainer - BBC Food needs to meet this man.

We were seated at 8pm and were given our first "non-course" - one small piece of horse sushi and a taste of smoked horse wrapped around Friðriks' own cummin cheese - so nice. The horse was heat smoked with blue berry ling, an amazing flavour combo.

First course was then brought out - horse carpaccio - with a mouse/froth of súrmjólk and local salad with parmesan:

Delicious
Next was the horse soup: stock made from horse bones and the tortellini were stuffed with offcuts of horse. Again, yummy - but perhaps a little salty for me.

Following this was another non course - a sorbet made from rhubarb and strawberries - a great palate cleanser.
Then came the main. Surf and Turf - Roasted fillet of horse ridden by a lobster wrapped in rice paper along with three varieties of potatoes one of which was violet - amazing colour


I know I have missed another course in all this, but hey - I had to drink a whole bottle of Merlot on my own... (I know not difficult - but the challenge was to make it last the whole 5 hours that we sat there eating! and being entertained.)
The dessert was non horse - a lovely berry icecream and rhubarb and pine nut muffin and fresh chopped mango, pineapple and melon.

Twas truly a good night of good food and a lot of education on the eating of horses in Iceland (it was actually banned after Iceland took on Christianity - eating horse being a fairly pagan thing to do. Thank goodness it is now back in vogue as Icelandic horse is one of the best meats you can eat. Tender, tasty, juicy and low in fat... need I say more

Oh I do, the photos are courtesy of Maggi's blackberry...

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. ~G.B. Stern

My gorgeous niece maja http://fortheloveofrocks.blogspot.com/ just did a brilliant little bit about what she is thankful for and I thought to myself we should all, once in a while, take stock and yes - be grateful.

So I am going to list the things that I am most thankful for:

1. My mum

2. My dog

(aren´t they gorgeous)

3. Being able to live on this lovely rock in the North Atlantic (and for having had the opportunity to live on an even larger Rock in the Southern Sea), I hope that the IMF and the Russians can be kept at bay and that somehow we muddle our way through the current crisis. Time for Iceland to become self-sufficient.

4. My family - all of them - this is only one half of one half (fathers side but not everyone present).

5. The sense of history and community that I have living in this town. This is a picture of my dad and his mates (dad is the middle - great hat hey!) The photo is from the local archives.

6. The fact that I was able to close the circle and live in the house that I lived in before moving to Australia

7. My friends - both far and wide - I started to count them out - the people that I have met and befriended and am still in touch with from Primary to today - but that made no sense, I know them and they know me and I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people around me whether literally here in Iceland or spiritually wherever they are in the world. I know that when we catch up it is always like we only saw each other yesterday.

8. That I have no debt to speak of.

No money - but no debt either.

9. For all the jobs I have had; past, present and future - I have been blessed with good employers, excellent colleagues and the best bosses and I am positive that in the future I will continue to have good jobs, great colleagues and great bosses.

I think like Maja I will leave it at that. - that was fun, bit cheesy but fun. I highly recommend it.

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ~Chili Davis

So today I turned 46.

Born 13 October 1962 in Sauðárkrókur, Iceland. My first home after the hospital was the house that I am living in today. The circle is complete.

I had a great day today - it started with me farewelling my wonderful cousin Jóhanna - who is on her way to Australia to stay a month with my sister - they will have a great time I know. Then after a bit more of a lie in (I took the day off - figuring that I did not want to have any crap on my birthday - totally selfish - but sometimes you just have to have a pyjama day) I took Freyja for a walk, not a long walk - not a short walk - but a walk. Came home - reheated the left over pizza from last night #99 + olives, during which time Guðný and Brýndís came over to wish me a happy birthday and gave me some great new gloves - which you can see on the gruesome photo above. Guðný bought them in Greenland so need I tell you that they are sealskin?

I then went and took the bottles and cans to re-cycling and received 1200 isk. Not bad, can buy a semi decent bottle of red with that. As Freyja was acting rather frisky we drove down to the beach at the base of the fjord for a bit of a run in the very very very cold breeze. Got noticed by my uncle and aunt who stopped for a chat, then shops for food for dinner and a call in at Herdís´s shop - where my aunt Auður happened to be shopping. Once she realised that today was my birthday - she wished me happy birthday for tomorrow - she rushed to the florist and bought me some roses

Aren't they pretty?

After this I went back to Herdís's to start my winter project - the painting of a ceramic lighthouse. I am going to try and make it look like one of the lighthouses from the coast near Hamburg.... wish me luck.

