My Challenge...

Living on a remote reserve you would have thought that the wilderness, the distance to the nearest town, living in a different country with a different language and culture would be challenge enough.

Well not for me...the extra challenge I have set myself for the next 5 months is to try and become better in the kitchen. Hopefully without anyone developing food posioning, as the nearest hospital is a 45 minute drive away in Seyðisfjörður.

In the spirit of this I decided to try and take 4 bannanas that were slightly past their best and turn them into Bannana Bread.

Have a look at the photos and judge the success for yourself...

 Look at the concentration required!

  Bring on the oven!

Well it's not burnt, that's a start!

 It looks and tastes fine! (I'm as suprised as you are)

Taste Test - Izzy 'Mm....' (Honest!!)

All hands on deck...

The reserve at Skálanes is owned and run by Ólafur Örn Pétursson (and his family) and opens on 15^th May. So it is all hands on deck as we try to get the centre ready for the volunteers, student groups and visitors that will start to arrive after that date.

All hands on deck…except for Oli that is! He is off on a nature exchange to Slovakia for a week and has left us to our own devices. So back to the deck…the whole thing needs sanded down and treated to protect it from the harsh conditions that we sometimes get here.

Aside from working on the decking we have been tidying things up around the centre and enjoying seeing the first migrant birds appearing on the reserve. There are more and more of them on a daily basis! (Including a Swallow today!)

Some photographs below:

 Izzy cleaning the salt off of the windows

 Paul & Izzy

 All hands on deck...

 View looking east towards Skálanes

Swallow (Hirundo rustica) on the washing line

 Greylag (Anser anser) Geese are pairing up to breed

Redwing (Turdus iliacus) have invaded the reserve

Those magnificent men in their flying machines...

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!

I will get some photos up at some point soon. Keep an eye open for more updates soon!

Grounded...

Location: Glasgow Airport (still!)

Flight was meant to leave 55mins ago, but we have a technical problem. Isnt travel fun...

D-Day...

Location: Inverclyde

A couple of hours to go as my flight isn't until 14:20, but finally the day has come to return to Iceland.  Clothes and gear are all packed, eventually and with some persuasion, and everything seems to be in order.

I'm not sure what the internet situation is like out at Skalanes yet, as we will probably be using slow mobile internet, but I will try and post a blog at the first opportunity. Even if it means having to stop off at Skaftafell to use the broadband and have tea/cake! (Awful I know!)

Anyway...time to get some sleep before the travels ahead.

Skalanes Updates: Coming Soon!

Inspired by Iceland

 3.5 days until we travel north to Iceland on Wednesday 6th April! We will not actually be arriving at Skálanes until Thursday 7th April as we have to register at the Icelandic Registration Office in Reykjavik.  Normally you can visit Iceland as a tourist for 3 months without any extra paperwork, but as we will be there for 5 months we need to register.

Our flights (mine from Glasgow, Izzy's from Heathrow) should see us land in Keflavik International Airport where we will then catch a 45 min bus ride to Reykjavik.  Next day we will fly from Reykjavik to Egilsstadir in the east. Where Oli will hopefully remember we are coming and collect us for the drive to Skálanes.
Final attempts at packing are currently being made, weight limits double checked and documents found, lost and found again!

As long as fate smiles kindly on us (no arline strikes, volcanic eruptions etc.) next Wednesday or Thursday, all further communication will be coming from the East Fjords. As a primer for this, take a look at the video on the link below:

INSPIRED BY ICELAND - Inspired by Iceland

Where did I put...?

With just over two weekes until we leave for Skálanes it is now time to double check that everything has been gathered in one place ready for packing. For anyone who has tried to pack for a two week holiday abroad you will understand the potential difficulties we face. We will be in Iceland from April, which is still technically winter in Iceland (it seems they only have winter and summer!) until September. This means a mixture of clothes and equipment that will keep us warm (or cool) happy and safe for the next five months.


It appears that airlines do not take five month trips to the end of the earth into consideration when creating the baggage rules. I guess I will need to leave out all my climbing gear, my skis and a large selection of natural history books on specialist subjects.


This flurry of activity does mean that departure day is getting closer   (17 Days!) and with it all of the adventure and excitement of returning to Iceland.  From then on you should get some interesting blog posts and not just my mutterings.