Iceland the incredible

Have enjoyed ticking some things off that 'must do before you die' list.
Since the end of the cold war, settled here in Iceland's capital, I've thought Reykjavik should be somewhere to go. I don't know that even 'Ray gun' & Gorbachev could have had as amazing a time as I'm having.
Watching Strokker, the most active geyser on the island, erupting every few minutes was mind-boggling even when you have understood the science behind it. Watching the cold pool water heave and sigh then lift up to form a large half globe before the hot water pushes through and jets high above my head will stay with me forever.


The steam rising from the earth as you're stood in the cold and pouring rain makes for a very alien landscape.



I bought a waterproof case for my phone and headed to the local-must-experience hot pools in the outdoor, public baths.


I feel like a degree in geology would help me really appreciate this place but even without that I was awed by seeing the North American and European tectonic plates (slowly) ripping up the earth and creating deep gashes in the landscape.



Visited Gulfoss which is a huge two-tier waterfall with spray that rushes up in clouds as the water thunders underneath.



I am here with my fellow adventurer, Kirste. We are staying in an über cool hostel where everything is in a pleasing shabby-chic style and eclectic mix of industrial lights, retro tiles, well stocked library of photographic books and antique bird cages!



The weather is mostly lousy but as I have noted from previous holidays, when I look back on them a few months afterwards, I remember the experiences but rarely the rain. So I'm here, cold & wet but soaking up every moment of relaxation, adventure & discovery.


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Eye catching shoes on public transport #1

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Olympic football

It shone, it rained, we met Moroccans, we screamed in English, we yelled in Arabic, we drew, we experienced Old Trafford.













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The week's round up

So glad everyone is talking about the Olympics. Of course there are a few whingers saying the opening ceremony was no good but thankfully most people thought it was a fabulous spectacle.




I have found previous opening ceremonies fun but a bit odd. A friend suggested that non-English people may have thought the same about ours. Did I just enjoy it because I understood all the references, I wonder.




I agree with someone else's comment that the most sporting person there was the queen for agreeing to take part in a Bond style sketch!




I watched it all at my church as we had an open event with a big screen, BBQ, games for kids and medal ceremony.




At the weekend I had a day out to London to meet Ted, my fab bro-in-law. It was lovely to drink coffee, wander across Hampstead Heath, Golders Green Park, eat a sharing plate of ribs, chicken & lamb kofta, chat, laugh and put the world to rights.




In the evening I went to Clapham Parish Church's sports quiz evening, ate Tim & Greta's delicious sloppy pulled pork, listened to a great talk by torch-bearer & wheelchair-adventurer Barry Funnell and produced a miserable score in the quiz. Great fun!




On Sunday I had Jo, who I lived with in Morocco earlier this year, come and visit for the day. Foisted as many of much of my stuff onto her as I could. A lovely, lovely day of eating my slow-cooked venison, talking about transition, men who need to see what they're missing (!) and enjoying coffee at Woodlands Manor.




Now my week is a dust-cloud of moving furniture, packing books, selling my freezer & wardrobe. Allergies at a premium! But on the horizon looms a trip to the Olympics. Please tune in for the Morocco-Spain match tomorrow and scour the crowd for two face-painted crazies waving atcha!
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B&B suggestion #3

Give someone an award!!!





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Bored & Broke # 2

Bored & Broke, suggestion # 2;



Make a tower of cheese straws!

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Bored & Broke?

Activity suggestion # 1;




Have coffee up a tree!

Addendum; then retrieve your flask from the river!




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Picnic with Lainey :)

Last minute picnic thrown together.


Met Lainey at Priory Country Park and though we shouldn't have been surprised, we'd both packed vegetables and hummus!



Talked about the important things as the sun went down, the ducks dived and the fish jumped.


A perfect summer evening with one of the best :)


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Breakfast

Blueberry & Strawberry smoothie


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Bric-a-brac sale

You are invited to a bric-a-brac sale at my house on 18th August. 1pm - 4pm. Trying to sell all my worldly goods before I leave for Africa via Wales.


