A Message from Iceland

This email message for you all arrived today from Ian Hardie who will be our guide next week. Ian has spent the the summer in his 'sumar hus' in Iceland guiding groups and entertaining friends who have gone to Iceland to visit him.........

Next weekend is THE weekend on the Icelandic calendar; luckily you are arriving on the Sunday and so should be spared the Friday and Saturday evening celebrations. No, it’s not because the HSD is arriving (although that in itself should be sufficient reason for wild celebration!). No, it is all rather amazing and all very Icelandic. Every year, on the first weekend in August, all Icelanders like to arrange to meet up with their families (their extensive, extended families!) for a grand old outside party (preferably amidst the nature of Iceland). They come from all over the country by jeep and 4x4 (and, I wouldn’t be surprised, on horseback) and indeed fly in from overseas for this “festival”. Encampments are set up with tents and caravans and every sumar hús is filled to overflowing; it’s quite a sight. The grocery stores and Vinbuðs (think about it) do a roaring trade just before the weekend commences. It can be raucous … but everyone is very welcome and you just have to … go with the flow. As I keep telling my summer guests, “It‘s what Icelanders do”! There is much eating, drinking fun and music. It is rather like a Scottish Hogmany (but magnified somewhat!). I hope to participate a little on the Saturday evening … so please make allowances for me on Sunday when I meet you at Keflavík Airport – I’ll be the one in dark glasses! I hope you are all looking forward with anticipation to your Geography Tour to Iceland; I am really looking forward to leading you to amazing places that will blow your socks off, teaching you the “one minute trick” (if you are game) … and seeing if any of you develop “parrot syndrome” (all will be explained!). Take careful heed of your kit list; dress to be warm, dress to be dry and dress to be windproof. And for goodness sake, make sure you know how to operate your camera and to care for it; carry a small cloth to dry your camera and to keep the lens clear/clean (it’ll get damp at the waterfalls). As I type this, the icecaps are simply splendid, shining in the sunshine and with the spilling glaciers off Mýrdalsjökull looking totally magnificent. The Westmann Islands are cloud shrouded but just you wait till you visit this wonderful archipelago; you’ll be entranced! The exchange rate is pretty good for you at the moment (about 133 ISK to £1) so things are not too expensive to buy here. But still fill any spaces in your suitcases with a few edible treats for yourselves (and your friends!).


Ian also sent me a lovely photo which I will upload to the blog later - Blogger isn't cooperating in that respect right now!