Hello again from Iceland! As mentioned in the title there is some lovely evening sunshine coming through the window here. Today marks the beginning of another week on the road (two weeks since leaving the UK). I think that Monday will be the principal day for blogging to get into a rhythm of it, although I can’t always guarantee that!
I have another week and a bit in this beautiful country, especially when the sun shines, before moving on. This past week I have moved south and I am currently in Akranes which is about 40 minutes drive north from Reykjavik.
Yesterday (17th June) was National Day in Iceland celebrating the foundation of the Republic of Iceland in 1944. In Akranes town centre there was a parade, speeches, music and entertainment. Red, white and blue balloons hung from lampposts and many of the children (and some adults) had their faces painted. There was also a carnival queen and marching bang playing too. I really enjoyed the celebrations although, to be honest, most of the Icelandic did pass me by. It was great to see people celebrating their national identity. I think it’s really important to experience the traditions and cultures of others whilst staying in their home. As a Brit the red, white and blue made me feel a bit at home!
Today I have been hiking in the local hills and managed to bag a couple of peaks in the Akrafjall area with some pretty good views:
Unfortunately the sun wasn’t out for these photos and it was pretty windy up there too!
Whilst staying here I have also been looking into what adventures may happen in the next country (shh! It’s a secret!). Part of travelling longer term involves this kind of planning, organising and booking. It is, of course, very exciting but perhaps not the most readily advertised aspect of doing travel full-time. I don’t think many people would like to read or see me staring into a laptop with a furrowed brow! Things are beginning to fall into place and of course I shall mention them here when they come to fruition.
It is a balancing act to time-manage experiences with planning/organising (I guess that’s my ‘work’ at the moment) and plain boring but necessary admin. Food has to be bought, prepared and cooked, washing done and all those other normal things that happen at home. Nobody wants to see that on social media! That said, getting too bogged down in those things means preventing the real fun; the experiences, meeting new people and cultures, writing blogs (and being your own boss- sort of).
Next week’s blog will be my final one from the very beautiful and inspiring Iceland before heading further westwards. I hope you all have a good week and remember that for more updates, contained in less than 140 characters, my Twitter feed is @mrlukeniktravel.
Until next time, stay safe and travel on.