Lesson #154: First Lesson of the New Year

I'm going to take it all as practice.

My lesson yesterday was (let's say) challenging. The day prior, +ADW and I pulled out the carpet of our new house. The house itself is not new so needed some TLC to bring it up to code and make it our own. I looked up the methods to pull up carpet and also consulted a colleague who is big on home improvements. All the sources I sought were highly informative and encouraging about what needed to be done. The only thing they didn't mention was that I'd be sore for the following days because of all the squatting, up and down stairs, the pulling and rolling and carrying... By the time our lesson came around, I was struggling to walk at a pace faster than snail speed and stand up straight.

I thought that things would be okay even though I did start with a bit of apprehension. I'm also warned that Ariel's been moody and that the ride might be just "enh, okay". The warm up was already an indication of things to come when I found myself struggling to keep Ariel deep in the corners of the arena. We're also told that our lesson plan is grid work. We move to canter and continue to get ourselves warmed up further; more difficulty ensues from Ariel. At this point, I'm having difficulty keeping my seat balanced appropriately.

Gimme carrots

By the time we move onto the exercise at hand, I was pretty apprehensive about it. Our first task is to canter through 3-4 ground poles and then take a turn back to the start. Control and decisiveness all went to crap and Ariel nearly bucks me off several times (I'm still surprised I didn't topple over her head!) at the end of the line. Now, it's not her fault completely because I'm leaning forward, my legs are who knows where and I've given control to Ariel without clear instructions in advance. On her, she should have been more forgiving (okay, I probably would have done similarly) to my poor execution since it's you know, a typical novice rider issue. I felt completely out of control again and it wasn't that I was going much faster than I've gone before but without control, it was hella scary up there. I am told to sit up, keep my chest open and up and to keep my weight back and low as I am going into the line and take a 2 point over everything and start slowing her down as I'm finishing the line and looking the direction I want to go, in advance. I also added in a small 10-20m (it was not really either...) circle before the line to get her attention and slow her down a bit.

The subsequent passes are better but she still speeds a bit. J tells me to put both reins in my outside hand and the other behind my back as I go over with 2 point. Progressively, as things are starting to look up (a bit), the poles are turned into low X jumps and finally a horizontal. Things are "better" but certainly this is not one of my better rides. I don't even get a break during the cool down: I decide to jossle my hips by riding without stirrups only to have Ariel bolt (and me yelp) as some ice slides off the roof. Hopefully this is not an indication of things to come for 2015.

Bon Voyage!

I'm writing this from the airport because... I'm heading out for a (much needed) 10 day vacation with +ADW! We're heading to the one of the oldest cities... it's also one of the most traveled cities in the world... we're going to PARIS (France, not Ontario... just to be clear :P). I've been behind with my posts but that's okay because I've been frantically pulling myself together for this trip and getting things I needed to get done, done so I can leave with a clear mind knowing that I've prepared and accomplished the things I needed to do.

I've never traveled during the month of December and remember when all the kids would go away for family vacations while I stuck around. I've only been UBER excited about this trip the moment I booked the flight (4-6 weeks ago) and the moment I sat down at the DAVIDsTEA counter in terminal 3 while listening to the Christmas tunes play joyfully in the background.

What do I have planned? To give you a preview of what we're up to, I'm going to adding to my UNESCO list when I visit the Palace of Versailles and the River Seine (which is kinda all of Paris)! Of course we'll be doing the standard Parisian tourist list of la Tour Eiffel, Sacre-Coeur, Notre-Dame, the Catacomes, Louvre... and hopefully I'll have the opportunity to keep you posted about what we get up to because let's face it, Paris is the perfect city to get lost during Christmas :)

See you soon!

Happy Meow-lloween!

With everything going on lately, this is coming to everyone a bit late but check out Bucky's new Halloween costume this year!

Roar! I am the cat-igator!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!
Model: Buckingham 
Wardrobe Consultant: ADW
Photographer: me
Finished on Pixlr Express

Stanley See, Stanley Do

I'm almost caught up with my lesson posts before this Thursday's lesson. Phew, it sure has been challenging. Some of the reasons are just plan out of my control (and stupid) but some have been awesome. I've been really busy with work and there are days I get home and all I want to do is lie around and watch tv or worse... do nothing. Add to that, that +ADW and I bought a house and adopted a kitten who happened to get very sick and I was getting incremental decreases in sleep because I spent a lot of time caring for him. But, now, he's up and about and even having a good time with his big brother Buckingham.

