We have been at Eyjolfsstaðir exactly a week yesterday. Here´s what we have been up to...The picture of us was taken on our drive to Eyjolfsstadir. It's a glacier lagoon called Jökulsarlon, which is really beautiful and the view is always changing. The ocean is across the highway...truly an amazing sight.
A.J´s been helping out at the guesthouse. He´s been checking guests in and out, preparing and cleaning up breakfasts, and doing general maintenance work after the guests leave. There have been guests every night, but it´s beginning to slow down since fall is here and the tourist season is coming to an end. There´s one big group left to come at the end of October.
We´re living in the guest house. Alda & Unnar were looking into the option of renting a summer home, which are across the highway and down about 1 km in at the bottom of some mountains. All the homes were mostly booked, as well the rent had increased since last summer. They offered to look into it some more, but after our first night in the guesthouse we knew it would suite us just fine. And really we prefer to be on the property with them, and the other families. It´s fun just being able to walk over to their homes at anytime. I think it would be tougher to adjust to rural living if we were off on our own, and having to travel every time we wanted to see someone. We have one of the larger rooms in the guesthouse where we all sleep. It also has a cozy corner with a recliner chair I have been enjoying curling up to read while Elliot naps the last few days. Washrooms, and showers are right out our door, and we have full access to the big commercial kitchen (which is fun to cook in!), and laundry facilities with a huge washer & dryer (I´m able to get at least 2 loads of laundry in one). We´ve been sharing most of our suppers together with Alda & Unnar, Davið, and Isabella. Last night we went to Agust and Kolbrun's (they have 3 children, ages 6, 4, and 4 months). Always nice to visit one on one and get to know them more. I did a first grocery shop the other day, went good because I had one of the girls (Kristjana, 10) who lives in the wooden house (across from us) helping me with reading Icelandic.
There are 3 families living at Eyjolfsstaðir. Alda & Unnar, Davið, and Isabella, live in an upstairs suite, Agust & Kolbren (and their 3 kids) live in the downstairs suite. This house is also across from the guesthouse. Then Bjartur & Alfheidur and their 3 children (Katrin 13, Kristjana 10, and Arni 6) live in another house, also across from the guesthouse. Isaac has been enjoying having freedom to just run outside, he´s been invited to just run over to the houses and play anytime but still always wants us to come with him. He´s adjusting well. A few days ago he was sad riding into the town down the road (Egilsstaðir). He was missing home, and wanted to go back to Winnipeg. Then the next day we were building a train track and he yelled out I´m loving it here, I like everything here. He definitely understands how far away we are, but also enjoying his new surroundings too. He know´s he´ll still be 4 when we come back to Winnipeg, and we´ll be celebrating Elliot´s 2nd birthday.
We've been berry picking twice now. First time was for blueberries which are everywhere, all through out the mountains. And yesterday, the boys and I went with Alda and Davið to the only large forest in Iceland to pick some Icelandic berries to make jam. When ripe they are red, but we were picking them green because they have a natural gelatin in them and then you don't have to add any when making the jam. We had fun, the boys were more interested in what Alda brought for snack. So once we had that, then they go into the bushes to pick. Alda told me about these other berries high in the trees that are just for the birds. As the fall season ends the berries begin to age and go rancid. The birds eat lots of them, just before winter, and end up getting drunk from them. They fly into trees and each other (this is just in the forest) she´s never seen them like this around Eyjolfsstaðir. funny. As we were picking we heard this man yelling but couldn´t see him for the longest
time. Then we saw this leg hanging out of a tree. We were picking right where they were beginning to shoot another clip for a children's television show. The director (who is also a well known actress in Iceland) came over and chatted with us, well Alda, said hi to the boys, and then she headed back to work. As we moved to a different part of the forest, another actress came out of the tree. They were covered head to toe with green paint and dressed like tree fairy´s. The boys were definitely wondering what was going on. None of them volunteered to have a picture with them, but eventually said a quite hello.
Elliot has definitely turned up his personality a notch this past week. A.J. and I have often looked at each other saying "who is this guy?". It´s been so fun hearing him say and try new words all the time. The Icelandic words, at least some of them, he does really well at. When he says Unnar´s name he yells every time, and say Unn NARRRR! Also he's still really into wearing his sunglasses. He's worn them so much that now the lenses have popped out. But they are still the first thing he looks for in the morning and the last thing he puts away before bed. So great.
Today was A.J.´s first day off from any guesthouse responsibilities, so after breakfast we headed into 
Egilsstaðir and went swimming. Their pool is outdoors, but super warm so of course I loved it. We all did. Elliot is super brave in the water, and could just touch in the kids pool so he wanted to walk around on his own. Of course we were close by as he would get so exited about doing it himself that he´d start taking in big drinks of water and coughing. Issac did great, had his goggles on even though he won´t put his face in the water yet. When we asked him to, he just told us he only does it his way...which is blowing bubbles. Realized the only thing I forgot to pack was my bathing suite! I went in anyways. Had some interesting looks, people probably just thought it´s some strange foreigner thing to do.
A.J´s been helping out at the guesthouse. He´s been checking guests in and out, preparing and cleaning up breakfasts, and doing general maintenance work after the guests leave. There have been guests every night, but it´s beginning to slow down since fall is here and the tourist season is coming to an end. There´s one big group left to come at the end of October.
