The Viking Boat thingy

I am sure it has a proper name but Ella wasn't with us to provide a full history and background. I do know that is Mount Esja in the background though.

We were left unescorted to wander round Reykjavik this morning. I made a bit of a pigs ear of where we were and we were going which resulted in a little bit of a stroppy episode amongst our party. But then I saw this and could work out everything else from there. The sunny weather vanished  during the night and by the time we had walked along to the harbour we were very happy to spend some time in the very splendid concert hall. It's nice to look at, warm, has a cafe and a nice shop. In the cafe we practised my new hobby: "taking a nice photo of Philippa". I have tried this all holiday with very limited success. Ella says it's because I am just not used to looking at my face but really! there are some real shockers, I tell you!  And somewhere there was a David Bowie exhibition which we couldn't actually find but I did take a picture of the poster- he was ever so handsome. I will put some extras up when I get better technology. The children had a hot dog each as we walked home then a hot dog and an ice cream between them as we got close to home. They like the Iceland fast food ever so much.

Then our tour guide arrived to collect us for swimming. I tried the ever so hot hot tub today but really couldn't last long - apparently it's great when it is snowing because you get warm enough to walk round the pool to the changing rooms without getting cold again. Will is planning our next Iceland trip for when it is snowy, as we left he told Ella next time he went swimming in Iceland it would be in the snow - always the optimistic planner! He got told off by the life guard today for coming down the slide head first. He soon solved that by doing a complicated twist 3/4s of the way down so he came out feet first instead. Much safer that way obvs.

Then round to Ella's sister's and dad's house where her sister cooked us dinner followed by our final adventure of a trip to (another) ice cream shop. Home for packing; we don't like to waste our day times travelling so we will leave at 4:30 in the morning.

I have known Ella for 11 years and for all of those years she has talked about Iceland (as you do when it's where you grew up and it's where your family still live). It has been fabulous to see all the things she has talked about and even without all that, this is a really lovely, lovely place. If absolutely nothing else, I do have to come back for another meal where we went last night. To be honest I was in two minds whether to persuade Ella we should go back again today but decided I couldn't face the two hour round trip. And thank you for all your lovely comments while we have been away, I will get all caught up with you tomorrow....