Hi, I'm Stanley C. Panther and that big guy over there is my awesome big brother Buckingham.

The introductions went well and they do play with one another when Stanley comes out of his room during supervised evening visits. But since Bucky's a full adult with an obsession of the backyard, he doesn't have a lot of time to tolerate Stanley's shenanigans. Every now and again, Stanley gets a smack down that lets him know he's gone too far. But, he still thinks Bucky is the bee's knees and cat's pajamas.

Lesson #129: Course Work Weak Points

It's the start of a new month of lessons and G has joined our Sunday morning lessons. However, this means that +ADW won't always be riding his usual mount, Molson. It's likely that he'll need to sort out the riding of Molson with G. This time, he's been assigned Georgia and I'm with my usual friend Ariel.

I really liked the warm up we had where Sheri told us to go nuts and just include lots of bending lines and the like (at trot); the arena has ground poles set up all over (from the previous lesson) so we just did lots of pole work, circles, shallow loop serpentines etc. I'd say it went very well and once things were sufficiently warmed up, we headed into the outdoor arena. I haven't been in the outdoor arena in weeks now. I also always get a little anxious when we head outdoors because there's so much open space and the paddocks are nearby so there is plenty of distractions for the horses.

Trotting around and keeping them occupied with what we're doing is the aim and I immediately get Ariel's attention on what we're doing, not her friends out in the field. I maintain her attention at the corners and don't allow her to fall in or cut them off. We quickly get into the canter and we canter around and I try out the shortening and lengthening of the canter again... I mention this little item I learned and successfully tested previously and she points out one thing: my seat. More specifically, that when I sit up (to shorten the canter stride), I am not to drive with my seat or that is a whole other message--basically it's a change of where your upper body is: forward or more upright. Good to know! Unfortunately for ADW, something went awry and he went one way and Georgia went the other; all I heard was a "thud" and when I turned around I saw him getting up. Ouch. It's his first real fall and he didn't do too shabby since he got back on and did some trotting around for the remainder of the lesson.

Next, the aim for G and I is a mini jumping course of 3 jumps: a couple bars and an X. The straight bars are not just bars but one of them is a "wall" and the jumps are (I'd say) probably around 2'6". Similar to the last lesson, we start with single jumps and work up the full course. The same issues persist for me... a weak 2 point over the jumps, the turns into the jumps and even taking the jump straight (as opposed to twisted--thank you, Ariel). I'll need to continue to work on that aspect of my lessons since it is hindering my course work.

Lesson #65: Aiming for Zen

December 8, 2013

Yoga is by far one of the best training tools for riders. I’ve been doing yoga for many years now; when I first started, I was doing it during my lunch hours at work (wouldn’t I be excited if I was riding over lunch instead!) and I found my progress was really fast. My goal at the time was to touch my toes and I surpassed even that and ended up being able to get into Salamba Sirsasana (supported headstand) in less than 4 months’ time. Talk about progress at its best! The same type of schedule can't really apply for riding because for most of us, riding daily is just not feasible; be it due to location, finances or time.

Sometimes I complain about not seeing the progress and thus feel like I'm stuck. But, reviewing my posts, I recognize that things are in fact progressing (albeit slowly) but pieces at a time. Kind of like how our lesson was teaching us that miniscule changes add up to the bigger picture and that we need to pay attention to those little changes. ADW and I spent the entire lesson in trot while focusing on leg aids, seat position and body awareness; it felt like a lesson spent practicing our forming full sentences with the alphabet. Having done yoga, the concept of body awareness and recognizing that minor tilts or adjustments of one’s body can mean the difference between doing the pose properly versus not.

I was practicing the leg aid and dropped seat bone to ask Ariel to turn. I have to remember though that she will eventually ignore these signals if I don’t release after she’s accomplished what I’m asking her to do. Lucky for me, she’s still very responsive. It takes little for her to turn a nice small circle.

Next, we use the flexion I was practicing last lesson but this time, we use flexion during turns by flexing the opposite way to straighten out on the long side of the arena. The motion is rather miniscule and has nothing to do with pulling but rather twisting (in a way) so that their heads turn just ever so slightly into the direction you're asking. This is certainly helpful for turning Ariel around when she's likely to be mostly distracted with something outside or otherwise.

