Ireland Picture Post #6: Conor pass

These photos are from Day 8, Part 1, where we drove from Doolin to Dingle via Conor Pass.

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Our little Fiat Punto, in one of Conor Pass's several overlooks/pull-off areas. These are a good place to pull aside when another car is coming through the pass.

Internationale Spieltage 2013 - Trip Report

This year, my husband and I attended Internationale Spieltage for the first time.  Held in Essen, Germany, it's the largest board game convention in the world.

This is just a small portion of the convention - there were three massive expo halls, packed to the gills with people walking around and sitting at the many tables, playing games with friends, families, and strangers alike.

Iceland Day 7: Blue Lagoon and goodbye

Our seventh and final day in Reykjavik - the feeling is bittersweet.  Though a short trip, each day was so action-packed that the trip somehow managed to feel much longer.

We catch a shuttle bus from the Hilton to Blue Lagoon - our last destination before we fly out of Reykjavik.

Guilty as charged: I took pictures of the moss along the pathway leading to Blue Lagoon.  

Iceland Day 6, Part 2: Golden Circle - Geysir, Strokkur, Gulfoss, and Þingvellir

We continued along the Golden Circle route: our next stop took us to the geysers Geysir and Strokkur. 

Iceland Day 6, Part 1: Golden Circle - Kerið and roadside waterfalls

We awakened to more grey drizzle - not an uncommon sight for us, as February in Iceland very closely resembles Seattle's late fall through early spring (though definitely with more wind chill.)

However, we weren't about to let the clouds get in our way.  Today was our the Golden Circle photo tour with Tony, the owner of Iceland Aurora.  He's another Englishman who fell in love with Iceland.  It's no wonder he has so many amazing pictures on his website; from his backyard hot tub he has an absolutely spectacular view of the aurora borealis.  

Giantbomb's Iceland Travelogue

Quick post today, because I'm still working on writing the rest of the Iceland blog.

This video, sans snow and EVE conference, pretty much sums up our trip to Iceland.  Including the phallological museum!

It's really strange to watch someone else's travelogue and say, "I've been there!" or "I know that street!"  Definitely feeling the nostalgia right now.

Iceland Day 4, Part 2: Snæfellsness peninsula photo tour

Foggy landscape near the Spirit of Snæfellsness

Much of the drive is still obfuscated in fog, but as we make our way around the tip of the peninsula, there's a break - first in the mist, and then in the clouds. Suddenly, what was a dark and rainy day becomes sunny and too warm for jackets. Now that we've rounded the peninsula, Owen explains, the mountains are boxing the fog in behind us. We're hopeful that the rest of the drive will be this clear.

It's time for lunch, so we stop at the local gas station in a town. Here, unlike in the US, the convenience store food is actually made fresh and to order. They have hot dogs (pylsur), fish and chips, hamburgers, soft serve ice cream (popular in all seasons), and a gambling machine. In a small village such like this, it's one of the main gathering places.  It's much different than I expected - with its several industrial buildings, it's a pragmatic and modern, rather than being the quaint, fishing town I imagined.

Iceland Day 4, Part 1: Snæfellsness peninsula photo tour

A cliffside house on Snæfellsness peninsula

This morning it was John and Audrey's turn to rise early(ish) with us in preparation for our Iceland Aurora photo expedition to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. After seeing the great reviews, the prospect of gallivanting around Iceland in a superjeep and, moreover, honing our photography skills on a private tour seemed too good an adventure to pass up.

Iceland Day 3, Part 2: Phallological museum and hot dogs? Oh dear.

Iceland Phallological Museum

So, yes.  We went to the "dick" museum. 

It's about what you would expect.  For one thing, there were penises.  (Le gasp.)  They interchangeably jutted from the walls and floated gray, sad, and deformed in formaldehyde-filled jars. 

Iceland Day 3, Part 1: Icelandic horseback riding

Jason and I are up early and grab breakfast, groggy but giddy about the morning's activity: Icelandic horseback riding.

Riding through the Red Hills

We're picked up in the lobby by Sveinn, who helps run Islenski Hesturinn (The Icelandic Horse) with his wife, Begga.  Our hotel is the last stop for the small shuttle bus, already filled with a few others who were picked up elsewhere in Reykjavik.  We converse with an English couple sitting in front of us, sharing our travels and anticipation for the activity ahead.