It was so much fun, Herdís now has a work table in the centre of the shop for folks like me to work on their "little projects" while I was there heaps of people came into the store. It was then that I realised that I have become a part of the community here - I knew at least 2 people out of 3 that came in and those I did not know knew who I was. Bit surreal - but I am now used to it and really kind of like it. It was getting close to six when I phone Maggi to find out if he would be at a meeting tonight or coming to dinner at my place - yes, he was going to a meeting but would I like to go to dinner at Ólafshús in honour of the occasion - yippee... free dinner!!! Rushed home - put on my new shirt that his mum gave me yesterday and had a great meal of newly slaughtered skagfirskt lamb... yummmm washed down with a bottle of Wolf Blass Shiraz - what could be better.

So as you can see - I have had a great day - thank you all!!
Just to end this all with a bit of reality and also for posterity (mine so I can remember what a dreadful scar face I am today - a photo of me)

Really must do something about that face!

Today, there are three kinds of people: the have's, the have-not's, and the have-not-paid-for-what-they-have's. ~Earl Wilson

During these tough times, my amazing cousin Herdís re-did the floors in her handicrafts shop. I admire Herdís so much, she runs the handicraft store in town, giving courses in all sorts of things. In the summer she runs a cafe in Áskaffi, which is located at the museum in Glaumbæ. People who have been there can testify that she makes a great hot chocolate and some of the best traditional cakes. On the photo is Herdís on the left and Fanney her sister in law on the other side of the counter.


The store is so colourful and the floor has really brightened things up. I think that I will be spending lots of time in this store before christmas, time to make cards and presents, make this year a little more personal.

Last night I had a bit of a dinner for my brother and his wife, his best friend Ingi and Ingi´s wife Elsa, mum, Maggi and one of my favourite aunts Auður.

Auður is 87 years of age, she is just amazing - always looks a million dollars. For dinner - in case you are interested was home made mushroom soup, roast fillet of foal with new potatoes and a pepper cream sauce followed by berries in cream and fruit cocktail and icecream. All this washed down with a couple of bottles of Rioja. Depression and debt crisis in Iceland... so what. Live life and enjoy.

As usual the evening is rounded off with a quick walk down to the beach to check out the night life (or lack thereof) in Sauðárkrókur.
Mum has gone with Helgi and Sigga to Reykjavík for the week, leaving me and the animals alone...

And thou shalt in thy daughter see, this picture, once, resembled thee - Ambrose Philips

What with all the worry in the world I wasted some time on yearbookyourself.com.

Now I added Maja to it, soon I will scan mums image and we can see three generations...

In the spider-web of facts, many a truth is strangled. ~Paul Eldridge

Well it´s official:-

Iceland is broke!

New emergency laws are being enacted - Davið will be made Emperor!

(that last bit is a joke - I hope!)

Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while. ~Kin Hubbard

Seeing as though I am being slack I decided to post the photos that I took in the garden as well. I think that the house comes out quite well in the winter colours...

One of the surviving trees - I reckon it´s gonna look pretty good this christmas with fairy lights all over it - don´t you? Can´t wait till Christmas now.

Freyja looking all impressive and all... She has had three walks already today, will get another one within the next hour or so, but you can bet that by 5pm she will be demanding another - and then another at around 10pm.... You can almost tell the time by her demanding looks.... So glad it´s the weekend and that I have done all my weekend work already - I think that it would suit me very well to work a 4 day week...

Every mile is two in winter. ~George Herbert

This took forever to upload, it´s Freyja playing in the garden today.

As it was snowing so much this morning and I still have summer tyres on my car I decided to give myself the day off. Thankfully most of the people that work for me and with me understand my reluctance to drive in snowy conditions, the car is now at the garage having the tyres changed, I applied for a new drivers license - the photo on the current one is unrecognisable. So that meant a trip to the photographers - which I had to visit anyway because of the School photo from last spring... So all round quite a productive day. Now it's house cleaning and sorting out crap in the pantry. Great day...

Where does the white go when the snow melts? ~Author Unknown

Can´t really see it on here - but winter has arrived, there was snow on the ground around our houses and snow on the fields here at Holar. Ah winter, .. Now it is time to put the winter tyres on the car (mind you whether it is worth it is another question as I think most of the nails have fallen out)
Still no news on my coat... I trust that it has found itself a good home.
Oh and on other exciting local news - there is a new news website - www.feykir.is (for the family members that like to stay abreast with whats happening here in the north).
Later folks - maybe I will remember my camera tonight and take some photos of northern lights and frosty mountains.