Our next topic is body awareness, broken into two parts: upper body and lower body. Horses move forward freely when the rider's hips move in alignment with the horse; their gait is smooth and liberated. And when you want then to stop or slow down, you inhibit this motion ever so slightly: your hip motion becomes ever so slightly less fluid with the horse. Seated trot is incredibly trying in this area because your lower back and abs are absorbing the motion so you're not bouncing around. Sheri tells me to loosen my lower back (which apparently is INCREDIBLY difficult to accomplish even for experienced dressage riders!) so that it follows the motion of Ariel. I get one or two strides once during the entire lesson. I see when I am not accomplishing this when Ariel raises her head in protest and slows. But it's really interesting because she's so responsive that the slightest incorrect adjustment is felt by her and she isn't afraid to tell me. That's the lower body and is particularly obvious; unlike your upper body which I'm reminded to keep still yet soft. Sound absolutely contradictory yet? For those yogis out there, you know what I'm talking about! Pull and push simultaneously--that's what your yoga instructor will tell you too. During the lesson, my wrists are sometimes rigid and tight or my grip is death gripping the reins--all times where Ariel is quick to tell me by raising her head up and slowing down. Or instances where I find myself pinching with my knee which causes her to either stop or make her gait particularly stiff and bouncy.

I completed the class feeling pretty impressed (and zen!) about the nuances of a rider's body in communicating with the horse. It's literally a language we're learning to speak with our horsey friends but intricately with our bodies. Onwards with the week so that I return to Gosling Stables!

Posting Diagonal Jar Tally: 3 x $2.00 = $6.00
To date: $43.00 

My Pet Mummy

No need for many words. This year, I have a lot of fun stuff that's made things really great. To help me celebrate, ADW and Bucky have put together a little something for everyone...

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Model: Buckingham
Wardrobe Consultant: ADW
Photographer: me
Finished on Pixlr Express

Light Your Way Out of Disaster!

Disaster preparedness is something that has been on my mind for some time now. Toronto is one of the most stable areas of the world to live in, but hey… you never know! For those of you who remember, there was the Great Blackout of 2003 when most of the North Eastern North American continent was without power for a few days. And just recently, Toronto had a freak rainstorm that resulted in some severe flooding and no power for several days in some parts of the city.

I’ll admit that I also have a bit of a fascination with post-apocalyptic settings and there is some influence there… Nevertheless, it’s never a bad idea to be prepared! There may come a day when you’re clamouring to join me for a meal of freeze dried mac and cheese. Then we’ll see who’s laughing!…

Anyways, so I have decided to prepare for an emergency disaster and will document the progress of what I will be calling “Operation: Armageddon Outta Here”.  Hopefully there will be regular updates, because that means the next time disaster strikes, I’ll be ready.

First order of business is light. For that, I am prepared with an arsenal of flashlights and batteries.

As you can see, not only do I have several flashlights available, I also have several types of flashlights. From left to right:

- LED headlamp with red light. This is very handy for when you need both hands. Also, the red light feature is nice because it lights up the area in front of you enough for you to see, but it won’t blind you and reduce your night vision too much

- This neat flashlight was gifted to me by Deb. Why is it neat you ask? Because it doesn’t need batteries! You just shake it and it’s good to go. Very handy for longer blackout periods as the batteries run out

- The mag lights. Big one to light up the way and smash things if necessary. Small ones are just convenient and easy to carry.

I have these stored away in two separate locations that I can reach easily so that if the power does go out, I don’t have to go look for them.

It’s not like I’m afraid of the dark, but I’m sure everyone has been in a blackout before and it really sucks to stub your toe and bang your knee on things you can’t see – basically it’s hard to do anything without light. So go get a flashlight or three if you don’t have them already and make sure you have spare batteries for them or, better yet, get a flashlight that doesn’t need batteries!

Lesson #32: Twisted Sister

The last lessons I had were somewhat unpleasnt... weather wise. The unpredictable rain had made life difficult and unpleasant. I hate being wet.

This last lesson was totally different! The weather was a wee bit chilly but nothing that being outside and moving around wouldn't get the blood going. Getting tacked up was pretty quick this time. I think I've gotten a system down... me and Aspen have a "thing". ADW is riding Buddy today... a wonderful Belgium and QH cross. One of the most endearing things about Bud is that his head is HUGE. haha He literally has one of the biggest heads on a horse I've ever seen!

