[Photos taken 27 – 31 July 2023, posted online 04 May 2024. We’re starting to see a little bit of greenery erupting from the ground, shrubbery, and trees!]
We managed to find a break in Anna’s work schedule to go horse-back riding by Thorlákshöfn. Then we spent a night with friends at a nearby summer house, before heading to our own summer house, and celebrating Finnur’s 49th birthday!
The weather cooperated and we went kayaking, before returning to town, and getting started for real on the garbage bin shed. I may also have gone gymming… Thus endeth July of 2023.
Off we went! The town is there on the right on the other side of the small elevation.
Finnur’s back wasn’t quite up to horse-back riding, so it was just the four of us. The stables are behind us on the right of the image.
We mostly took it slow, especially when Bjarki started reporting he had a stomach-ache. The vegetation was different outside of the town.
Entering the straws-in-the-sand-dunes-to-keep-sand-from-blowing-everywhere area, that goes along the seaside.
Rest stop. I climbed up the sand-dune a bit for a better view inland. The sea was behind me.
Chilling. Not so long ago, this whole area was just sandy wasteland.
Anna’s horse (which she really liked) eating some of the precious straws.
We made our way over the dunes, and on to the black beach. To go over the dunes our guide took a shortcut, leaving the big open path, and for a while the scenery changed into movie-land, being on horse-back, traversing hilly dunes, with tall straws undulating in the light breeze, the sun hitting just-so, mountains on the distance to the left, the ocean appearing on the right. Sometimes I wish I could just take snapshots with my brain!
We stopped again after traversing most of the beach on the way back to the stables. Anna and Emma had gone ahead at some speed with the guide, while I reigned my horse in to help Bjarki go slowly, as his stomach-ache didn’t allow for much speed. Thankfully his horse was happy walking behind my horse!
Resting. The town of Thorlákshöfn off in the distance.
Where we came from.
Holding on to two munching horses.
We made it all the way back to the stables, where Finnur was waiting for us. We sent the big kids driving home, and took Emma with us to go visit good friends, who happen to have access to a nearby summer house.
Old-style A-house! These were all the rage some decades ago.
Getting the BBQ ready.
Checking out the area around the house.
A rare sight in Iceland, solar panels! The house is “off-grid”, and getting it “on-grid” will cost a lot of money. This plus a battery works surprisingly well!
Friday 28 July 2023
We woke up to another gorgeous day!
Breakfast in the sun.
We left our hosts shortly after noon, as we had our own guests arriving at our own summer house later that day!
The car needed a bit of extra juice!
Our friendly spider in the sun.
Driving to the summer house around dinner time. Everything was so green!
One of my favorite hillsides on the way.
Houses under the cliffs.
Agnes had cleverly planned a pit-stop with her friend, as they’d just returned from a long trip to the Western Fjords.
Emma, with her headphones on a usual.
Bjarki, excited to play some Skyjo.
The sky at 23 in the evening.
Looking towards the lake.
It was still 11 C/ 52 F, which is balmy on an evening like this.
Emma crushing everybody!
She was pretty happy about it!
Saturday 29 July 2023
Saying goodbyes in the early morning light. Agnes would stay behind, as the rest of her family would be joining us later.
It was Finnur’s 49th birthday, and our visitors brought a juicy cake!!
Anna’s homemade almond cake was also a hit.
The birthday “boy” about to open his presents!
Dinner was scrumptious!
Knitting time.
Enjoying the view.
Sunday 30 July 2023
The wind was calm enough to go kayaking on the lake. Our friends had brought their own kayaks.
Getting to grips with rowing.
Emma impressed me with her strong rowing, so I took her across the lake, just like she wanted.
Pit stop on the far side.
Proof that it was the two of us, and that I didn’t know I could tighten down the top strap.
On our way back.
We made it!
The Strava recording of our Kayaking trip across the lake. It was about 2.5 km.
Emma, barely tolerating her mother-with-a-camera.
Bjarki being more patient.
Mid-jump.
A tree-clearing along the roads had left a lot of mulch, which we were free to use. Finnur took it upon himself to surround the house, as much as he could, to reduce vegetation.
Bjarki about to drive us home! Anna had work the next day!
Leaving the wheelbarrow-man behind.
Driving towards Borgarnes town.
Entering the usual cafe in Borgarnes.
Food that everybody likes.
I dragged the kids out back to get a nice photo of the three of them together. Emma was feeling a bit cold…
The cafe owners used to run it as a flower store, there are still flowers everywhere.
Yours truly posing.
The heart of the cafe?
Back home, I saw that the line for the automated car-wash was empty, so I decided to get the dust washed off.
Shiny!
Monday 31 July 2023
A beautiful day deserves outside tea and toast.
The broccoli was looking very promising!
Finnur got started on tearing down the fencing so we could start building the new garbage bin shed.
Meanwhile, I went to the gym. That looks like a 120 kg deadlift about to happen.
Deadlifting 3 x 130 kg. It’s interesting that as I practice lifting more, I discover that I keep doing it wrong! In this case I’m yanking way too much with my upper body, and not engaging the legs properly. Tsk, tsk.
The car park outside mom’s apartment, where my brother and family stayed before their move to Sweden.
Doing a bag fitting so we wouldn’t end up in trouble a few hours later when it was time to drive them to the airport!
