About time maybe. I haven't totally forgotten about the blog. It's been a busy year.

 

I know you probably all have cherry blossoms by now. I also know I don't have much time to spend here these days. I might find out on Monday I have to move out in 7 days so it doesn't look like it will get better anytime soon. But that will be for a good reason. I'll be back though. Looking forward to the summer.  

Saturday

There are a few catches and things that could still go wrong but if things work out we've sold our apartment and might move out already next month. This is going to be 2 slow weeks before we know for sure.

Saturday

This is the way to a hot spring. Point of no return. In the summer it's crowded with tourists. When it's almost -20° you have to be brave to run down that pathway, take all your clothes off in the open air "changing room" and jump in. The water is lovely 37-40°C. You wear a bathing suit and a warm hat. The steam freezes in your hair and it almost makes it hard to blink because your eyelids start to stick together.
Did you forget to put your clothes and your towel in a plastic bag when you stood there half naked before jumping in? Then you now have icicle clothing and have to run all the way back to the cabin in your swimsuit (not recommended). Getting out of the water is hell and if you take too long and try to dry yourself you will end up with a body armor of ice. Best thing is to have a Helly-Hansen suit ready so you can be dressed in 5 seconds. Lying in the hot spring in the night watching the Northern lights and the stars is quiet amazing.
It's also popular to rent a cabin in Iceland and they usually all come with a hot tub on the veranda with a northern light view.

Friday

Picture: mbl.is

These bunk beds from an apartment for sale are really cleaver aren't they? Looks like something a person could do using kitchen drawer units from IKEA.
Life has been totally crazy lately. Sorry about my long blog absence. It's a bit optimistic to think you can paint and clean the house and do other things at home after 10:30PM when you've had a whole day of sick kids and work home and away behind you.

Wednesday

Random picture from my favourite country. Old ruin below the mountain.

Tuesday

That you can make snowmen also in the summer. This picture is taken on the Myrdalsjökull glacier by the way located on top of the of the overdue Katla volcano media was telling you all about. (Big sister of the smaller Eyjafjallajökull volcano that disrupted the flights in Europe.) We used to drive over it every summer with the kids.

Saturday

Family & Mountains

Thursday

I found this photo challenge at April April and decided to have it a go. You can also join in here just add you to the link list. Here I am with my 8 month old at at lake Langisjór last summer. For years, plans existed to dam this amazing lake for energy production but then politicians made the good decision making this lake part of a National Park. We were on a camping tip with the family with big Icelandic monster jeeps behind the Vatnajökull glacier. People usually think were nuts when we tell them we go camping in the mountains with small children but it's actually the best way of traveling in my opinion. You can stop anywhere you like when you're on these off the map mountain roads where there is no traffic to take into consideration. And the kids sleep better on bumpy roads than on highways. When my older son was about 8 months we took it to the extreme and got dropped off by a boat in the inhabited remote north part of the west fjords only to be picked up again after the weekend (and a 5 hour hike) on his very fist camping trip.

Thursday

Pictures:
1. My future house through Mackapär
2-5. Hús & Híbýli

Saturday

Picture Hús & Híbýli

Wedneday

Friday

You get an endless sandy beach all to yourself with a view of a glacier to top it off.

Monday

One of my favourite locations in the West fjords of Iceland. You drive north until the last 90km of gravel roads literally come to an end. There they have the harshest weather that made most people leave and time stand still. The trip takes a whole day (if you travel with children) and make it difficult to bring in new furniture and appliances. We went there in June and had 2°C and scattered piles of snow. The swimming pool that uses natural hot water from a spring keeps a lovely temperature of 39-40°C though. If you need to cool down you can go for a swim in the ocean or jump into the hot tub which was only 35°C. I have posted pictures before. Check them out here and here.