Iceland Day 2, Part 2: Reykjavik exploration and dinner

We backtrack a ways and duck into the Kolaportið flea market.  Christmas lights dangle from the ceiling, and bright, feathered dreamcatchers sway in the breeze of passersby.  

Iceland Day 2, Part 1: Arrival at Keflavik airport, Rekyjavik exploration

6:45 am.  It’s pitch black outside as we touch down in Iceland.  The plane flight took us up and around in a northeasterly curve, flying first into deep twilight, and then full-on night.

Customs is a fast and groggy affair.  We fight our way outside, leaning against icy rain droplets and blistering wind to the bus pickup area.  It’s a 40 minute drive and still dark outside, so we close our eyes and rest.

Between a bus transfer point for other riders, and stops at different hotels, it’s almost 9 am by the time we’re at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica.  The sky has gradually grown lighter, giving way to spartan, businesslike buildings and a flat landscape.  The combination evokes thoughts of the American Midwest, were it to be combined with Scandinavian-inspired architecture and a generous helping of umlauts and other diacritics.

Iceland Day 1: Flight from Seattle

We just spent 5-or-so days in Iceland with our friends John and his wife Audrey.  It was quite the adventure and I wanted to share.  Enjoy!

Day 1

It’s departure day morning and we’re already exhausted.  Up until near-midnight packing, and still not done.  I’m frenziedly trying to neaten things up while simultaneously chucking the piles of clothes on the floor into gargantuan, XXL-size Ziploc bags, pausing here and there to kneel on them, bearing down until all the air is gone in a great whoosh, and carefully sealing the zipper.  Vacuum-packed clothes: the only way to travel.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

...to talk about Iceland.  

I know, you're probably here looking for stories about another country that starts with the letter "I" and ends with "-land", but, alas, we just got back from Iceland and I've been working frenziedly on a trip report before work eats me alive.

So!  I should probably change the title of the blog away from being just about Ireland, but I'm out of clever blog names for now.  Suggestions are welcomed, preferably from those more creative than I.

In the meantime, I hope you (what readers I do have.  You're out there, right?  It's okay if you're shy.) enjoy these posts.  I should have them coming out over the next few weeks.

Ireland posts will begin again after Iceland is out of my system.  (Pssh.  Like that'll ever happen.  Really, I don't know why we're still talking.  You should just go to Iceland right now.  Definitely.)

Ireland Picture Post #5: Inisheer

These photos are from Day 7, Inisheer, where we visited the smallest of the Aran Islands by ferry and saw much of it by horse-drawn cart.  The island is rich with history, from ruins and rock walls to a more recent rusty shipwreck.

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Ireland Day 9, Part 2: Slea head drive

The view along Slea head

We polished off our cheese, bread, and coffee, then headed back to the car for the latter half of the Slea head drive.

I gazed out the passenger window as the low rock wall sped by, looking out to the cliffs.  Bits of land jutted out into the water beyond, tops tufted with grasses so richly colored that they were vibrant, even from afar.  Farther beyond these, in the hazy distance, islands rose up from sea.  One of them, known as the "Sleeping Giant", is true to its name - it looked exactly like a giant on his back, his hands on top of his stomach, napping peacefully amongst the waves.  To our right, the green patchwork of the mountain sloped upward, dotted with the occasional cottage or ruin.  It was hard to know which way to look when surrounded by so much beauty.  

Busy, busy

Working frenziedly on getting more pictures edited and more writing done before work picks up again.   By the way, happy New Year everyone!  Lots of goodness going on this year - here are a few of the things I'm excited about:

1. My sister-in-law got engaged and is getting married this summer.  Woohoo!
   
2. Jason and I (and two of our friends) are going to Iceland at the end of February.  The travel bug bites again!  (Clearly our goal is to hit up all the places starting with "I". I just hope I won't have to start a separate blog entitled, "Five Days in Iceland", because I can hardly keep up with all the photos and blogging from Ireland.)
   
   Seriously, though - if you're looking for a travel deal, Iceland is where it's at right now.
   
3. Yoga.  Because there's never a bad time for it and never not a reason to be excited about it. ;)  (Or maybe I just needed a third item for this list.  The world may never know.)

Anyway, happy 2013 - let's make it great!

Ireland Picture Post #4: The Burren

These photos are from Day 6, Galway to Doolin via the Burren, Part 1 and Part 2.  The Burren was, much like Connemara, absolutely beautiful.  It was also a stark contrast - barren where Connemara was lush.

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Dunguaire Castle, located just south of Galway