Dagbók Hrefnu og Finns

Visiting Laugarvatn, Slakki Petting Zoo, and Thingvellir

2016-07-24Friends, Us Standard

[Photos from 24-26 July 2016, posted online 11 September 2016. Baby steps.]

It was “our week” at the summer house Finnur owns with his siblings, so to the summer house by Laugarvatn we went! With us were Adda and Halli, plus kids, and a lovely time was had by all (we hope). We visited a small petting zoo for the first time, there was more jogging, and on the way back, we stopped at various places to hunt Pokemons. (23 images total)

Anna and Finnur at the overlook point by Þingvellir, as they hunted for Pokemons on the way back to town.

Jogs, Jazz, and Jitters

2016-07-21Us Standard

[Photos from 21-23 July 2016, posted online 10 September 2016. Back at the coffee house I like to blog in. Need a coffee house closer to home!]

After we returned from Sweden, we lay low for a little bit. I went out for a couple of slow jogs, a friend dragged us (in a good way) to a jazz concert downtown, and uh, then there was more jogging!

Be warned that the image for Friday 22 has a close up on a small wound on Emma’s face, that she got when she fell face-first on the edge of a table. :/ (18 images total)

p.s. I rearranged the blog posts into the order they happened, as I was getting confused.

Thursday 21 July 2016

Was feeling jittery so I went out for a jog. Warmed up by walking up to the stupa, where somebody had left flowers.

Was feeling jittery so I went out for a jog. Warmed up by walking up to the stupa above our house, where somebody had left flowers.

Day #10 in Sweden: Going Back Home

2016-07-20Sweden, Us Standard

[Photos from Wednesday 20 July 2016, posted online 10 August 2016. In the middle of an allergy test for antibiotics.]

After a lovely time in Sweden, it was time to head back home. Happily, the flight back was in the middle of the afternoon, so it was a relatively low-stress day… if you discount the fact that we managed to mess up getting onto the correct highway, causing a small delay… oh, and due to a misunderstanding, one of the handluggage bags got left behind in the check-in area, and had to be reclaimed from lost and found. (7 images total)

Goodbye pink house!

Day #9 in Sweden: Tom Tits Experiment

2016-07-19Sweden, Us Standard

[Photos from Tuesday 19 July 2016, posted online 9 August 2016. The adults are back at work. Goodbye summer vacation!]

On our last whole day, we opted to visit something called the Tom Tits Experiment. It’s essentially a science museum, and unfortunately shared a lot of things with the other science museum we’d just visited a few days before, so it felt less special than it could have. But there were also neat new things to see, and do, so it wasn’t a total loss. (24 images total)

When we arrived, there was a show going on. As we sat down, he was just finishing juggling regular stuff, and then went on to swinging around things on fire. Like this huge ball!

When we arrived, there was a show going on. As we sat down (see Finnur and the kids in the middle), he was just finishing juggling regular stuff, and then went on to swinging around things on fire. Like this huge ball!

Day #8 in Sweden: Google Office & Junibacken

2016-07-18Sweden, Us Standard

[Photos from Monday 18 July 2016, posted online 7 August 2016. House finally painted and woodwork stained. Phew!]

Finnur had some business to attend to at the Stockholm Google office, so we all went there, and ate lunch.

Afterwards we decided to visit the Junibacken, a unique place where locales and characters from Swedish children’s books (many of which we’ve read) have been made real. It’s not big, but packed with stuff. (50 images total, some taken by Finnur)

We parked underneath the Google building, and had a little trouble finding the way out and up into it!

We parked underneath the Google building, and had a little trouble finding the way out and up and back into it!

Day #7 in Sweden: Visiting Friends & Second Beach Trip

2016-07-17Friends, Sweden, Us Standard

[Photos from Sunday 17 July 2016, posted online 4 August 2016. Two posts in one night? It’s really late…]

On this lovely Sunday, we went and visited our friends, Stina & Tommi. (Yes, this is the same Stina that Anna and I went to watch sing a few night earlier.)

Afterwards, we decided to try the ‘other’ beach in our town, and the kids had fun splashing around for a bit, while Finnur went grocery shopping. (23 images total)

By Stina & Tommi’s dining room table.

Day #6 in Sweden: Relaxation & Mall of Scandinavia

2016-07-16Sweden, Us Standard

[Photos from Saturday 16 July 2016, posted online 4 August 2016. Sitting on the sofa around midnight, and it’s dark outside, although the sky is still dark blue rather than black.]

After so many days of ‘doing stuff’, we tried to take it easy for one day. Since it was a weekend, I in particular feared crowds in Stockholm proper, so we just hung around the house for the most part.

Towards the end of the day, me and Anna took off to check out the Mall of Scandinavia, which was a 20 minute drive away from us.

Most of the images below are screenshots from Anna going on a snapchatting-spree! (11 images total)

How’s that for luxury? Getting your cup filled with water from a water-gun?

Day #5 in Sweden: National Museum of Science and Technology (Tekniska Museet)

2016-07-15Sweden, Us Standard

[Photos from Friday 15 July 2016, posted online 23 28 July 2016. At a cafe with the bestest Adda, who lets me be anti-social in peace, while our kids Pokemon! And uh, five days later, at another cafe, while the kids Pokemon.]

Bjarki really really really wanted to go back to the Tivoli, but we wanted to see something different. Evil parents!

After much searching, we found something that was not right next to the Tivoli (which is right next to the Vasa ship Museum), and off we went.

Our destination was the National Museum of Science and Technology, aka the Tekniska Museet. Unfortunately it took us too long to decide what to do, so we arrived really late. We could have stayed there for quite a bit longer, but oh well… (30 images total)

After reading tips about this place, we knew to race through the traditional exhibits in the front of the museum, and go to the back, where they had this fun obstacle course room, and various cool things in the other direction.

Day #4 in Sweden: Tivoli!

2016-07-14Sweden, Us Standard

[Photos from Thursday 14 July 2016, posted online 22 July 2016. Back at the cafe downtown, while the kids are out walking and playing Pokemon Go!]

[UPDATE on 23 July: Added two photos of Finnur and Bjarki on a roller-coaster towards the bottom of the post.]

The kids began the day with a water battle, and then we drove back to town and visited the local Tivoli (amusement park). We ate a snack beforehand, and had dinner afterwards, which I believe represent the only proper restaurants we visited on the whole trip! (30 images total)

The kids discovered a water-gun, which attached to regular plastic bottles. A water battle ensued!

Day #3 in Sweden: The Beach and a Jazz Concert

2016-07-13Sweden, Us Standard

[Photos from Wednesday 13 July 2016, posted online 22 July 2016. Holidays are nice.]

After our ship museum excursion the day before, we decided to have a quiet-ish day, and not drive anywhere far.

The highlights were me jogging to a nearby public beach, where Finnur and the kids met me. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t nice enough for us to hand around for long, but Bjarki gave it his best.

In the evening, I took Anna on an adventure trip into Stockholm, via a drive to a nearby train-station, and a 30 minute train-trip, to see a friend of mine, Stina, sing jazz in a converted vine-cellar of a bar! Good stuff! (17 images total, 1 video)

My friend, Stina, singing jazz, with pianist, Anna Gréta, and the house base player. Stina and Anna Greta form the duo 23/8.