When we are ready, Sheri moves quickly and gets us to get warmed up with the trot. She must have a plan today. For some strange reason, I am having a lot of trouble with Aspen. It's as if he's not listening to my signals. A few times, he's pulled me into the middle of the ring completely insistent on going that way. I've had to use a lot more force than usual... strange. Regardless, she has us make a change of direction and immediately says it's time for the canter on the left rein. I thought I was going to fall right off! I haven't felt more unbalanced than that moment. When we slowed down enough for me to walk over to Sheri, she tells me to approach her and then starts laughing! Tells me to hand her the reins and shows me that I crossed the reins under his chin!! The whole time I was basically telling him to go the opposite way I was thinking I was directing him!

I haven't felt more sheepish than that moment. It was so silly but i couldn't help but laugh because it was so ridiculous. Poor Aspen!!! He must have been so frustrated with me at the beginning and was likely thinking "what is this idiot doing!?" Good thing he's a good boy and didn't take me straight into the rails! :S

Finally! He's back to being his good boy self and responding appropriately to my aids. We move into cantering on the left then the right rein and transitioning down and up. We work on trotting over the Cavaletti jump a few times and then Sheri says, "ok, I want everyone to come this way and then each of you are going to canter the jump". ADW is uneasy as it's quite the launch when you're ontop! Believe me, that 12 inch jump looks like nothing while you're on the ground but when you get ontop of a horse, it suddenly becomes this ginormous obstacle that you feel you'll never get over without toppling off.

I figure that the best thing to do is to not think about what's happening and just doing... otherwise who knows: jump refusal, stalling or worse. So I get Aspen into a canter and have him moving nicely around the corners and as we approach the jump, I remind myself to look up and forward and just go for it. What an exhilarating feeling to sail over a jump like that! Instead of Aspen lazily stepping over the Cavaletting, he actually jumps it.

What an amazing feeling! I totally know why riders get into jumping.

And away we go!

ADW here...This weekend, we had our very own double-header, riding on Friday evening and Sunday morning.

On Friday, the weather was nice so I thought that we might be riding outside. Unfortunately when we got to the barn, we were told that one of the horses during the lesson before ours (which was held outdoors) got spooked and bolted, with the rider falling off. Our instructor Sheri decided that the horses may be a bit skittish and we held our lesson in the indoor arena.

We commenced our normal trots and small jumps and then Sheri suggested that we…canter. “Canter…?” I thought to myself, “I’ve never initiated the canter before, I don’t even know what to do!” If you recall, I experienced the canter while in Iceland, but I have never initiated it myself. Sheri suggested that I try to by kicking Aspen while exiting a corner. After a few attempts that just resulted in a very bumpy and fast trot, Aspen responded and away we went! I was able to initiate the canter twice and I was surprised by how smooth it was compared to a bumpy trot. Hopefully now that I have my first canter down, I can get it going again next time and improve on my balance.

Then on Sunday morning, we headed up for another lesson.  This time, Sheri was comfortable in holding our lesson in the outdoor arena and it was a big difference! It took a bit of time to adjust to riding outdoors since there were no more walls holding us in, but the extra space, the fresh air, and general surroundings made for a very enjoyable lesson. Even the horses had more energy riding outside. With warmer weather coming up, I can’t wait to take more lessons outside!

Worldly Tastes Close to Home

This weekend we were lucky enough to dine on delicious Korean kalbi beef ribs, try Afghani style spiced fish, and re-connect with the tastes of Peru. The best part? All of this was within comfortable driving distance in our diverse city of Toronto.

To recap...

On Saturday night, we visited our local Korea town. Its a short little strip between the Bathurst and Christie subway stations that has an abundance of authentic Korean establishments. Here you can find restaurants that specialize in soondubu (Korean tofu stew), proper Korean barbeque (and not the unauthentic all-you-can eat style), Korean bar food (I must try the friend chicken!), little dessert houses (bite-sized redbean walnut cakes are our favourite), and even a supermarket specializing in Korean groceries! We often frequent this area when we have a hankering for some spicy Korean food.

Then on Sunday for lunch, we visited a flea market in the suburbs of Mississauga. Here we found a little food court that offered us a wide variety of flavours from around the world. In no particular order...there was*deep breath*... Chinese, Hakka Chinese, Indian, Carribean, Latin American, Fillipino, Middle Eastern cuisines and a bubble tea stand thrown in for good measure!

