Friends and Food

This is not the best photo I took today, but it's the one that means the most to me, because it shows Gudrun, co-owner of my favorite cafe -- Gamla/Old Island, where we had our first meal in Reykjavik, and our last today, before our flight north to Akureyri tomorrow.

She grew up on a farm in the north, and is warm and welcoming, as well as a terrific cook, turning out delicious soups, breads, sandwiches, and baked goods, including wonderful brownies made of dates, slivered almonds, coconut, cocoa, and spices. The cafe is cozy, has free WiFi, and everything tastes fresh and rich in flavor. I feel at home there, and love the atmosphere.

We had a lovely wander around a used book shop this morning, thanks to Phil, and are stocked up with things to read while in north Iceland. (Our horse farm cottage does not have WiFi; we're not sure about the country inn where we'll spend the last two nights, either.)

Later Phil had coffee and cake in the cafe at The Culture House, the national centre for cultural heritage, while I enoyed the exhibits -- some artwork from the last 100 years, a display about medieval manuscripts, and an exhibit honoring Jon Sigurdsson, leader of the Icelandic independence movement in the 19th century.

After fortifying ourselves with one of Gudrun's fine sandwiches, which we'd taken away after our late lunch in Gamla/Old Island, we went to the Micro Bar in early evening. It's a mecca for beer lovers, and Phil really enjoyed talking with the knowledgeable young bartenders.

Now it's time to tidy up our rental apartment and pack our small suitcases for the 45-minute flight to Akureyri at midday on Saturday. We'll have another food and friend encounter -- a Blipmeet! -- that afternoon before we head west to Lytingsstadir horse farm, where we'll be for three nights. I hope to post that Blipmeet here before we head into the no-WiFi part of our trip.