Höfn's Rock Museum

Do you remember how Andri and I always took advantage of the open days at the museums in Oslo? Both of us love museums and cultural events and we especially like them when they are free to the public. We lucked out with one such day here in Höfn.

It didn't have the glam and size of the museums in Oslo, but the rock museum in Höfn certainly had it's small town charm. The museum was owned by a local couple and is driven by the husband's passion for hunting down the most interesting stones in Iceland and displaying them in his museum.

He gave us a personal tour of the museum and even showed us the rock that started his collection. The museum was particularly interesting because it is housed in the old Höfn pool. So, you might run into an old locker room, and the owners have decorated the pool areas in rocks.

In the tour, we were taken down to where he polishes the rocks. This led us through some areas where stalagmite formations had grown. I think they were formed from some chemicals that were used in the pool, but it seemed very fitting since we were touring a rock museum.

At the end of the tour he let each of us pick out one of his polished rocks to take home. It was a very nice gesture. All in all I think we spent maybe 2+ hours in the rock museum - a lot longer than I expected to spend in there! But the stories from the owners (translated for me, of course) really added to the experience and made it a nice museum-outing in Höfn. After the rock museum, we visited the art museum (yes, there is one in Höfn).

If you know me, then you know I'm less impressed with art, but it's still nice to have a bit of culture in a small town. In the art museum in the reception area, you can also find ocean creatures (dead, of course) that are common in Iceland. Now that drew my attention more than the art, but to each his own!

So, if you find yourself in Höfn and have the opportunity to visit the rock museum - go! It's a great way to meet a local :)

RINGing in the New Year

That's right.. we got engaged just before the clock struck midnight! Outside, in the snow, under the fireworks on a beautiful night.

I have to admit, I knew it was coming.. though I didn't know when. I have unusually small hands and fingers, so most "normal" sized rings look gaudy on my hands. Early on in the Christmas break we went and tried on rings to find one that would fit my hand. It's a beautifully simple ring of typical Icelandic fashion.

Christmas in Northern Iceland

Icelanders love their malt and orange soda combo!

Christmas 2012 was spent in Akureyri, Iceland. Andri and I had a nice time visiting his family over the holidays and eating yummy Icelandic Christmas goodies. We spent most of the time relaxing, but we also strolled the downtown area and I went to a Christmas concert at the local church. I also partook of the Skate lunch again... it gets better each year ;)

Unfortunately the weather wasn't very good, so we weren't able to do some exploring around the local areas as we had hoped. We even had to take the long way back to Höfn. We rented a car (will have it until June) and drove first to Reykjavik and stayed over night and then continued on to Höfn the next day. The drive was still long and unpleasent due to the weather, but we made it alright. There is a more direct route back to Höfn, but it was too dangerous due to black ice.

 

EMA in Brussels

Another EMA meeting, another trip to Brussels. I really enjoyed Brussels at Christmastime last year, but this year my cold kept me from really enjoying it as I had hoped. By the second day of the meeting, I pretty much had no voice. It took a lot of effort to speak but it didn't stop me from mingling and enjoying the company of my EMA friends. I'll spare you the details of the meetings, but the little free time I had in Brussels was very enjoyable. I got to see a little of the Christmas decorations downtown as we walked to and from our dinner locations, and I got to enjoy some time baking with my fellow EMAers. Usually on the departure day, a cultural event is organized. This time it was baking Christmas cookies at a local bakery. I tried my best not to spread my germs :)

Traveling out of Höfn...

.. Is a real pain in the tuchus. There are really only three ways to get in or out of Höfn - by car, plane, or bus. Planes are exceptionally expensive and buses only run 2-3 times a week, at least that's how it is in the wintertime. So a car is the best option.. and not something I own. BUT I learned that carpooling is a big thing in Iceland. There is a website [http://www.samferda.is/].. it wasn't the best option for me. If you're looking to carpool in Iceland, your best bet is to check out the Facebook groups. I've found two so far (I haven't looked for any others because I haven't had a need to do so):

• Travel to/from Reykjavik - Akureyri [https://www.facebook.com/groups/377326135641057/]
• Travel to/from Reykjavik - South Eastern Iceland [https://www.facebook.com/groups/352437468136067/]

I managed to find a ride for free to Reykjavik from Höfn, but most people often request some contribution for gas.. and it's less expensive than the bus. However, this option is obviously not right for everyone. Icelanders tend to plan at the last minute, so you're most likely to find a ride 1-3 days before you need it.. which makes planners like me really stress out. Regardless it's a nice option to have, an opportunity to meet someone new, and you don't have to worry about the crazies as you would in the USA.

Since I refuse to support the insane airfares from Höfn, and the other options usually mean that I will have to spend some nights (at least one) in Reykjavik before a flight, especially considering that it's already a 5-7 hour drive depending on the weather, I ended up spending two nights in Reykjavik at the cheapest place I could find - Reykjavik Backpackers. It was better than I was expecting, right on the main shopping street (the Karl Johan of Iceland as I like to call it), and I met interesting travelers to share a coffee with.

Unfortunately I really didn't spend much time exploring Reykjavik while I was there (I had a full day in the city). Just before I left Höfn I started coming down with a nasty bug.. and I didn't want to get even more sick before I made it to my destination of purpose - BRUSSELS!

Christmas in Höfn

Unfortunately I don't have much time in Höfn before the holidays because I will soon be traveling to Brussels (and what a travel adventure it will be, I'm sure!) and then on to Akureyri, which is where I will be spending the holidays.

Luckily people in Höfn have started to put up their lights and things are starting to look a bit more festive around here. One thing that is missing, however, is the snow. I guess I've gotten used to having snow each winter after living in Oslo, so it's kind of strange to not be living in an area that is covered in a white blanket at this time of year. While I miss staring out at the snow and beautiful crisp sunny days, I like not having to worry too much about where I step when I walk places. Andri likes to call me his "cow on an ice patch." Apparently that is a direct translation from an Icelandic expression about people who can't walk on snow/ice. It's true.. it's quite a sight to see me. And I'm not without ice here.. the black ice can be really, really awful! 

Just before I leave for Brussels a nice co-worker of Andri's invited us over to make Laufabrauð (leaf bread). Laufabrauð is not something that I'm crazy about. It's nice, but nothing to write home about. But Laufabrauð is a marker of Christmas for Andri, his family, and many Icelanders. Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without Laufabrauð!

It was fun to try carving the patterns.. Andri has obviously had more practice than me. And, of course, the ones we made tasted much better than the store bought ones. I hope to do it again - it was a fun cultural activity!

 In Höfn, we also have a Christmas Market. It's not hardly the same as what you'll find in Oslo or most other places, but it's just nice to have one. It runs for four Saturdays for only about three hours at a time. There is carolling, local farms selling their goods, and community organizations selling handmade items.

Kvennakór (Women's Choir)

Not many of you probably know that once upon a time ago (okay, like a decade plus ago) I sang in choirs and was in small ensemble/solo competitions. For some years now I've really been missing singing in a choir and my move to Höfn presented a great opportunity to do just that!

There are two choirs in this town (for the ladies at least) - a community women's choir and a church affiliated choir. I joined the community choir and so far it's been a great opportunity to meet others in the community. The majority of the songs are, of course, in Icelandic, which has been a struggle for me but has helped with my pronunciation of Icelandic words.

Early this December we put on the annual Christmas concert at Nyheimar. Attendance was good and all enjoyed tasty cakes that were brought by members of the choir.