I ordered the pan seared fish from the Afghani counter since I had never had anything from Afghani cuisine, while Deb ordered some fried corn tortilla chicken wraps from the Latin American counter. The fish was nicely spiced with a nice hot sauce and flavourful chick peas on the side. The rice that came on the Latin America was spiced with Aji chili which was a flavour we had become very familiar with during our Peru trip. And topping all of this off was a nice refreshing...Inca Kola! Very satisfying...

I have always been told that Toronto is a very culturally diverse city, but I never really took time to think about it. While we sat in this little food court surrounded by the tastes and smells from around the world, I began to have a better appreciation of what our city has to offer. We may not have the best transportation system, the most famous arts and culture scene, or even the tallest building in the world anymore, but I can't think of another city in the world where I could sit in a small little food court with that many tastes from around the world.

ADW signing out!

Nearing the End of Our Trip

Since I've been busy blogging, I thought it would be good to give ADW a chance to post his thoughts on here too...

Iceland may not be the first destination to come to mind when planning for a trip during a long Canadian winter, but while many Canadians headed to warmer climates in anticipation for our own spring and summer, we headed to the North Atlantic island known for its Vikings and volcano eruptions.

I would describe Iceland as powerful and majestic, yet peaceful and understated. The beautiful landscapes - including mighty waterfalls, dormant volcanoes, and lumbering glaciers – remind us of the amazing geological forces that shape the face of our Earth. At the same time, this sparsely populated island does not have the same frenetic pace that we are used to in North America and allows one the time and peace to properly take it all in.

There are three highlights from the trip in particular:

1)     The horse riding trip through old lava fields was better than I had anticipated. For the last three months, I have been taking lessons at Greyden working hard on improving my riding skills, all the while restricted to the confines of a small arena due to the chilly winter weather. Finally, on our Icelandic horse riding tour, I was able to utilize these hard earned (albeit limited) skills out in the open and be a true horse rider! I was able to control my lively Icelandic horse, ride the Tolt, and experience the canter for the first time while riding through some truly amazing scenery. I’m really glad that the riding lessons have paid off and allowed me to truly appreciate our riding tour.

2)     Hiking on the glacier was a great experience. When I was younger, I had actually visited the Columbia Ice Fields and walked on that glacier, but I never truly understood what it was that I was walking on. Little did I know that glaciers are actually slowly moving, immense structures of ice that carve a path through the land. This time I was able to understand that I was walking on a true force of nature.

3)     Ok, so this is not a specific “highlight” per se, but there is no tipping in Iceland! I have never been to a country where no tips are expected and I like it. A lot. I have no problem paying for good service because I believe good service should be rewarded, but I do have a problem with the entitled North American attitude that a good tip is expected regardless of the service. I am particularly irked when I pay using a card machine and it prompts me to enter a 25% (!!!) tip. The service here in Iceland has been impeccable and I have no major complaints. I really appreciate that our servers and tour guides take pride in doing a good job without expecting a tip afterwards. Kudos for helping us have a great time and I wish we could import this attitude to North America.

I have really enjoyed my time in Iceland and although it is not an in-your-face exciting place to visit, it has won me over with its majestic scenery, amazing experiences, and great culture. This is a place I would like to come back to visit again in the future.

And because ADW is a keeper of factoids, here's a list of facts that he compiled because he thought they were interesting...

A few interesting facts about Iceland:

-     99% of the electricity here is generated by clean sources. 20% from geothermal heat and the rest from hydro-electric

-     The water here is extremely clean and tap water tastes as good, if not better, than the bottled “spring water” that we can buy back home

-     Reykjavik is considered to have the best hot-dogs in the world, and yes they sure are tasty!

-     Icelandic is the name of the country’s language, but it is actually the same ancient Norwegian language used by the first settlers over 1,200 years ago. Icelanders can read ancient Norwegian texts, but Norwegians can not since modern Norwegian has evolved while Icelandic has remained the same

-     Iceland reads and publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world

-     The world’s first openly gay prime minister was elected in Iceland in 2010

-     Many people in Iceland believe in hudulfolk, or hidden people, which include elves, gnomes, dwarves and trolls. Sometimes when driving in the country side, you can see small little colourful homes in the hillsides which are made by people (I’m assuming) for elves

-     Iceland has no standing army, but it is a NATO member. It is currently Canada’s turn to defend Iceland and we have six CF-18’s currently based at Keflavik for a 5-week rotation

We're almost done our trip and I'm sad to be leaving tomorrow but rest assured that there will be at least 1 more post before we leave here--with plenty of photos!

