Glidelej Jol – 23/12/07

Seasons greetings and best wishes for the New Year from Reykjavik. 

We are still fine and well in Iceland.  The weather continues to challenge us with beautiful crisp days of ice and snow all to infrequently interspersed between blustery 1987-force gales and driving rain.  Not that we notice it all that much with work taking up a lot of our time.  For those that are interested, our daily hours of sunlight should currently be around 4, when it can break through the clouds.  Work is going well and we received the mandatory 'December Bonus' as well as a Christmas gift from the owners. 

Winter view from Skeljanes

Last weekend we arrived home after a 44-hour working weekend to find our room in about three inches of water.  A pipe had burst.  We are still living in the room next door, which was only marginally affected, but hope to move back into our room tomorrow. 

Talking of water, my favourite pastime here is visiting the local swimming baths.  The added value offered is great.  It is an outdoor heated pool with hot pots and steam bath, buts its the details that count, coat hangers inside the complimentary lockers, a shoe horn by the entrance to the changing rooms, where you must leave your shoes, ensured that they will still be there when you leave!

Lonely washing machine, Reykjavik domestic airport

We have to work tomorrow morning but have the 25th, 26th and 27th off, a welcome break.  On the 26th we have been invited to my bosses house for dinner, she is going to cook us traditional Icelandic foods,which will include; Humer soup (Lobster soup), Hangikjott (smoked lamb), and Hamborgarahryggur (smoked ham).  Luckily she is not cooking us Skata, the foul smelling fish that is popular here for Christmas.  Everyone defends it but when asked if they will be cooking it they vehementally refuse to have it in their house! 

We are now going to the annual 23rd December celebrations downtown, which will include carolling choirs, hot chocolate and mulled wine followed by the usual runtur (Icelandic pub crawl) that most of Reykjavik indulges in on the weekends. We had a works party a few weeks ago which gave us a free taste of the runtur (did I mention how expensive alcohol is here?), and also when accompanied by our boss, it got us to skip queues in some of the 'fashionable' places.

Christmas at Palshus