February Winter-Break UK Trip – Part 1 of 2
[Photos taken on 15-17 February 2018, posted on 16 September 2018. Lovely weather so far all September. Finnur’s up north with buddies, I’ve been renovating the off-foyer-room.]
I think this was the first winter where we went to the UK for both winter breaks (2 days off, adjacent to a weekend). It so happens that Finnur’s working closely with people in London these days, so it made sense for him to spend a week working there, and why not get a change of scenery for the rest of us along the way? So to the UK we went! Again! (29 images total)
Thursday 15 February 2018
At the airport, as I walk back from the long-term parking lot to the terminal building.
Snow + Ash Wednesday (aka Icelandic Halloween)
[Photos taken on 13-14 February, posted on 15 September 2018. Us girls are at a coffee house downtown, while Bjarki is watching a movie with a friend nearby.]
It felt like February was ridiculously packed. It was sandwiched between two work-trips of mine to Canada, and contained Emma’s birthday aaand the kid’s school winter-break, during which we traveled to the UK where we left Finnur behind so he could work in London for a whole week. Phew!
In between the birthday and the UK trip were two days, the first was a standard but pretty Tuesday, while the second was Ash Wednesday, aka the Icelandic Halloween! (14 images total)
Tuesday 13 February 2018
Arriving at work at 08:15 to an eerie calm and damped lights after nighttime snowfall.
Emma Ósk Turns 5 Years Old
[Photos taken on 12 February, posted on 13 September 2018. Saw frost on the grass this morning.]
Emma’s fifth birthday landed on a Monday, and we decided to have a party for her at home after work ended. It was a party of the super easy kind, where we ordered pizza, and I think Anna even made the cake! (11 images total)
Emma Ósk, proudly 5 years old!
Dinners, Wicked Weather, and Pandemic
[Photos taken on 03-11 February, posted on 8 September 2018. It’s getting a bit chilly out there.]
Snapshots from the run-up to Emma’s 5th birthday. There were dinner parties galore, some board-game playing, and crazy weather. How very February! (15 images total)
Saturday 03 February 2018
Pretty clouds as we made our way to Hafnarfjörður. I vaguely recall us going to the swimming pool there.
Winter Worktrip #2 to Freezing Canada – Toronto Layover
[Photos taken on 01-02 February, posted on 8 September 2018. Spent the morning hunting the Pokemon Moltres with Finnur!]
My flight home to Iceland didn’t leave until around dinner time, so I spent the day walking around Toronto, visiting Ingress stops to try and get a medal in the game that I needed. (26 images total)
(Now, yes, in case my friends who live in Toronto see that I came by without saying hi, I apologize, but I was so tired after the long work-trip, that human interactions were beyond my capabilities at the time. I’ll be sure to say hi next time!)
Thursday 01 February 2018
It was a nice cool day.
Winter Worktrip #2 to Freezing Canada – On Site
[Photos taken on 23 – 31 January 2018, posted on 15 20 August 2018. Today Five days ago marks the first day I notice the leaves beginning to change color. Fall is coming!]
Some photos from my time in the town where our project was underway. (48 images total)
Tuesday 23 January 2018
After a late lunch, my colleagues showed me the outdoors skating circle, that circles a small park.
Winter Worktrip #2 to Freezing Canada – Vancouver Layover
[Photos taken on 20-21 January 2018, posted on 11 13 August 2018. Norðurbakkinn is today’s hideout, yet agin. Started working again after the summer holiday.]
Icelandair suspended their 6-hour long direct flights to Edmonton from January to March just as myself and my colleagues needed them the most due to a large project that was ongoing all past winter.
Instead we ended up flying to either Vancouver or Toronto, and then “hopping” over to Edmonton. This particular outbound trip took me to Vancouver for the first time, and I was very grateful to have a layover there, as the 8-hour long flight over left me nauseous and exhausted.
Due to the time-difference, I woke up at 4 am the morning after, had an early breakfast, and then went on a walkabout, largely dictated by missions in the GPS game Ingress. (56 images total)
Saturday 20 January 2018
Flying over the east coast of Greenland. It’s always spectacular… and somewhat freaky.
January Trip North to Akureyri
Photos taken on 12 January 2018 – 15 January 2018, posted on 08 August 2018. Sitting at Kruðerí, gathering courage to tidy up the garage some more.]
One September day, in an apparent fit of insanity, I booked a cabin in the north of Iceland, that belongs to the employee association at my work, to stay in over a January weekend. The hope was to go skiing, and visiting our good friends Kata and Jói, whom we hadn’t seen in very long time.
As it happens, the weather over the weekend was very poor, and the ski slopes remained closed. We therefore ended up going swimming a couple of times, and generally hanging out with our friends, which was fun. Then our Sunday flight home got cancelled, so we ended up staying an extra day, but nerves got a little thin as the kids were unhappy about the no-ski situation, Bjarki’s shoes got stolen, and it was unclear when our Monday flight home would actually get off the ground.
I think next time I’ll just wait and see what the weather situation is like… (31 images total)
Friday 12 January 2018
The plane that flew us north. It’s a 30 minute flight.
People Gatherings as 2018 Began
[Photos taken on 01 January 2018 – 08 January 2018, posted on 07 August 2018. Sitting at Súfistinn, after tidying up the garage today.]
The first eight days of January 2018 included no fewer than four food-included get-together-s with friends and family galore! (22 images total)
Monday 01 January 2018
Photo of the smog still sitting on top of Reykjavik (that grayness by the bottom of the mountain) after the massive fireworks the evening before. Yes, I ventured to the only open coffee house I knew of to work on photos. I thought it was a good way to start the new year!
New Year’s Eve: When 2017 Became 2018
[Photos taken on 31 December 2017 – 01 January 2018, posted on 31 July 2018. Back at Norðurbakkinn, and it’s rainy outside.]
This past New Year’s Eve was special, in that it was announced beforehand that this would be the last grand family party hosted by Finnur’s uncle and his wife. (The party hosting has alternated between the two brothers through the years). As a result I think pretty much everybody showed up, and had a great time as always. (49 images total and 1 video)
Welcome to 2018!!! (Many thanks to Anna for being patient and writing into thin air more than once as we tuned the camera settings!)