If inflation continues to soar, you're going to have to work like a dog just to live like one. ~George Gobel

What a day! The economy went ass up. The right wing government all believing in capitalism and the free market decides to bail out one of the banks that has shown the least corporate responsibility of all. I quit my job, well, I actually quit in January but have been waiting until now to make it official... the future of Holar seems to be set in not concrete but a very muddy mix of political will and unknown certainties.. All too much of a quagmire for me to bother with. This concerns mum a little, but hey, life will go on. I have no investments so am not about to lose anything, I have no debts to speak of and own my own little shed... just need to get a sheep, a cow and some chickens, maybe I will start to live "the good life"

Berry tragedy at Aðalgata 17, mum was making berry juice and the juicer exploded.... with the result shown above and below - looks more like something from CSI

Mum cleaning up the spill... She was in total shock when it happened, poor dear. Still all was well, there will be memories in the pine walls... In other news mum went and saw a specialist today, to check out whether she is on the alzheimers short list, apparently there is no need to worry, past all tests with flying colours. I think she enjoyed it - sounded a bit like a bit of a therapist session, maybe we all need to talk to someone unrelated to us and our lives to vent and get feedback that hey - we are ok.

Last weekend was Laufskálarétt - as you can see - the action was pumping at my place, a game of triv, with questions from 1986 (Icelandic version), it lasted hours, and we left with less than one piece of pie in each persons thingy... makes for a bit of a surreal evening when one of the contestents was born after 1986... and another knows almost nought of Icelandic trivia...

We were having an ok time though really..........
I managed to get my favourite coat nicked from the equestrian centre (where the dance was). I also managed to lose all facilities in my left thigh muscle (upper bit as in top of the thigh which you use to walk down stairs and stand up), I think I have some sort of vascular thingy happening... not to worry... I am sure I will survive. If not - chop it off.
Tonight was pizza and me cleaning up from Saturday night. Yeh, I am slack, dishes now take two days. Mum and Guðný joined me and then mum got on the net... she was really happy to have had an email from Olga in London. Can´t wait till Christmas and we get to host the snow people and watch them making little men in my garden (it better snow this year....)

In the back ground is the tv with tonights news programme discussing the current economic crisis... Ah yes, the reality of life, I will be unemployed during Icelands worst depression in years... Am I worried, nah.. not worth it.

Riding: The art of keeping a horse between you and the ground. ~Author Unknown

In leading news - I have a fence... yes there is finally a real fence between me and the restaurant. I can still see who is out and about dining in the one and only restaurant in town and they too can see me type on the computer... or drink red.. its a win win situation I think.

As there are no photos of me on a horse I have decided to steal one of Olga's - hope she doesn´t mind... and others will have to trust the fact that Yes I was on horseback for at least half of the 8 hours that we were in göngur. The photo below is of Ross, looking all horsemanlike.

Yesterday Maggi proved himself yet again to be the good man that he is and drove us all to Myvatn to show Olga and Ross just a little bit of what else there is on offer in Iceland.

At Goðafoss- twas a tad windy... but I still think this is the nicest waterfall in Iceland - all nice and contained.. with berry fields in close proximity.

Olga and Ross escaping the wind and enjoying the free treats that nature provides in Iceland in the Autumn - however, I think we all agreed that they taste better in Skagafjörður.

After berries what is more pleasurable than having the scent of boiling mud in your nose...... Námaskarð just east of Myvatn... an amazing place.

Need to feel a little steam... and smell a little sulfur?

Then there is grjótagjá... a little pool of water underneath a lava flow... can´t see it on my crappy camera photo - Olga looks good though.. Her photos are a lot better and best to check them on her blog.

On our way to Myvatn and on the way back we ofcourse had to go through Akureyri where currently 4 north atlantic bottle nosed whales have taken residence. We stopped to take photos, but as per my luck they decided not to perform, however, whilst in transit we had a wonderful view of them jumping out of the water and seeming to have a "whale" of a time. No one really knows why they are there, and hey while they´re happy the longer they stay the better.

Olga and Ross are now in Reykjavik and will be off on their big adventure in the UK next weekend. I wish them all the best and look forward to going to London sometime soon to see and hear them play.

Life is good.

Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart. ~Author Unknown

What an amazing couple of weeks these have been. Mountains, funeral, visitors, berries and to top everything off an engagement. The photos are all in random order, the one above is from last weekends trip up Moldöxa. Walked up there with Ross, Olga, Maggi and ofcourse the dog.
The funeral was for my uncle Friðrik, (married to mum´s eldest sister), I know that Hilmar my brother has lots of fond memories of him and summers spent in Austurhlíð.

Berries, - strawberries from mums garden and blue berries from the hills above town.... and ofcourse cream. There is no dieting in this household at this time of year.

Visitors, - Anja, Michael, their children Claire and Reid as well as Anjas sister Hemma and her husband Stefan. Great people and it was wonderful having them here and getting to show them my Skagafjörður. Above is Michael, Hemma and Claire out the front of Glaumbæ.

The happy couple - my niece Olga and her now fiancé Ross, a truelly special couple - both sooo sweet, kind and gentle - and hey they´re indy rock stars too.... Half of the snowpeople in my house...

and best of all ... for my sister - a picture of the ring - oh so pretty, delicate and old gold, classy and refined like Olga. A good choice Ross.

yeh, I know - a bit out of focus, but aren´t they great!