Day 8 and 9 in Iceland

Day 8-

Last time I was in town I visited Árbæjarsafn which is a museum in Reykjavik. This museum is built on many acres of land and is composed of several houses that have been moved to the site. These old houses show how Icelanders lived back in the day. You can walk into each house and see furniture/belongings from the time period of the house. Each house also has a description of the owner. For example, one house we visited the owner was a blacksmith, so his tools were displayed in the house.

It was fun to go visit this museum again. There are over a dozen places to see while you are there- some dating back to the mid 1800's. One house was so small I couldn't stand up straight and the informational plaque said it fit two families with up to 6 children. Holy moly!!

The museum also has people dressed up in old Icelandic clothing in some of the houses to answer your questions. In one house that had a lot of knitting supplies there were two young girls in the bedroom knitting (sign me up for that job)!! When knitting machines were made back in the day they were so expensive that many Icelandic women would share the cost to buy one.

It was also interesting to learn about the evolution of the country and importing of goods. Icelanders diets mainly consisted of fish and meat. Importing of goods later brought coffeeand sugar to Iceland. Fun fact- Starbucks is not in Iceland (though it has been in every other foreign country I have visited). Icelanders like coffee, but they typically have coffee at friends houses when they visit- very rarely do they go out for a coffee.

After the museum, Aunt Debbie and my cousin Andrew picked us up and we went to the 66 North shops. Really nice stuff- I was looking for some gloves but didnt find anything I couldn't like without. Debbie decided to take us to "lolly-land" at Haugkap. This place had the biggest candy selection I'd ever seen!! Watch out Janice- Brett filled up a bag for you!! ;)

Brett cooked up some delicious pork chops when we got home. We are getting sick of watching Storage Wars and Pawn Stars on the History channel. But hearing some English is worth it. Haha!!

My dad got home from fishing late. He has unfortunately been working a lot since we've been here. :( Good for his wallet, but not good for my short visit.

Day 9-

Today we decided to drive to Patreksfjordur which is where my grandpas house is. He passed away when I was 4, but my dad and his siblings still own the house and visit frequently. My aunt decided to start renting it to tourists and it has been a great success!  It is about a 5 hour drive north of Reykjavik. Brett got in his driving this trip. :) most the drive was absolutely stunning. The most beautiful country around!! That being said, most the drive is also terrifying. There were several times I was telling Brett to just keep his eyes on the road and not look down (although the views were incredible). They might have been more enjoyable if there were guardrails... or ANY protective barrier for that matter!! ;)

Our long journey finally brought us to Patro. I love this town. I remember coming here with my dad and sister when I was 4- so it has a special place in my heart. Brett cooked up some dinner (what a guy), and we decided to relax at the community pool after our long trek today. It cost about $6 to get in, is only a 1 minute walk from the house, and has a heated outdoor pool with 2 hot tubs, a sauna, and a gym. We were in heaven. And did I mention it has views of the fjord to boot!? We threw the ball back and forth in the pool swam a few laps, and let our bodies relax in the hot tub. A perfect day indeed!!

After watching a movie with my love, it is off to bed. Lots of adventures to pack in tomorrow. Goodnight for now!! :)