Two weeks today...

 I will be landing in Iceland!! My sister and I leave Winnipeg on August 5th, fly to Montreal to change planes (with a 4 hour stopover but that's okay, especially if there are delays) and land in Keflavik (that's where the international airport is) Sunday morning, Aug. 6th in the land of our ancestors.

And there is an eruption happening right now! It is very small, so no worries about life and limb, or air travel interruptions. Although not far from where we will be staying (about 30 kms as the crow flies), there is no danger unless you are close to it. It does give off dangerous gases in the local vicinity, but the Icelandic gov't is very good about closing the hiking trail to the viewing area if the wind shifts. But we won't be going to see it, because I am just not up for a 20 km hike to get there!! There are lots of other things to see in beautiful Iceland.

We will be staying for 2 weeks, renting a lovely little apartment that is attached to a family's house in a community just outside of Reykjavik. They will be our hosts. We went through VRBO (vacation rentals by owner) to find it. It has everything we need: kitchen, 2 bedrooms, laundry facilities, and even a hot tub in the backyard! That will be lovely to soak away all the aches and pains after spending our days wandering around the capital area (and other areas within a day's drive). We are renting a car as well, so will venture out and about to some of the sights in the area.

I have lists and lists of what I need to take, and what I need to do before I leave. I have a pet sitter coming to live at my place while I am away, to care for the cats. There is no way I could take them to a boarding facility. I did that with one cat years ago, and he came back scarred for life from that experience. He was so terrified while he was there that they had a hard time even cleaning his kennel because he would attack them. His nickname became Psycho Kitty, and I insisted on handling him at the vet from then on, as I could tell how he would react by how he felt in my hands. It would absolutely destroy the calico kids, and I think even Lila, as not too bright as she is, would suffer. So the pet sitter is a great option!

The only places outside of Canada that I have visited are the US and Mexico. Time to explore somewhere else!

We will be meeting a bunch of people who are related to us through our great grandmother on my dad's side. I had done my DNA on My Heritage a few years ago, and last year a woman messaged me through there that we are cousins. So my great grandmother is her great aunt. There is a family gathering on Aug. 12th, so we will meet lots of people there! I hope to make some good connections with family there. My dad died years ago and his one sibling, my aunt, has severe dementia and lives in a care home, so there is no one here to talk to about the Icelandic side of the family. But either way, it will be the trip of a lifetime!!!

Iceland in summer

Iceland in Winter

One day, I would love to go to Iceland in the winter also. The northern lights, Aurora Borealis, are apparently quite spectacular! We can see them here in the middle of Canada also, but when you are so close to the arctic circle, they are so much more vibrant! While it is snowy and stormy in winter, the temps are nowhere near as cold as here in Winnipeg. Our weather in winter is similar to Siberia. Bitter cold and very dry (the static electricity in winter is horrendous... the cats shy away from pets because of the shocks). In Iceland, they get lots of storms because it sits in the North Atlantic ocean, that little rock. But our summer trip will be more about staying dry from the frequent rains. I have waterproof hiking boots, a rain suit (jacket and pants) that I will carry with me at all times in a backpack. Definitely a necessity!

I am only just a teeny bit excited....!!!!