Larger items still available include; 8 berth tent, attractive wooden storage cubes, 3 shelf canvas storage unit, architect's table and stool, chocolate fountain, slo-cooker.

Bric-a-brac will include all the other things from around my home that I'm not putting into storage. If you are interested in anything you know I have and want to buy in advance you are welcome.

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Smoothie breakfast

1 x banana
1/2 tin peaches
1 x large slice melon
Spoonful low fat strawberry yoghurt


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Bedford River Festival

Purported to be the next largest festival after Notting Hill Carnival.



Thousands of people, rides, foodie places, crafts, crystal ball readers, sign-up-here for army/uni/archery/dancing/rambling (yeah I've got THAT badge!)/sports etc...

Mostly underwhelmed.


To keep my mind occupied and not get drawn into a queue of people waiting to hit something with a hammer/kick a football into an impossibly small hole/ring bells, I ate a sausage with onions, a bag of hot cinnamon roasted nuts and counted dogs. 105.





That's a lot o' pups.

Far more interesting was my walk with Monty this morning when I came across a load of bees swarming in and out of a tree. When I looked (slightly more) closely, I could see a honeycomb in there! Real life science and nature going on. Now THAT'S interesting.

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Splat!

Dropped my entire dinner on the floor this evening, breaking a plate into the bargain. Yes, I scraped it back onto the two bits of plate and ate it. I wasn't going to let that Thai green Curry go to waste.
The canine Hoover went into position and the plate went into the bin thereby reducing both the cleaning and washing up!
True there were some crunchy bits that tasted Thai but which I couldn't say with absolute conviction weren't splinters of ceramic...
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'Haute cuisine for brain foodies'

Here are probably my top 6 most used apps after the usual text/phone/email/music/camera options;




The most notable exception would be Kindle which is open
most days.
I like the following for travel;




Of course I particularly like the tube map app so you can check your route without looking like a tourist!
Other honourable mentions go to;




Ideal for sport nerds and pretenders alike. I fall into the latter group as I want to know the scores but will never have any interest in how much the mid-fielders are worth, where they were bought from...oh I'm bored already.
Another favourite is;




Not only is Ted a fantastic brother-in-law but a great source of haute cuisine for brain foodies. Search for 5 min inspirational talks, 10 min funnies or half hour talks on science, culture, technology or any other discipline that takes your fancy.
SO. What are your favourite apps and why?
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Out walking the hound, enjoying some other local wildlife.








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Smoothie as

1 x thick slice fresh pineapple
1/2 punnet blueberries
1/2 small tin mandarins
1 banana
1 slice melon
Generous sprinkle of cinnamon





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The folks

Time for a bit of shameless bragging about my parents. Essentially they rock and I pity the rest of you for not having folks as cool as mine.
If I think I'm being cutting edge (though this is usually only a bi-annual event), my Dad starts a conversation with; 'So tell me what you know about so-and-so who was the first person to be involved in your field of interest'. Well yes, let me just order that clearly seminal work on a key player I've never even heard of before... OR 'I've just been reading about the response to Postmodernism's idea that (insert further long words here)' Well yes, uncanny, me too. Sort of. Not.




I love to be kept on my toes like this. I also love being taken out for brunch and we managed to squeeze in a Full English after a trip round the farmer's market; my parents asking how a stall holder was getting on reading a 'significant book' given out the previous month and me getting told off for putting my hand in a sack of coffee beans! 'Sorry about that, she's just back from Africa'!!!




It was called Safari -what was I supposed to do??
Found this old but functional radio in the garage and couldn't help but snap it. Another cool little detail from their house; accidentally retro!




Had an exciting speaking engagement arranged for me - children's talk at chapel :) So much more potential than just speaking to adults!
Had a flashback to eating with Arabs each time we sat down for a meal; 'Eat! Eat! You've hardly had anything! اوكلي! ماكلتي خير




Enjoyed the rest of my time reading Müller, sleeping and trying to chase blackbirds out of the soft fruit cages!!