We´re living in the guest house. Alda & Unnar were looking into the option of renting a summer home, which are across the highway and down about 1 km in at the bottom of some mountains. All the homes were mostly booked, as well the rent had increased since last summer. They offered to look into it some more, but after our first night in the guesthouse we knew it would suite us just fine. And really we prefer to be on the property with them, and the other families. It´s fun just being able to walk over to their homes at anytime. I think it would be tougher to adjust to rural living if we were off on our own, and having to travel every time we wanted to see someone. We have one of the larger rooms in the guesthouse where we all sleep. It also has a cozy corner with a recliner chair I have been enjoying curling up to read while Elliot naps the last few days. Washrooms, and showers are right out our door, and we have full access to the big commercial kitchen (which is fun to cook in!), and laundry facilities with a huge washer & dryer (I´m able to get at least 2 loads of laundry in one). We´ve been sharing most of our suppers together with Alda & Unnar, Davið, and Isabella. Last night we went to Agust and Kolbrun's (they have 3 children, ages 6, 4, and 4 months). Always nice to visit one on one and get to know them more. I did a first grocery shop the other day, went good because I had one of the girls (Kristjana, 10) who lives in the wooden house (across from us) helping me with reading Icelandic.
There are 3 families living at Eyjolfsstaðir. Alda & Unnar, Davið, and Isabella, live in an upstairs suite, Agust & Kolbren (and their 3 kids) live in the downstairs suite. This house is also across from the guesthouse. Then Bjartur & Alfheidur and their 3 children (Katrin 13, Kristjana 10, and Arni 6) live in another house, also across from the guesthouse. Isaac has been enjoying having freedom to just run outside, he´s been invited to just run over to the houses and play anytime but still always wants us to come with him. He´s adjusting well. A few days ago he was sad riding into the town down the road (Egilsstaðir). He was missing home, and wanted to go back to Winnipeg. Then the next day we were building a train track and he yelled out I´m loving it here, I like everything here. He definitely understands how far away we are, but also enjoying his new surroundings too. He know´s he´ll still be 4 when we come back to Winnipeg, and we´ll be celebrating Elliot´s 2nd birthday.
We've been berry picking twice now. First time was for blueberries which are everywhere, all through out the mountains. And yesterday, the boys and I went with Alda and Davið to the only large forest in Iceland to pick some Icelandic berries to make jam. When ripe they are red, but we were picking them green because they have a natural gelatin in them and then you don't have to add any when making the jam. We had fun, the boys were more interested in what Alda brought for snack. So once we had that, then they go into the bushes to pick. Alda told me about these other berries high in the trees that are just for the birds. As the fall season ends the berries begin to age and go rancid. The birds eat lots of them, just before winter, and end up getting drunk from them. They fly into trees and each other (this is just in the forest) she´s never seen them like this around Eyjolfsstaðir. funny. As we were picking we heard this man yelling but couldn´t see him for the longest
time. Then we saw this leg hanging out of a tree. We were picking right where they were beginning to shoot another clip for a children's television show. The director (who is also a well known actress in Iceland) came over and chatted with us, well Alda, said hi to the boys, and then she headed back to work. As we moved to a different part of the forest, another actress came out of the tree. They were covered head to toe with green paint and dressed like tree fairy´s. The boys were definitely wondering what was going on. None of them volunteered to have a picture with them, but eventually said a quite hello.
Elliot has definitely turned up his personality a notch this past week. A.J. and I have often looked at each other saying "who is this guy?". It´s been so fun hearing him say and try new words all the time. The Icelandic words, at least some of them, he does really well at. When he says Unnar´s name he yells every time, and say Unn NARRRR! Also he's still really into wearing his sunglasses. He's worn them so much that now the lenses have popped out. But they are still the first thing he looks for in the morning and the last thing he puts away before bed. So great.
Today was A.J.´s first day off from any guesthouse responsibilities, so after breakfast we headed into Egilsstaðir and went swimming. Their pool is outdoors, but super warm so of course I loved it. We all did. Elliot is super brave in the water, and could just touch in the kids pool so he wanted to walk around on his own. Of course we were close by as he would get so exited about doing it himself that he´d start taking in big drinks of water and coughing. Issac did great, had his goggles on even though he won´t put his face in the water yet. When we asked him to, he just told us he only does it his way...which is blowing bubbles. Realized the only thing I forgot to pack was my bathing suite! I went in anyways. Had some interesting looks, people probably just thought it´s some strange foreigner thing to do.
Isaac was thrilled to help his dad cut the grass for the first time. He didn't ask to get down for well over an hour. Elliot was interested but was okay with just watching. 
That's all for now. Always more pictures I'd like to post but will have to wait for another time.
5 comments:
Looks beautiful there! I am envying your long sleeved shirts!! It is really funny watching kids adjust to new cultures. Our kids miss playing in the snow, and snow angels. Bless you guys and your new life!
Thanks for the post. I love hearing how everything is going for you guys. It's still hard to believe you're all the way in Iceland, it felt so quick.
I love the picture of the 4 of you in front of the icebergs, great family shot. And the shot of Elliot with the glasses on made me laugh out loud, so adorable!
Have a great week,
Christy
Oh my gosh so awesome! It's great to hear your day to day experiences. Seeing those fairies in the forest must have been so crazy for the kids. They will totally think that fairies live in Iceland. Cool. Also loved the photos of the glass that lady does. It's so amazing. I look forward to reading your next post. Blessings!
Hey guys, I love reading all your adventures! Fairies in forests, making jam, grocery shopping in another land... Love you, miss you and praying for you!
LOVE THE PHOTOS!!!!!
Post a Comment