Spring has returned to Skálanes and after a rather delayed flight I have as well. I should have known that something was wrong when the plane arrived at Glasgow Airport and we all boarded on time for our 14:20 flight. After spending two hours sitting on the aircraft we were treated to a two-course meal at the Glasgow Airport Holiday Inn while we awaited our replacement aircraft reaching us for our rescheduled 21:00 flight! It appears that the original plane could not tell whether it’s front undercarriage was up or down. The pilot in all his wisdom, pointed out to Air Traffic Control that if he was on the ground and the wheel was down, then if he did not put it up and flew to Iceland, then it would still be down by the time we got there. They did not seem to like this, so we got a later plane instead!
At just after 00:00 I made it to Eryn and Stefan’s flat in Reykjavik and met up with Izzy for our onward journey the next day. Needless to say I slept very well after that journey!
A quick visit to the Register Office in Reykjavik on Thursday saw Izzy and I get our stamp of approval to reside in Iceland for the next 5 months. With a couple of hours to kill before our next flight we visited the ‘Settlement Museum’. Similar in style to Jorvik in York, in that it is a Viking era longhouse in the basement of a modern building, we were very impressed by the interpretation and information available.
The flight from Reykjavik Domestic Airport was uneventful, although Izzy did seem amused by the propellers and the interesting landing!
From there it was a car journey by 4x4 over the mountain pass to Seyðisfjörður and on to Skálanes. I would like to point out that the dirt track to Skálanes is far better than 95% of UK roads!!
Skálanes is not all as I remembered it. When I left in August 2009 it was green, lush and just at the end of the summer season. Now it is just coming to life, with the first returning birds and hints of vegetation pushing up through the soil. The turf wall we built the last time has filled in nicely, the sauna is complete and the winter storms have coated the windows in salt!
The next couple of weeks will see us getting the place ready for the start of the 2011 season, which starts in May, and the arrival of the livestock that stays at the house. Bjartur (Oli’s Labrador) is already here with us, although for anyone who knows him…he has already mounted an expedition ¾ of the way back to town and I had to go bring him back!
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