He's Basically Ansel Adams

Looking through the photos from Iceland that we took with the 'good' camera (our recently purchased, mirrorless Fujifilm X-T20.) Jason and I try to figure out which of us took which ones. We figure out pretty quickly that the first one was taken by Jason, and he starts admiring it:

Jason: This is why we paid the money to get a nice camera - great shot. The parking lot against those mountains. I really knocked it out of the park here - it is obviously a commentary on the invasion of man into nature, the comparison of rock against machine. The cars, the snow. So good.

Photographic Masterpiece

Taken by Jason, with the Fujifilm

Iceland, 2017

I am sure National Geographic will be calling any minute now. (Though he has a level horizon, so can I really judge?) 

56 Hours In Iceland - A 4:30pm Sunset

Jason and I are going to need more practice with the new camera, but Iceland was a good start to try to get comfortable with it. Here are two more photos, both taken in Pingvellir on Friday with our new camera. They are similar but I couldn't pick which one I liked better, I also don't really know which of us took them:

Beautiful Iceland

The Land of Fire and Ice

(Steam from hot spring on the right)

I had continued issues with keeping the horizon straight, which I know how to fix in photoshop, so if I get around to editing maybe I will post some more later on. (No edits were made to the photos posted above.)

56 Hours In Iceland - Sunday

We didn't have much time today, since Jason likes to be at the airport so early, we only got to spend the morning touring around (flight leaves at 3:30pm.) We headed north to Borgarnes to swim at the public pool (outside, heated with geothermal technology, large pools or soak in one of three different hot tubs of different temperatures, all with amazing views of mountains and the ocean.) This little trip also let us see more of the west-coast, and experience a pretty impressive traffic tunnel under a fjord.

Here are a few more shots from my phone:

Our Last Selfie In Iceland

Hafnarfjall Mountain behind Jason

I seem to be struggling to keep the horizon straight.

Jason And Good View Of Hafnarfjall Mountain

Seawall/Shore at Borgarfjörður Seawall/Shore in Borgarnes

A bit better with the horizon in this one.

56 Hours In Iceland - A Bit Surprised

None of these things were huge shocks for us in Iceland, but I don't think I knew how much of an impact they would have on our trip until today.

Lack of daylight
The sun was rising at 11am and setting by 3:30pm each day. It would be completely dark shortly after 4pm eliminating the ability to see anything. We needed to be very careful to plan driving times and site visits to use our brief period of daylight the best possible way.

Expensive food
I knew that eating out in Iceland was very costly, and thought I would fix that by getting an Airbnb that had a kitchen so we could cook, pack lunches, etc. Well, it turns out it is because the food is expensive. Four chicken breasts were over $20 in the grocery store.

A lot of what we eat comes from cows
When I saw the price of chicken, I also noticed that ground beef was very pricey. Then I remembered that the country is very careful with protecting their native animals from diseases, and while they do have cows on the island they don't allow any to be brought in. This meant the milk and especially cheese was also crazy expensive, we paid $8 for cheddar to put on our sandwiches.

Cars breakdown
We knew that we would need to be driving standard, which both Jason and I are fine with. It was a bit surprising that at the end of our hike today the car didn't start. We had to call the rental company and they sent people to pick us up at the train head, bring us back to the city and give us a different car. Since rental cars are always so new you would think that they would be fairly immune to breaking down.

56 Hours In Iceland - Pingvellir, Iceland

The Path To Another World

Pingvellir National Park, Iceland

Photo taken with my phone

(Excited to see what the photos on our new camera look like.)

56 Hours In Iceland - Forgotten Items

Jason was able to help me pack for the surprise trip, but even with his double check, we still forgot things. I have posted about forgotten travel items before. Having just landed, here is what we forgot on this trip:

- My scarf
Luckily we had brought along quick-dry travel towels, I used one of those instead. (See Photo) I don't even think you can tell the difference!

- Batteries
We only needed them for Jason's noise-cancelling headphones but it might have helped him sleep on the plane. I only got about an hour of sleep and Jason didn't sleep at all.

Short Hike With Big Rocks

Pingvellir National Park, Iceland

56 Hours In Iceland - Rushing To Take Off

I surprised Jason for his birthday with a quick trip to Iceland. (And I mean, quick, we are in the country for just 2 nights, a total of 56 hours.) This has been the biggest surprise yet, in terms of distance for sure, and it included a flight etc.

My plan to create an elaborate Game of Thrones themed story to build to the surprise reveal didn't end up happening because I was busy with work. I ended up telling him the night before our 6pm Thursday red-eye flight. This way he could help with packing in the morning while I had a meeting at the office.

As usual we were rushed heading to the airport, which I find exciting and Jason finds nerve-wracking. Even with all his panic we were almost an hour and a half early to the gate, ridiculously early in my mind.

Money Challenge - Week 6

COUPLE CHALLENGE 
Time Frame: By Monday June 10
Budget out Jason and my trip to Calgary that is coming in July. 
I didn't keep track or plan out the spending for my big China, Mongolia, Russia, Iceland trip and to this day I don't know what that summer cost me (I don't like to think about it.) Jason and I plan to sit down and map out the various costs and activities that we are planning. Hopefully we can stay with friends and family (Anne or ERin or Mike) for some of the days. We also probably need to rent a car for certain periods of time. We should look into ticket and admission costs as well. It was an amazing birthday gift and I think it is a good idea to make sure it doesn't cost a ridiculous amount.

