Spectacular Skies

First, let me put your minds at ease by saying that we successfully completed our guided ride this afternoon through the countryside around the horse farm where we're staying, despite the wild winds blowing in all directions here and the ever-present possibility of rain, even when the sun is shining, as shown in today's blip.

We mainly traveled at a sedate walk, although several times we urged our Icelandic horses (never called ponies here) to a trot or a few minutes of the tolt, a gait unique to the breed. It was an interesting experience, but not likely to be repeated -- there are more things on my bucket list to do!

I've been wanting to share one of these magnificent and ever-changing vistas we've been seeing around us, so today's blip is a photo I took while Phil was driving to Glaumbaer, a complex of small turf buildings, connected by a central covered passageway, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries and representing how a wealthy farmer in during those years would live with his family and workers. It was a fascinating place and I'll post a link to photos of it at a later date.

We enjoyed an unusual concert here on the farm last night, presented by two visiting Latvian folk singers and instrumentalists, offering songs and sayings about horses from Latvia in the Middle Ages. A fellow connected with their stay, who was born and raised in Latvia but has lived in Iceland for some time, translated the Latvian into Icelandic for the audience of about 50 people from nearby farms and small communities, all of whom listened quietly and attentively.

During the intermission, which included refreshments provided by our horse farm hosts , I chatted with an Icelandic woman in my age range, and complimented her on her flawless English. Imagine our mutual surprise when she said that she'd been an exchange student at age 17 in a small town in Washington state, not far from the Oregon border! In the program's second half, she translated bits of the program in a whisper for me, which I passed on to Phil, enhancing our understanding and appreciation. I wish that I'd given her my address, as we were kindred spirits, and parted with warm handshakes, smiles, and wishes for good health and happiness.

I am developing a great fondness and respect for the people of this small island, where everyone has health care, the pure water has no additives, homes are heated by geothermal energy, and education seems to be of a very high standard and free, including university degrees. Yes, they pay high taxes -- about 40% of their incomes -- but they receive good value for it.