Icelandic Vikings and Their Steeds

I took up horse-back riding lessons a few months ago and I've been hooked since. I spend most of the week looking forward to going and after I complete my lessons, I spend the following days thinking about when I'd go next. So, on this vacation to Iceland, it's not a surprise that I took the opportunity to ride an Icelandic horse. You might wonder why this breed is different than the ones you're seen. The Icelandic horse is a unique horse breed that was developed in Iceland by the Viking ancestors.

Vikings first brought over their Scandinavian horses to Iceland in the 9th and 10th century when they were settling in Iceland. These horses are long-lived and hardy. Take for example, my horse today, Litll Kall (which means "little man") who's 20 years old yet moves like he's well under 10 years old! As his name describes, he's a little dude and he happens to be the smallest of the entire herd here.

Despite their small size, they are considered horses by their human guardians. They are sturdy looking little horses that have well-proportioned heads with straight profiles and wide foreheads. Their neck is short and muscular with a long back. They also all seem to have these full flowing manes and tails that make them look like movie stars with a permanent stylist.

Blesa was ADW's equine friend for the day

That's Blesa who's a young horse (7 years old) who's mane and tail was not anywhere near as long and flowing as Litll Kall's which looked like his head-toss could turn heads to be mesmerized at how lovely he is.

Litll Kall and I waiting to get out into open space

Most of the horses we ride back home typically have 4 standard gaits: walk, trot, canter/lope, gallop. The most notable thing about Icelandic horses is not only their little size or flowing hair, but the fact that they can naturally perform their famous gait, the tölt; which is a 4 beat gait that is very similar to a really fast walk pace. Unfortunately both ADW and I had epic photographic failures today and while it was our most enjoyable day, it was also the one which we had the least number of photos and videos to show for it. However, with this day and age, almost anything can be found on the internet. With the magic of the internet, I give you an example of the tölt. Look at him go!!

After experiencing the non-gaited horses typically ridden, this has got to be some of the most fun on a horse I've had. These equine friends are lively (see, not stubborn or lazy), fun and safe to ride. Their tölt is a funny rocking side to side motion that is incredibly smooth to sit through.

We took the Viking Tour with Íshestar which is a ~6 hour intermediate ride broken into 3 hour blocks. The first half of the tour accompanies a much larger group of beginners and intermediate riders where we eventually split the groups into 2 and the intermediate riders work on getting some faster saddle time with their new little Viking mounts. After this first section, we return to the facility to drop-off the beginner riders and have a short lunch before getting ready to head back out again. We're lucky today because we're the only riders on this tour!! How excited were we when we heard we're getting a private tour with another guide.

We set out and we ride onto the 7000+ years old moss covered lava fields at tölt, walk and the occasional sneaked in trot. There are dozens more riders and horses out than usual, says our guide Alexa. Normally the paths are pretty empty but today, we are encountering equine and human traffic all over the path. Many adults and children take part in this initial spring outing and they are riding with several horses in tow. Horseback riding is a very popular activity in Iceland and many people enjoy time with their equine friends. Apparently it is customary for riders to take multiple mounts with them so they are able to change the horse, to give them regular breaks.

Many riders were out today, getting ready for their first spring rides

We continue our way through the ash and gravel paths and on the first major uphill, we're given the opportunity to ride the canter/gallop. I get these immediate flashes back to the times in the arena where cantering is still something I'm working on and makes me nervous. I figure, I'm out here once and likely the worst that can happen is I fall off and tumble through the cushiony moss fields. So we go. And what an exhilarating experience that was! Letting Litll Kall free to race up the hill at full speed was one of the most incredible feelings during this trip.

It wasn't until this point when I noticed how beautiful, peaceful, majestic and stunning the views are. Íshestar is only 20 minutes outside of Reykjavik but it's amazing that it feels like we've driven well out into the country to enjoy this ride. The views are truly stunning as you see the moss covered lava fields around you, being backed by huge expansive snow-covered mountain ranges in the background. To be surrounded by this view was breath-taking and swept me away from everything that living in a city is about.

