The first three days of this trip were spent on Iceland. I wrote parts of this while I was still in Reykjavik, but it has been so difficult to upload this post on the blog!

We arrived on Iceland on Thursday afternoon, and went straight to the blue lagoon. It was an amazing experience! Outerworldly, like when I was in Mongolia a year ago. It was soo cold and windy in the air, but once we got into the lagoon, it was very nice. Some spots, the water was so hot that you couldnt stay there. The water had an amazing colour. We also got silica "mud" to put on our faces to beautify ourselves. It was so nice to be there, so we really didn't want to leave. Definately a place I want to go back to! I recommend it to everyone! Afterthat, it was back to the hotel, which was a good hotel in the middle of Reykjavik city centre. We knew Friday was going to be a long day, so just went out for some food, which took up to an hour and a half to get, and then to bed.

Friday was a very long day, we were out from 8 in the morning till 11 at night! We visited 5 different kindergartens, in order to get new inspiration, and see how they are ahead of us in many ways. Very many impressions in one day, but very exciting. We saw a lot of things being done differently, and got many new ideas on how to do things when we get home again. But I must say that in some ways I also got a little demotivated. There is only so much we can do, with the resources that we have. It isn't always only about our will to do things, we also need it to be possible to be actually done. When we go to places that have a separate room for arts and crafts, then another room for music, I think of how much easier things would have been for us if we had more rooms, more adults, less children. I took lots of pictures though, with ideas of things to change, so I will try to make the most out of what I learned. That is, in 6 weeks, when I get back!

In between the kindergartens, we also went to a geothermal area, which is just strange. The whole country really is a bit strange, but very interesting, how the landscape and everything is so different from anywhere else. For instance, they don't have forests, which is weird! We also went home to Sigrun's (Icelandic co-worker) parents, and got to see an Icelandic home. Pretty much the same as Norway, but nice of them to invite us all.

In the evening we went to Gullfoss, the famous waterfall, which was beautiful, but very cold and windy! Then onto the geysirs. Apparently, the main one, actually called Geysir, has just stopped working. So we looked at the next big one, Strokkur, got some good photos, and if it hadn't been for the cold, I would have waited there longer to get more photos. They usually erupt with 5-10 minutes breaks, but those minutes seemed like hours in the cold weather!

At last we went to hotel geysir to talk through all our impressions from the day, and a dinner. By that time , everyone was so hungry, me included. When I got the starter though, I realized they didn't know I was going to have vegetarian food. They came back with my starter, which was salad leaves on a plate, as if that will fill me up at all! Then I found a fly in the salad, I was not impressed, very hungry, and angry! Not funny that the waiter didn't even apologize, but tried to make a lame joke. You do not joke with hungry Kine!! My dinner was so-so, but it was food, so I ate. It was pretty obvious that they had just put anything vegetarian they had on the plate. Not impressed with the service in Icelandic restaurants!

By the time we got back to the hotel, it was past 11 pm, and I was absolutely knackered, so I went to sleep after a very long and interesting day.

Saturday was our last whole day there, and a day off. I got up pretty early, and walked around Reykjavik city centre with some of the women from work. Reykjavik city was really not that much to write home about. It was like Drammen without the malls. Some small shops, and a church, and that was all really. Still nice to have explored it though. We went to the main mall, and had a look, but I was not in a shopping mood, neither were there many interesting shops, mainly American chain stores, which I will see enough of the next month! I was actually surprised at how Americanized Iceland is, they even have KFC and Taco Bell!

Saturday night was out at a nice Icelandic restaurant, and after a lot of problems with the order (again!), we had a very nice dinner. I had fish, and it was really good! There were some drinks at the restaurants, then some more drinks at Anett and Lotte's hotel room, then even some more out at the clubs. It was a fun night, with chatting, dancing, and me talking French with some French business men, probably thinking I was a lot better than I really am! It just made my night, to be able to speak French, I hog every chance I get, haha! Ended up staying up till 5 am, talking with some colleagues.

Sunday I got up at 9 am again, to have breakfast. Very tired, but I never went back to sleep. Bought myself some colourful wool socks at the tourist shop, and then it was bye bye Reaykjavik, and off to the airport.

Said goodbye to the others, and there I was all alone, on a plane to Seattle. Coz of the lack of sleep the night before, I slept almost the whole 7 hours on the plane. Which I realized was not so smart, when I was awake from 2.30 am the next morning again! In Seattle, I got to the airport hotel, quite a mediocre place really, but it had all I needed, a soft bed, wireless internet, and a restaurant next door. I feel asleep early, but also woke up early. The next day I went to Vancouver, and that comes in my next entry!

All in all, I had a great time on Iceland, a very exciting country, and I hope I will go back one day!