August Summer-House Week

2018-08-01Friends, Us Standard

[Photos taken on 01-06 August 2018, posted on 03 10 February 2019.  It’s been quite cold lately, and it looks like Emma has succumbed to the flu.]

For the fourth week of our summer vacation, we stayed at two different summer houses. The first was the same house we’d stayed at in Úthlíð the summer before, also with Adda & Halli. The second was our own house, and we were very lucky in that two sets of visitors came to spend time with us. (90-ish images)

Wednesday 01 August 2018

The view from the summer house at Úthlíð.
Panorama of the pretty horizon.
Adda and Emma doing a puzzle book.
Experimenting with gravity.
The crew that went swimming at Fontana in Laugarvatn.
A board game was played.

Thursday 02 August 2018

The main demand from the younger generation during vacations is that the entire morning shall be dedicated to screen-time.
Much like the year before, we booked an hour-long calm horse-riding tour from the people that run the area.
Emma is still too young to go solo, but she got to sit on one horse while the others were being readied.
Happy!
Going for a quick walk. Yes, that blue building is a church.
Two kids on horses.
Adda so ready!
Quick selfie. Poor Bjarki had a rough ride, his helmet was giving him a head-ache, and his gloves weren’t waterproof, so his hands were freezing in the rain.
One wet horse. Those notches on the reins tore my fingers up the year before as we galloped along and I hung on for dear life!
We were all a bit tired after the horse-outing, but I decided to rally and drive to the Geysir area for some me-time. I wanted to try and take a few photos for fun.
Walking along the road to enter the Geysir area.
It’s by a pretty green hill. One day I’d like to hike up there.
Some greenery and brightly colored ground.
Here be steam!
The landowners tried to charge admission at one point but were forbidden to do so. Now they ask for contributions.
No touching the water!
The Strokkur geysir beginning to erupt.
Peak eruption.
Looking back over the surrounding landscape.
Then I made my way to the cafe, and may have gotten myself a little something to eat.
Back at the very modern summer house.
Dinner time with a view.
Siblings playing chase while Halli cleans the hot tub, as we were leaving the next morning.
Goodbye pretty Úthlíð.

Friday 03 August 2018

We left early the next day. Finnur took our kids to our summer house, while I drove into town with Adda and Halli.
In town I visited Ikea, of course.
Yup, still buying stuff.
Yet another car-fill about to be transported to house #2.
My cousin Ríkey agreed to come visit the summer house on super-short notice, and very kindly brought her sewing machine to shorten some curtains I’d bought. By now, having her shorten curtains for us is like a house blessing. 🙂
She has an amazing collection of threads!

Saturday 04 August 2018

We kept them busy the next day as well, not only with sewing but also with building the second tall bed!
Final touches being made.
The garage was a bit of a mess, but the kids managed to play on the old pool table Finnur’s parents’ had brought from their storage.
Anna doing her part to finish assembling the tall bed.
It was a really gorgeous day.
Shortly after lunch, our very helpful guests took off to see a show in town, and we prepared for the next set of visitors.
Before we knew it, it was dinner time, and Gunni manned the BBQ.
Anna digging in at close to 9 pm. What is time anyway?
Because the first weekend of August is a festive one, with the Monday being a public holiday, there was a public party being thrown by the local summer house association.
The entertainer was a guy that’s been in the business for a long time. He still has a few hit songs everybody sings along to.
My crew.
The kids were fascinated by the fire.
After the guy stopped singing, we hung around for as the kids played.
Anna spotting an adorable dog… (animated gif)
They got permission to put out the fire by the arranger-in-charge. It was 10:30 pm.
Walking back at 11:20 pm.
Seriously nice view.
Our house in the almost-dark.
Animation of the boys approaching.

Sunday 05 August 2018

Our outing this day was the small town of Hvanneyri, which is about a 7 minute drive away.
There’s a farm school there. We visited the local farm museum and knit-gift shop.
Old machines.
Boys on a red tractor.
Painted rock in a gift-shop window.
A note about the wool they sell. It’s handmade.
Anna contemplating some shoes.
I like colorful things.
The view outside the museum.
Cute sign.
A little ways further was the local cafe.
The view from the cafe steps.
A dog outside the cafe that the kids played with while we waited.
The difference between a phone camera (this photo) and 50 mm fancy camera (the two photos above this one).
It was very busy, but it’s the only cafe around, so we just stood in line.
Finally, it was our turn to order. They sell homemade ice-cream, the lids were on the register.
We got lucky and got a big table all to ourselves.
Emma checking out her hot chocolate.
Finnur.
Contemplative Anna.
Mother and daughter.
After eating, we walked around and found this playground, and huge plastic tractor!
Animated gif of clouds flying by overhead.
It had to be done!
Kids climbing.
Finnur showing his skillz.
Bjarki in mid-landing. He did manage to grab onto the pole and continue on the obstacle course.
Happy Emma.
Bjarki as we were walking back towards the cars.
The view from the hill.
Bjarki took this one.
Freestyle card-playing back at home-base.
Gunni and the kids playing Forbidden Desert late that night.

Monday 06 August 2018

Kids playing as the adults began packing up and cleaning for departure.
Finnur took Emma straight to home, but I meandered to Borgarnes with the older ones, to stop at Kaffi Kyrrð.
The view from their back-porch is pretty amazing.
Once home, it was time to play Go Fish (Veiðimann).
I went out on a Pokemon walk at 10:30 pm apparently.
For the first time ever, I was harassed by two seagulls, who seemed to think this was their domain.
The two seagulls on lamp-posts, making sure I was walking in the right direction, and out of their area!