We get some mini riding lessons from Alexa about riding the tölt properly as well as an opportunity to understand some Icelandic rituals such as the fall horse and sheep corralling. Icelandic horses live incredible lives here: they are working and food animals for the people but are also given extraordinary treatment of an annual 6 month vacation where they're set free to roam the highlands/country during the spring and summer and then rounded up again in the fall. This type of activity is unheard of in North America. Icelanders actually have this annual event where people get out and get inebriated with Brennivín and meet people; many of whom meet their spouses this way. I hope that one day I'm experienced enough to return and take part in this horse/sheep round-up. It sounds like an incredible experience outdoors.

Hot Water, Cold Water and Laws

We take a change of pace today and embark on a bus tour for a shortened version of the popular Golden Circle Tour. Instead of taking the full tour which would take much longer, we visited 3 sites today: Geysir, Gullfoss and Þingvellir.

The first stop is the area where we find Geysir and Strokkur. Geysir is the original fountain geyser which all geysers have been named for. It's no longer as active as it used to be so we do not expect to see any eruptions from it. However, we do have the opportunity to witness one of Iceland's most famous geysers, Strokkur. Strokkur impressively erupts for us every 4-8 minutes around 20 m high. Both Strokkur and Geysir are fountain geysers found in a part of the Haukadalur geothermal area where you would find other geothermal features such as mud pools, fumaroles, algal deposits and other geysers around it. The most notable feature is the steam rising out from the ground.

Strokkur erupting

After I return home, I'll be editing a video clip of an erupting Strokkur. It's impressive to watch because a large bubble forms over the centre and seconds later, the hot water of the geyser goes shooting through the air. It's truly an impressive occurance of nature to witness in person.

Our next stop is the "Golden Waterfalls" called Gullfoss. This natural waterfalls is another stunning display of water interacting with the earth. In some ways, similar in appearance to Niagara Falls (the Canadian portion because let's face it, it's the better side) but in its own ways even more majestic and amazing. The waters are not clear because of the sediment that is carved up from the glaciers making it murky brown--though today it looked pretty clear to me. This waterfall has an interesting history of a young woman named Sigríður Tómasdóttir who fought to keep the falls natural.

ADW at Gullfoss

Gullfoss down stream

Our final site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site called Þingvellir. The site is of a historical, cultural and geological significance for Iceland. First, this area is near one of the more active volcanic areas of Iceland, Hengill which is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge--the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet along this long mountain range. It is here where we realize that Iceland is actually widening (or perhaps splitting down the middle) because these two plates are actually moving away from one another. Historically and culturally, this is the site of the first parliament structure of the Icelandic people who had been meeting here regularly, to sort out laws, disputes and other matters.

Iceland is widening due to the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates

We weren't given a lot of time to look around and really discover the area but it's another UNESCO Heritage World Site. Perhaps later in the week when we have the opportunity to rent a car and drive the Golden Circle ourselves.

The Land and the Sea

Being on vacation and getting up earlier than I do while I'm at home just sounds crazy. I love to sleep and already have difficulty getting up most mornings so this sort of thing always sounds a little strange for me to do. Despite this, ADW and I get to the lobby and meet our guide, Valdi, who tells us about the tour planned for us today: a drive through about 2 hours east of Reykjavik to Eyjafjallajökull, then a little further east to the Sólheimajökull glacier; specifically to a tongue that extends down from its mother glacier, Mýrdalsjökull, Iceland’s fourth largest. The tour is expected to get us onto the ice field and learn about the glacier itself and the effect of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010 on the glacier and its surroundings. We are also expected to make stops at the picturesque waterfalls of Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss.

But first thing is first: transportation. We are traveling by super jeep today:

ADW is beaming with excitement

The first notable stop is getting off the paved road to make our way to the (in)famous Eyjafjallajökull (to Americans, e-16) which erupted in 2010. Here, we see the remnants of the glacier and glacial lagoon that used to be found in this area. This stretch of the trip is our first taste of what a super jeep can do. We make a stop to stretch our legs while our guides deflate the giant bubble like tires so that they have more control while driving over the pot-holed terrain.

Deflating the giant off-road tires

We're told that when the eruption started, it blew off part of the glacier on top of Eyjafjallajökull and then filled in the lagoon--we are basically driving over the former lagoon!

We're all standing on-top of where the glacial lagoon used to be and that is what's left of the glacier!

What's left of the glacier

All the off-road super jeeps

Following this, we visit one of the most beautiful and best known waterfalls of Iceland, Seljalandsfoss. This falls is beautiful and you can get close enough to walk behind the falls for an unforgettable experience.

Seljalandsfoss

You can walk behind the falls!

