Achaius's Online Journals and Diaries

Journal Entries (Back to Profile)

mask up or cask up

Ignoring roommate’s constant advice to “mask up or cask up,” I spent most of the Iceland trip maskless, and then fell sick upon returning home. oops!!! Sunday afternoon I had a mild sore throat. By Tuesday it had progressed to a moderate sore throat with fits of dry coughing, runny nose, mild flu-li...

Comments: 0 Words: 259

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - Aug. 8, 2024

homecoming

Back home. Walked in the door Saturday night at around 11:45 pm and immediately started bagging trash left on the counters (so many empty pasta boxes and 7up bottles…). Gathered up three full bags of trash, not counting the already-full kitchen trash, and wiped down the kitchen countertops. Is it we...

Comments: 0 Words: 183

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - Aug. 6, 2024

five thousand screaming seagulls

We started the day with a long walk along the volcanic cliffs in the company of 5000 screaming seagulls. Green and gold and black and white—Coigreach colors, or maybe Natron colors if you factor in the blue of the water and pretend it’s way warmer. As we paused to enjoy the view, F told us that ther...

Comments: 1 Words: 432

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - Aug. 2, 2024

the lovely icelandic summer

There WAS horse for breakfast! (Though without the hot dog condiments.) I tried a piece. It was basically like roast beef, but a tad stringy. It was a cold, miserable, rainy day, so it's just as well it was a long travel day. The roads are so bad and the bus so bumpy that my Fitbit keeps thinking I'...

Comments: 0 Words: 395

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - Aug. 1, 2024

dramatic place to throw all your gods

It's very buggy around here. Apparently, Lake Mivatn translates to Lake Midge. No midges in the hotel (thankfully), but plenty of flies. Last night at dinner, a pair of flies landed on the table and began copulating. "Seriously??" said F as he shooed them away. Also, I slept poorly because there wer...

Comments: 0 Words: 447

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - July 31, 2024

moonscapes, hellscapes

We set out bright and early for the Myvatn region. F bought an air freshener to clear the residual smell of fermented shark from the van. It's variety terrain day! Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe, amidst a bleak landscape of volcanic rock. Astronauts go on training missions in this...

Comments: 0 Words: 322

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - July 30, 2024

the road to akureyri

We stayed last night in a hotel in Varmaland. Every hotel has its quirks. This one had a tiny bathroom with no shower stall, just a floor drain and curtain. Water gets everywhere. But the hotel restaurant was swank: a fourth-floor restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows giving a view of the surroun...

1 - Views: 408

Comments: 0 Words: 345

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - July 29, 2024

viking broomball

Last night we got word that the glacial flooding was so severe that it damaged the ring road bridge. Looks like that route will be impassable for a while. Instead, we'll be heading north with a whole new itinerary. Impressed with F and the tour group for patching all this with basically zero turnaro...

1 - Views: 439

Comments: 0 Words: 331

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - July 28, 2024

a saga of dragons and trolls

Icelandic hotels don't have air conditioning or fans. They also don't have a second sheet on the bed, just a fitted sheet and a blanket. I always prefer sleeping with something covering me, but it's too hot for a blanket. It was fine. I slept well and breakfast was good. Our first stop today was the...

1 - Views: 447

Comments: 0 Words: 619

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - July 27, 2024

a day of panoramic landscapes

Mom asked, "Will we get to see a live volcano?" "I hope not," said our bus driver. "I will drive the other way if that happens." We're off on our adventure! We're in a 14-person tour group, including our party of 5 (aunts have joined us; they landed in Reykjavik yesterday evening). I conked out at 1...

1 - Views: 438

Comments: 0 Words: 481

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - July 26, 2024

reykjavik roam

We're going on a full-island tour of Iceland. Every night we stay in a different city; every day we have an 8-9 hour driving and sightseeing tour. Today was the exception. We landed at Keflavik Airport at 9 am and spent the day blobbing around Reykjavik on foot. Our hotel is a few minutes' walk from...

1 - Views: 415

Comments: 0 Words: 357

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - July 25, 2024

the ice is nice

Vacation time! We’re heading to Iceland! Woo! “What are you going to do in Iceland?” asked HGR. Genuinely I do not know. Dad arranged the whole thing through a tour group and I’m just along for the ride. Should be fun though. Brother went a few years back and his trip pics were amazing. Mom and Dad...

1 - Views: 390

Comments: 0 Words: 265

Achaius (Lvl. 46) - July 24, 2024

Achaius's profile

Profile

Journal Entries (Back to Profile)