So yeah, in true playground idiom, my folks are cooler than your folks!!




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Sunning & Indolence.

A week after leaving Africa-ca-ca-ca (Shooting Stars allusion), I had a week's holiday in Puerto de Mogan, Gran Canaria. 'Twas a place of much sunning and indolence.





I stayed in a fab little hostel up a steep winding alley way of white painted houses, pots of colourful plants and whistling birds in outdoor cages.




HOSTEL VOLVER ^

I was most struck by the incredibly clear water and number and variety of tropical fish that could be seen just standing on the port side. The beach was man-made so fairly tame but they served the purpose (see post title)




Enjoyed making friends with the staff and other lodgers in the hostel. Went to a fabulous local water park one day with flumes steep enough to give you nose bleeds. Yeah man! Also watched the Euro matches that didn't involve penalty shoot-outs!


Came home and booked my next trip away. Watch this space!

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Baking

Saw mini carrot cake cupcakes in M&S and thought I could do just as good a job at home. Did.


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For Sale...

Someone recommended that I list my sale items on my blog. So here’s a list of everything I have sorted and put on Facebook up til now. There will be more as time goes by. (5 team points to anyone who can name that film allusion!)

Portmeirion. Botanic Garden, Variations items:

Coffee pot. £18. (retails at £56)

Deep, lidded casserole dish. £15

Oval serving dish. £10

Medium salad bowl. £15

Deep lasagne dish £17

4 bowls. £5 each or £15 for the lot

3 ramekin dishes. £4 each or £10 for the lot

Salt and pepper pots. £10

3 espresso cups and saucers. £5 each

Planter. £8

Small cake plate. Just for fun, free to the first person who can tell me which dialect of Arabic I’ve been learning.

Small vase. Has small chip so make me an offer

Large slo-cooker in perfect condition. £20

Very pretty divided dip/snack server in ‘loaves and fishes’ design from Israel/Palestine. £12

Selection of wall plates from Israel/Palestine and Turkey in traditional designs. Make me an offer individually or for all (pictures currently only available on FB)

Spaghetti jar. £10

Biscuit barrel. £10

4 x deep pasta bowls in cream with olive detail and big, matching serving dish. £20

Bergen 8. Eight person tent. Only used once. £150 (retails at £300)

Various puzzles at £1 each

Great, sturdy chicken coop. Well made and houses a maximum of 4 birds. 2 laying areas inside with perches. Pulley interior door and large door to rear for access and cleaning. £75

 Chocolate fountain. Good quality and condition. £25

Set of cute tapas dishes in white porcelain in the letters T A P A S. £7

Miniature, carpet boule/petanque set. £5

Anthony Worrall-Thompson hand-held blender. £8

Home, James...

So I’ve been back three weeks so an update is overdue. The first thing that struck me about being home was HAYFEVER and a CHEST INFECTION!

It’s good to be home, though, and I’ve loved catching up with friends and family again, not to mention the hound!  There’s no way to really sum up what four months (nearly) in the desert is like but I’ve got a much better idea now of the things I will find difficult living there long-term. It’s good to go with a realistic view. At the same time it was a bit of a ‘honeymoon period’ but then whoever didn’t go on honeymoon because they had to face day to day life when they got home?!

So my days now are spent looking for summer work (6 applications in at the moment), trying to sell all my worldly belongings, walking the dog, hanging out with friends and reading.

Since getting back I’ve read ‘From Foreign to Familiar’ (2/5. Some good bits but pretty much candy floss), ‘Irresistible Revolution’ (3/5, well worth a read, challenging but a single-issue book) & a biography of Hudson Taylor (5/5, inspiring, challenging, thought-provoking) Have started a fictional book while I wait for something else to arrive in the post and I pretty much want to slap the protagonist at the moment!

Other significant news:

·      I’ve learnt how to make custard tart