Report - og myndir frá Botnagöngu

for those who think that we are lost. We are not lost. I returned from England (see earlier blog) and found that winter was still here. And we had a water supply problem. Two weeks later it was better and I planted carrots and other edible stuff. And suddenly there was spring.  At the end of May I went to the Westman-Islands with my friends Kitty, Balázs and Brian. (See my last blog).  Markús decided to stay at home and to farmwork. He thinks farmwork is the best possible entertainment. Lappi the dog kept him company and neighbors looked after them. But first came the earthquake. I went to Reykjavík that morning with B&K and on the way back I was talking to Markús on the phone when he started screaming. It took a little while before I realised what he was saying.  We didn't feel anything in the car, but we only missed it by ca. fifteen minutes. The store in Selfoss where we had been shopping in turned into one big mess and people living in the Selfoss and Hveragerði area lost most of their belongings. It was a 6,3 Richter. I expected Markús to lose heart and change his mind about staying home alone, but he didn't. Most things at home stayed in place. Of course the Westman Islands were wonderful, like always.

Last Friday we packed the gray truck (in spite of a rising gas price and a horrible forecast) and drove to Kirkjubæjarklaustur - Markús and Lappi included. Balázs and Kitty were already there and Brian was so nice to invite us - all of us - plus Lappi - to stay in his house. (Thank you Brian!) Saturday my relatives from my fathers family had planned their annual walking trip, and I thought it was time that we should join them while Markús is still willing to come with me to events like that. We had a strong east wind and pouring rain. It didn't stop my cousins. They dressed properly and walked briskly into the lavafield. Me and Markús drove the Ford as if we belonged to the generation of the uncles! Here are pictures of the heroes:

 

 

 

Í upphafi ferðar

 

 

 

 

 

increasing rain

 

 

 

 

 

picnic in the shelter of bushes

 

 

 nesti bragðast best í slagveðri

After that the conditions for photographing got a lot worse!!!

 

 Aðeins einn gafst upp þegar hér var komið sögu og þáði bílfar.

 

 

Hópurinn hittist á Hnausum í Meðallandi og þar voru skoðuð eldgömul hús. Síðan var ekið að nálægum skógræktarreit og þar hófst gangan í áttina að Botnum. Gönguleiðin er örugglega skemmtileg í góðu veðri, en ég mæli ekki með því við nokkurn mann að aka þessa leið! Vegurinn er hryllilegur. Markús skemmti sér samt vel og Gráni komst óskemmdur frá þessu ævintýri - enda frábær bíll eins og allir vita. Veðrið gerði það að verkum að samfélagið við ættingjana varð minna en efni stóðu til. Eftir rannsókn á nýju sundlauginni á Kirkjubæjarklaustri virtist notalegra að ylja sér í samfélagi við B&K og Brian heldur en að þvælast aftur niður að Botnum til að grilla í slagveðrinu. Fregnir herma þó að þar hafi verið mikið fjör. Við reynum aftur á næsta ári - og pöntum betra veður þá.

Sunday morning Brian prepared a real feast - (Thank you again Brian!) Great cook! And did it on his way out to work - so to speak. I totally admire that man!

(Þetta er Brian að stjórna kappróðri á sjómannadegi á Kirkjubæjarklaustri)

 

 

On the way home we drove through Meðalland, the place where my parents grew up, and took a quick look at our friend Einar the Skaft. (Engin tölvutæk mynd til af honum).