Meanwhile, back in Iceland....

Hey all

Sorry for the long time since my last blog. It's been a busy three months since the year started. To sum it up:

January: We spent it working hard as always, but additionally working harder on our new apartment that we just purchased. The apartment was delivered "raw", i.e. without flooring so we bought parquett hardwood flooring and natural stone tiles (to put on kitchen, bath, washroom, foyer). We managed to finish laying the wooden flooring before February, with the great help of Berglind's dad, and other members of our families.

February: I spent February in Norway, visiting a research institute there (NORSAR). It has to do with my project here in Iceland, and I had a great time. They put me up in a great apartment, close to the train/bus station and the city center. The city, by the way, is Lillestrom, just outside of Oslo. The weather was very cold the first two weeks, and I got sick. The latter two weeks the weather was a little warmer, just below freezing, and it felt a little better. During my visit I got to play indoor football every week with the guys at NORSAR and it was great to kick it around again. Then, the last weekend of my stay the center had their annual "winter seminar", which was TONS of fun. We went up to the mountains, to the Skeikampen ski resort, where we got hotel rooms, and ski-passes. On the Saturday there was a grand dinner with dancing afterwards - a lot of fun plus hangover the day after. That did not stop me because both days of the weekend I was on the slopes from 9:30 in the morning until 2pm! It was great fun. The first day I rented carving style skis, and found out (pleasantly surprised!!) that I had not forgotten much since a few years ago when I last went skiing. The second day I rented a snowboard, and after half an hour, or two trips to the top or so, I was snowboarding like there was no tomorrow (again, very pleasantly surprised!!!).
Meanwhile, Berglind spent February at work with no play, basically, while her dad and mine were so amazingly nice to lay the stone tiles in our apartment! They finished it too before I came back. I still owe them bunch of help for that!

March: Berglind and I moved our stuff from her grandma's garage into our apartment the first weekend after I got back from Norway. We then spent the next week putting on the finishing touches on our apartment, with the good help of Berglind's dad, again. NOTE: He has been the foreman of the project since we got the apartment, and once he starts something, he finishes it! Then, on Saturday March 17th we moved ourselves in and slept the first night. It was great - what an amazing feeling!
The rest of the month was spent at work during the day, and working on the apartment at home during the evenings. Right now, the apartment is in very good shape - only need to add the curtains ;-) which by the way, arrived early in April.

April: So, this brings us up to the beginning of April. I went to Hawaii for a conference the week after easter. Well, I left before easter, stayed one day with our friend Claudia and her beautiful newborn girl Sofia Polyxeni Vellou-Prada (took a bunch of pictures of them), before heading over to Honolulu on Oahu to spend a few days with our friends Cameo and Chris, who moved there last year for Cameo's work.
It was great to see Claudia, Sofia and Nikos, and wonderful also to see Cameo and Chris. it's amazing how it doesn't feel weird seeing one's friends again even after many months of separation! Perhaps this constant interchange of pictures and blog over the web helps, but I thinks it's just because we're all good friends

Honolulu: Arrived at 1pm on Easter Saturday. Cameo picked me up and put a Lei (necklace with Plumeria, the gorgeous yellow scentful Hawaii's welcoming flower) around my neck. That was pretty special. Then we picked up Chris (who by the way, is 1/4 Icelandic, and we're related 9 generations back! It's true!!!!) and went surfing. After a good day of surfing we went down to Waikiki beach where their Capuera group had a show. Then, after having been awake 27 hours (!!) we went to sleep. Woke up on Easter Sunday, went for a kick-ass-adrenaline-exhausting hike up the Koko Head Crater on the SouthEast side of Oahu. We walked up old WWII train tracks to the top on the south side, and then took a path seldom travelled down the east side. That was very difficult, but extreemely rewarding, especially when we noticed we had gone over a natural rock-bridge on the way down!
Check out the first batch of pictures.(here is the link ;-)

Then, after relaxing a little bit at their apartment Cameo and I went surfing off of Diamond Head Crater. I borrowed a surf board from their friends, Julie and Stefan, and caught my first wave!!! I saw it coming behind me, paddled like crazy to gain speed, then it cought up with me and I thought I had missed it. Then I realized that the shore approached at great speed, and I was riding the wave lying on the surfboard. I tried to stand up, but only got up on one leg It was completely amazing!! I can't wait to do that again. Easter Monday I spent snorkeling in Hanauma Bay - it was amazing to see all the fish that are in the water with you, feeding off of the coral reefs. I also went up to Haleiwa, the surfing capital of the world, on the North Shore of Oahu. My goodness the waves that the guys there were surfing!! They must have been 4 meters high!! On the way back I stopped and got a "Dole Whip", which is a pineapple ice cream, made at the famous Dole pinapple plantation! Then I went down to Waikiki beach again in downtown Honolulu, and walked around. All easily navigated through Cameo's excellent directions and instructions!!

Tuesday: Flew over to the Big Island of Hawaii, where the conference is held. Spent the first day golfing and looking around. Amazing view from the golf course, and amazing to play surrounded by the black lavafield. Something that we also have in Iceland, but the weather was perhaps not the same as in Iceland

After the conference I flew directly back, but stopped in Boston and enjoyed the hospitality of Luana and Glenn. After a day there I flew back to Iceland. I must say I enjoyed my trip and the conference, but what I enjoyed most was just being in Hawaii. I can't believe that people live there!! Lucky bastards

Anyway, check out the second batch of pictures.

Later, B.