We stop for a short lunch at the Country Hotel Anna where we are served meat soup with coffee. This is truly a delicious meal to warm the body and soul after wandering around the cold outdoors. Meat soup is a hearty Icelandic soup made from lamb and is similar to the beef and barley vegetable soup back home. The thing is, it's better.

Can you tell I'm really happy?

Following lunch, we head out for our glacier walk on the Sólheimajökull glacier. This is one of the smaller glaciers of Iceland and it measures about 7km across. At first glance, the glacier doesn't really look like a glacier because it's covered in a black soot--volcanic ash from the 2010 eruption. When we get our spiky crampons on, it's noticeable when you crunch into the ice and just stick.

All the glacier climbers getting geared up

ADW showing off his nifty ice pic

Our glacier guide making everything look easy

I'm ready to head out onto the glacier!

Our next stop is the last waterfall we'll be seeing on this trip, Skógafoss. This waterfall is thought to have been surrounded by a small forest but by now, it's treeless, like the rest of Iceland.

Skógafoss

I couldn't resist. He reminded me of a miniature Aspen!

As our last treat on this excursion, Valdi takes us to the South shore to stare Antarctica straight in the face: we are facing directly south, on the black ash beaches of Iceland.

A picture with our guide Valdi and his super jeep

Doesn't this photo make you want a super jeep too?

That closes our excursion walking on volcanos and glaciers for the day and leads us to a casual dinner at the Sea Baron (Sægreifinn) fisherman's hut. This place is very informal and their menu is a live menu where you pick the skewers of fish or vegetables you want. They're famous for their lobster soup which is simply delicious.

Nom nom nom!

That's whale on the left and plaice

For anyone who's curious, the whale is just delicious. It's got the consistency that is a cross between beef and good tuna. The taste is similar to beef with a hint of fish and the texture is a soft and lean beef. It's some of the best meat I've had since coming to Iceland.

Adjusting in Iceland, Day 1

We arrive in Iceland early in the morning with the sun just peeking over the horizon. The red-eye flight is a reminder of how much I still dislike the actual “traveling” part of travel. I determine to get my internal clock up to speed so that I’m not left behind with things I want to do and hopefully I won’t take too long to adjust to the new time zone, which is 4 hours forward; it is just shy of 7:00am.

Getting through the Keflavik airport has more check-points than trying to get something approved in the corporate world. Biosecurity, regular security, customs… phew. When we finally get out, we were on our way by bus, through the lava fields between Keflavik and Reykjavik. The landscape is hilly and treeless with great snowy mountains lining the background. It kind of reminds me of the foothills of Calgary.

We arrive at our hotel Icelandair Natura Hotel adjacent to the domestic Reykjavik Airport. We’re exhausted and there is a huge line snaking in front of the checkout desk so we go for breakfast at the hotel restaurant (Satt) instead. A true Icelandic buffet style breakfast for more than $20CDN. Oy. I read that the food is expensive here but man, that’s pricey relative to back home. I soon realize the justification for the cost: there is an included 25.5% sales tax; however, the food is well prepared and most of it is locally sourced. There is even an opportunity to take an omega-3 shot from straight cod liver oil. Wooo-ee!

My body clock is still trying to adjust and by the time I make it to the hotel room, I’m pooped and I accidently fall asleep. ADW and I wake up with just enough time to squeeze in one of the museums of the city: 871+2 Settlement Museum. The museum is dedicated to a historic Viking site of an early settlement house found in 2001. The name signifies the scientific methods to date the time, when they expect it to have been built, give or take 2 years.

On our way to the city center



A shop in the city center



I don't know what church this is but it's a prominent building that can be seen from our hotel which is a 20-30 min walk away

**EDIT: the name of the church is Hallgrímskirkja

The City Hall. There's a 3D model of the entire island inside!

I just thought this was a funny looking piece of art

That store on the right 66 North (the English website is here) is kind of like the North Face meets Canada Goose

Crocuses spring up all over people's gardens

We wander the city centre and snap some photos along our way until we make it to a recommended restaurant called Þrír frakkar. Here we dine on cod chins and minke whale sashimi.

Fish Hash with Black Bread "Icelandic Specialty"

Fried Cod Chins "gratin"

The city is getting darker and my body is starting to sync up with the time as I’m getting a little tired, we head back by foot to call it an early night in preparation for tomorrow’s activity the Volcano & Glacier walk.