Guest Writer - Iceland - Steph

From Steph, Stephanie Beach Photography:

Iceland

I know Iceland isn’t that icy at all, but the image is still cool and I am super happy with how it turned out.
Original map image from Wikipedia

Guest Writer - Iceland - Kristen

From Kristen:

Iceland

Many people hear Iceland and think this:
Bjork: Iceland’s international superstar infamous for her fashion choices. But Iceland is oh so much more than just a woman who dresses up as a swan.

Iceland tends to fall under the radar. We know its an island and we know its somewhere north of us. I didn’t even know it was in Europe until now. But it is actually one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 2007, the UN deemed it the most developed country. It is a free market economy with low taxes, universal healthcare and tertiary education open to all citizens.

Its coastline is basically a 4970 km fjord, where most of the 320,000 people who occupy the island, live. Two-thirds of the population call the capital city, Reykjavik, and its surrounding area, home. This is because the interior of the island is a mixture of sand and mountain terrain that is uninhabitable.

The land is beautiful, there is no doubt about it. Everywhere you look nature unfolds into a breathtaking landscape:
But let’s be honest. We, too, live in a rich and beautiful country with a gorgeous landscape and universal healthcare. So what really sets Iceland apart, makes the 7-hour flight worth it? The over 150 pickled penises they call their own, obviously

The Icelandic Phallological Musuem prides itself in having a penis for almost all mammals living on and around the island. This includes everything from whale wangs to seal schlongs to a hamster’s love machine. Not only are they preserved but penises and penile parts have also been transformed into scrotum-skin lampshades, walking sticks and toothpicks for the viewer’s pleasure. And in the future, the museum looks forward to having a human’s penis, as four men (still living) have chosen to cut off their member at their time of death and donate it to complete the musuem’s collection.

Now when you hear Iceland, I hope you picture more than just Bjork but also the lifelong work of the Icelandic Phallological Museum. Bon voyage.

Guest Writer - Iceland - JennB

From JennB:

Iceland

The question I get most often when I tell people I am going to Iceland is “Why?” To them I say “Why not?”

Some people are travel people, some are not. The way I see it, Iceland’s economic misfortune gives me a great, cheap chance to visit a part of the world I have never really considered seeing before. Also, to be perfectly honest, I never would have even known about the fabulous travel deals had it not been for Christine.

Fast Facts About Iceland
-Population: 320,000
-Area: 103,000 km2
-Currency: krona (1 krona is worth approximately $0.13 CDN)
-Capital: Reykjavík (not sure how to pronounce that, yet)

LIVE UPDATE - # 26

I have arrived in Iceland and met up with JennB at our hotel. It was so wonderful to see her!! She has our whole trip planned out, in a spreadsheet that she sent me a few days ago. Here is what we are planning on doing...

Monday
Perlan restaurant for lunch, free walking tour of Reykjavik, city swimming pool, Oliver,s Cafe for dinner and drinks
Tuesday
Goldon Circle bus tour, History of Reykjavik Comedy Show for dinner
Wednesday
Museums in Reykjavik, Lava Tour horseback riding, night club in the evening
Thursday
Blue Lagoon spa for the day with pedicures, night club again in the evening
Friday
Final day exploring around Reykjavik

Itinerary Update - Iceland

Pre-Scheduled Post:
As per my trip itinerary (bar any issues/changes/complications etc.)
I should be ....

Flying to Iceland!!
I will be on Icelandair flight FI343 flying from Helsinki, Finland, from Vantaa Airport at 15:20 and landing in Keflavik Airport in Reykjavik, Iceland. I will be meeting up with JennB at our hotel in Reykjavik so we can tour together around Iceland for the week!!

The Itinerary

So I leave in less than a week on my big trip!! I don't even really have it all sorted out yet. However, as it stands at the moment these are my plans.

My Itinerary
Fly - Hamilton to Calgary - July 14th - Stampede with Anne and Erin
Drive - Calgary to Edmonton - July 18th - See Mike
Bus - Edmonton to Vancouver - July 22nd - Wedding with Yen
Fly - Vancouver to Beijing - July 25th - China
Tour/Train - Beijing to St. Petersburg - Aug 1st - China, Mongolia, Russia
Confusing bit - Still up in the air -Aug 21st - No idea
Fly - Helsinki to Reykjavik - Aug 29th - Iceland with JennB
Fly - Reykjavik to Toronto - Sept 3rd - And Done!

Oxford Entrance Interview Questions

-What is your opinion on spontaneous human combustion?
-Why don't we just have one ear in the middle of our face?
-Are you your body?
-What is the % of the worlds water contained in a cow?
-What are 3 things you would send to tribes people to explain what it means to be French?
-Was Russia just too big for democracy?
-If one of Buddha's teachings is unattachment, why is China, which is largely Buddhists, so materialistic?
-If you were a rat, what would be the most important thing to you?
-How comfortable is that chair?
-If there are three beautiful naked women in front of you, which do you choose?
-What is wrong with the sentence "Here comes Bob"?
-How does a perm work?
-What is a tree?
-How would you design a better brain?
-Is it possible for a society to exist where people lie all the time?
-What would make anyone settle in a place like Iceland?
-Why do archaeologists love pots so much?
-How would you design an experiment to disprove the existence of God?
-How would you describe Naomi Campbell's life?
-Was Hitler evil?
-Are you cool?