The Land of Fire and Ice: First Days of Summer

Thursday was the first official day of summer here in Iceland. We learned this Wednesday night when a farewell party for one of the girls living at Gest-Inn was held, and the bartender kindly told us the bar would be open until 4 due to the holiday the next day! Any reason to celebrate, take off work, and drink here, I tell ya. It was a little eerie, after Wednesday the weather went from cold, rainy and unpleasant, to little other than sun and almost warm temperatures. Along with the nice weather, the city seems to be coming alive with bustling activity; an atmosphere I greatly enjoy walking around in. As the weather continues to warm up, it becomes steadily more difficult to picture leaving this city I have become extremely fond of. Three more weeks. Nothing of consequence happened in the beginning of the week, as my time was devoted mainly to studying for the volcanology exam looming in the distance. The studying did, however, give me an excuse to spend a little more time exploring new cafes in the city. One new cafe I tried is called C is for Cookie. I did not actually eat a cookie, but rather some of the best (maybe only?) spinach soup I have ever had. I would like the think I have become more adventurous with my taste buds over the last few months; I now have tried mushrooms, come to like onions, and have even eaten a whole dish without picking out the tomatoes! Friday came around, I took my exam, and now I am done with volcanology forever, hallelujah. That night, as it was the last Friday night we would be spending with just the three of us, Sierra, Laura, and I went out for dinner and crepes. We decided to try a little restaurant that we walked past every time we went to the grocery store, called Snaps. We ended up being seated in, what we thought to be, the best seat in the house, a little table in our own nook surrounded by windows and plants. All in all, it was a lovely dinner. Afterward, we went to another shop we had passed many times, yet never tried. For dessert, we indulged in some of the most delicious crepes, filled with fruit, chocolate, Nutella , you name it. Saturday, I woke up with not only the sun streaming in my window, but a warm breeze as well! Looked like an adventure day to me. I started by, once again, riding the elevator to the top of Hallgrímskirkja, the large church at the end of my street. Such a beautiful view it is, looking down over the city, the ocean, and the mountains. From there I walked around the pond, Tjörnin, and witnessed many birds flapping around happily in the warm air. I then made my way to the flea market to buy fish, and ended by walking along the ocean side, gazing at the immense mountains across the way. Another wonderful week in a wonderful country.