My Viking's Birthday!

Iceland holds a special place in our hearts ... it is where "our story began" thirty-nine years ago.

But that is a story for another day!  Today is my Mr's birthday!  A year ago we were able to celebrate in Reykjavik!

Mr wanted to celebrate by going to a bakery for coffee and treats!

A delicious way to begin our last day in Reykjavik before traveling to France!

We really enjoyed how walkable Reykjavik was!  Many older homes and neighborhoods are mingled in with the downtown area.  I loved how old homes had been resurfaced to withstand the harsh, salt water and air that comes with a coastal climate.  The siding was very durable and practical, yet they maintained the ornate and cultural trim!  Makes me swoon!

All window treatments involved white lace curtains!  What variety!  I could publish a book, just on all the different lace patterns on display!  On my next visit, I plan to seek out an Icelandic home furnishings store and bring some back to Alaska for my kitchen window!

After breakfast we went in the opposite direction of the day before ... we headed for the water ... in search of the North Atlantic Ocean!  We came upon a crew working to repair this boat from Greenland.

If you zoom in to this photo ... it is immediately obvious how big the original hole in the bow was!  We had fun guessing what might have caused that amount of damage ... because of our experience in Greenland we decided ice was probably the culprit.  

For lunch we picked up a few snacks at a grocery store and found a bench in this small boat harbor.  Iceland is a 40,000 square mile island ... every aspect of their culture is influenced by the sea! They are located at 64 degrees north, 4 degrees farther north than Cordova.  It is such fun to contrast their coastal lifestyle to ours ... so interesting to see what is similar and how it differs!

Where ever we travel ... domestic or abroad ... Mr takes photos of Post Office boxes and buildings.  Predictability is a good thing!  I value the constants in my life!

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner of reindeer and lamb (guess we both forgot to take photos) and shared a chocolate birthday dessert!

When we returned to our hotel room ... look what was waiting for us!  Sparkling wine and Icelandic Chocolates!

Even though it was days before her wedding, and she was busy preparing to travel abroad herself ... she remembered her "Pop's" birthday ... and made these arrangements for him!  We were both so touched!  And after 3 days of walking 10+ miles a day ... the sparkling wine and chocolate was the perfect way to end our time in Reykjavik!

Do what you love!  Do travel!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally