Icelandic Hospitality

We had a marvelous dinner last night at Agnes' (Blipfoto AgnesSkula) and Arni's home in Akureyri, with their daughters and their boyfriends, and Berglind (Blipfoto bergfoto). Agnes used many local ingredients in the meal, including two legs of lamb and mushrooms she had picked and dried, which made the gravy particularly tasty.

My Virginia ancestors and cousins (in Virginia and beyond) would have recognized the warm hospitality we enjoyed and the wide-ranging conversation that swirled around the table in Icelandic and English, as well as the laughter and stories shared. Age differences, life experience differences -- none of that mattered in the midst of these open, warm, interesting people.

And after a very wet drive from the horse farm, it was a pleasure to not have to wear rain gear, and to look out at the night sky and see a hint of the northern lights -- only the faintest hint of color, but clearly something different to our eyes. We could see them even more clearly from the grounds of the small inn outside Akureyri where we are staying for two nights -- and the stars are amazing here, so many more than we can see at home.

I am back-blipping this after breakfast, and now it's time to get ready for another day of Icelandic hospitality -- Berglind is taking Agnes, Phil, and me on a day trip to two of Iceland's major waterfalls and to Lake Myvatn, known for its bird life. We will get back in time to take them and Arni to dinner here at the inn -- lamb, cooked in the traditional Icelandic style of their mothers -- and then we are going to their women's photography club meeting!