Breaking News: More Horseback Riding (And Other Stuff Too)

I was not planning on writing another entry today, since I just put one up yesterday.... But then I got to go horseback riding again, and I want to shout it from the mountaintops.

We all slept really late this morning. Nobody goes to bed until at least 2am, so then we all sleep until the morning is practically spent. By the time I got up and showered (I was the first one awake, for the record) it was time to be thinking about lunch time. And what a lunch it was. We had a proper Icelandic Sunday lunch: Lobster soup that was so amazing I wanted to bathe in it, followed by roast lamb, caramelized potatoes, veggies and gravy. For dessert there was a blueberry sauce sort of dish with cream. OMG is the only appropriate exclamation.

During the preparations for this feast, Bogga got a phone call from Káren, the woman that I had gone horseback riding with a few days ago. She was wondering if I wanted to go with her and her husband to ride this afternoon. They were going to retrieve one of their horses from a pasture in the valley because the horse is due to have a foal next week. They need to bring her closer into the farm so they can keep an eye on the mama and baby. So, I got to go on the journey to bring her home. It was a fantastic ride. I was reunited with my buddy, Geysir. I think he was totally pumped to see me. I know I was thrilled to see him again. We have driven past the field where he spends most of his time, and I can't help but think, "There's my horse."

It was a cool, foggy sort of day, but we were moving fast and I stayed plenty warm. Away from the town and into the valley, we rode for a little over an hour before getting to the field where the mare and 8 other horse have been spending their summer vacation. They were all so wild and beautiful.
Having caught the horse that needed to come home with us, we started back. The very pregnant mare didn't seem to mind the journey at all.

The mother-to-be

The welcome wagon

There was a long, grassy field at one point in the ride, free from the rocks, cliffs and mud that kept us from going too crazy fast for most of the rest of the ride. We broke into a canter there, and I swear, I can't honestly tell you if the tears in my eyes were from the wind or pure happiness.

I thanked Káren for thinking of me and calling to see if I could go with them today, and she said something that made me catch my breath a little. "I know that feeling," she said. "I know what it feels like to wish you could be out riding all the time, but don't have a way to do it. I used to be that way all the time." So, I'm not the only one.

Back on my own two feet, Elvar picked me up from the stable so I could get cleaned up. As I have previously stated, I think that the smell of horses makes a lovely perfume, but others may disagree. I do not wish to offend my hosts. We took a drive to the harbor again. Elvar is determined that I get to set foot on the new ship, so we went to see if the captain was in board. He was not, so instead we stopped at Elvar's mother's house for kaffi and cakes. Someone brought out an old atlas and we spent an hour or so pouring over the maps and talking about trips we have taken or would like to take. Elvar's mother is from Faroe Islands, a place I would love to visit, so I got the scoop on that. We took a short drive around the town after, just to have something to do.

The evening turned out to be rainy, and we couldn't make up our minds on any particular set of plans. Instead we stayed in and did some ancestry research and Bogga and Elvar showed me a bunch of old photos and home videos. Very cozy. Elvar's sister came by around 10pm for a little visit and some  kaffi. Seriously, without real nighttime, the clock means absolutely nothing.

Tomorrow is my last full day in Fàskruðsfjörður. I leave on a plane at noon on Tuesday from Egilsstaðir to go back to Reykjavik for another week. We have a lot to do tomorrow, I'm told. There is the ship to see, a family kaffi party to attend, Elvar's sister's dog to meet (long story, and maybe a trip to Eskifjörður or a walk in the mountains. We might have to make an exception and get up a little earlier tomorrow if we are going to fit that all in.

In other news, my blueberry pie tastes like blueberry pie. Victory.