A stegosaurus in Húnaflói, north-western Iceland, chases an albino tourist (me).
"Packing up all my stuff" loosely translates as spending the day eating Cheerios in my knickers, idly leafing through old notebooks and reading postcards that I never got round to sending.
A list I just found, dated 3rd of June 2003:
Things to do in Iceland before I die
1. Eat a whale
2. Marry a fisherman
3. Meet Björk
4. Visit glaciers
5. See the dinosaur (see pic)
Things to do in Iceland before Tuesday
1. Get new sim card
2. Find a job
3. Find somewhere to live
4. Learn Icelandic
5. Where is internet cafe?
I think learning Icelandic "before Tuesday" was a bit optimistic, hey.
Why is there Cheerios in your knickers?
ReplyDeleteUrrfgh, that came out wrong.
ReplyDeleteTakk fyrir síðast Annie.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great party and lovely to meet some of the interesting types who turned up whether they were invited or not.
Have a great last few days in town and a safe trip to Ireland.
I´ve said it before and I´ll say it again, it´s a real shame that the time we were both here on the rock was so short. But I´ve got a feeling you´ll be back on a semi-regular basis and Dublin´s a wonderful city which I have yet to visit.
All the best love,
Ben x
Wow! A blogger from Iceland! No, I'm not from Iceland but I spent quite a bit of time there. I made 5 or 6 trips out there a while back (two, three weeks a piece) for the US Navy at their facility in Keflavik. Iceland was one of the most beautifully unusual places I ever visited.
ReplyDeleteAnd the people were GORGEOUS! Of course you know all of this. I road around for miles taking photos. I liked Rejkavik but my favorite places were more remote.
Hello from New Jersey, US! :)
Have you got an Irish list yet?
ReplyDeleteI haven't been reading this for very long, but did you ever get around to eating that whale?
ReplyDeleteI saw that list.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't say "marry a fisherman" at all! It said "ride a fisherman".
And now you just know everyone is going to want to know whether you succeeded. ;-)
Hæ Ben, takk fyrir síðó sömuleiðó. I'm not sure that there were any gatecrashers at all actually, I think I got that bit wrong. You and Orri (which I'm still sure is short for Snorri) are very welcome to visit in Dublin, I look forward to it.
ReplyDeleteHi Dan and welcome, there's quite a few Icelandic bloggers, in fact I think Iceland is the blogging capital of the world. Off the top of my head, check out The Iceland Weather Report (which isn't the actual weather report), Xenopatriot and Where is Kelso? for more Icelandic blogs in English.
No Irish list as of yet, but I'm working on it.
I didn't eat a whole whale, just one steak, it was delicious.
And yes, the list did actually say "ride a fisherman", thank you Bjarni, but I thought it sounded a bit crass so I changed it. I don't want to sound like some horrible British sex tourist.
Hmm.
ReplyDeleteI think your lists are fantastic, and you're clearly very well organised.
Oh.
2003?
Umm. Well. You're very good at holding on to a piece of paper that is several years old.
In my house I would have scrawled groceries on the back and lost it long ago.
Heh, it was in a journal. Back when journals actually existed.
ReplyDeleteBecause of course back then I only used the internet for email and "looking things up".
Great photo! So much to do in so little time....I for one am
ReplyDeletea) glad you didn't eat a whale
but b) sad you didn't meet Bjork.
I think you got away with it. You didn't say which tuesday...
ReplyDeletehow can you bear to leave the dinosaur...?
ReplyDeleteBe sure to post your new to-do lists once in sunny Ireland...
Lists are fantastic, especially when you find them years later, and no matter how ridiculous they are, you accomplish most things on them.
ReplyDeleteI've gone through quite a few lists myself, and I always smile when I see my successes off my lists.
Did you ever eat a Reindeer or a Puffin, or a Ptarmigan?
I'd say, find Bjorks house and ring on her doorbell. You can always pretend you're looking for donations for Elliheimilið Grund or for the Rauða Krossinn
No Guts, No Glory Girl!
I'm totally counting taking a shower with her as "meeting" her.
ReplyDeleteI've had reindeer soup and pate, both of which were delicious, and smoked puffin, which was horrible, but not ptarmigan.
You've had a shower with Bjork? Erm, how come? Or is that an ignorant British question to ask because in Iceland everyone has showers with everyone, celebs or not. As for eating Cheerios in your knickers, most people eat them out of the box but evidently not you. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteI've just discovered your blog, and I just want to say you're terrific. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, sweetheart (with the impending move)! I heard that Jude Law met a woman in Iceland (well, I read it in Heat magazine's on/off bit) and thought of you.
ReplyDeleteHey Annie - was that you with Jude??.. and after all the effort I made in searching for him in Reykjavik bars...(sigh..)
ReplyDeleteNice dinosaur!
Hey blogtastic Annie: heard your five - generous - minutes of fame on BBC Cymru interview last night on a tape I discovered when unpacking stuff in the new pad! You sounded chipper though I kinda feel that your tremendous sense of irony was a bit redundant on that interviewer. He didn´t sound very into the whole programme - too bad. Nevermind. He probably hates blogging.
Anyhow, sat in the kitchen listening to the Welsh accents and News report recorded prior to your 'Eye On Wales' moment made me ponder over many things in my Aberystwyth past. And made me think of you packing as I was unpacking.
Pob lwc tommorrow my friend!
x
Country Mouse
That dinosaur is probably the best rock I've ever seen in my life.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've seen a few, I've seen a few...
*reminisces about rocks he's seen over the years*
consider yourslef reviewed on the Guardian Abroad website as a - very cheap! - leaving present.
ReplyDelete(ps. it was not on your list but hey!)
CM
you think you can learn irish before wednesday now?
ReplyDelete