Soulpepper - Twelve Angry Men

An amazing production, extremely well cast. Fresh rendition of a classic. You should make an effort to see this play.

Iceland - Day 8 - Blue Lagoon and Home

With a morning check out and evening flight it makes good sense to visit the Blue Lagoon on the way to the airport. Also, after a week of sightseeing, albeit not a lot of walking on the bus tours, we are ready for a relaxing warm soak.

We spent 2 hours luxuriating in the silica thermal waters of the Blue Lagoon. I tried the silica mask, but it just made my face feel itchy. Healthy drinks at the pool bar is a nice treat. Had a light lunch at the cafe, walked around the grounds a bit, then off to the airport. A wonderfully relaxing way to end our visit to Iceland.

Reflecting on our stay, Apartment K was very comfortable, with lots of space for a family of 4, well equipped for making meals and a fantastic location. Being able to have breakfast, coffee and snacks in our room really saved us a lot of money, even though we were purchasing food in the corner stores (we didn't find the big grocery store only minutes away on Ingolfsstruti until our last Day). Also nice to have a glass of wine and light appetizer (salad, fruit) and rest a bit before heading out for dinner. Very close to the Grayline tour bus terminal, less than a 5 min walk to join our tours, saving the extra half hour each way for hotel pickup and drop off.‎ Only caveat is that we were above a very popular nightspot and the closed windows didn't quite block out the noise.

Iceland is a very interesting country, with lots of uniques things to see, and wonderful people, eager to tell you all about the sagas (history of the settlement of Iceland). You can go hiking, horseback riding, biking, camping, boating, all types of activities for the nature enthusiast. We all enjoyed the trip immensely and my daughter is already planning when she will come back - perhaps in the fall next time for the music festival.

Iceland - Day 7 - Reykjavik

A nice leisurely start to the day, browsing the book store for some books on Iceland. Found an excellent, albeit pricey ($40), book on walking tours in Reykjavik (6 in all) which just came out 2 days ago. Had a good coffee and delicious carrot cake at Stofan, then on with our walking tour, new book in hand.

We had fabulous soup, sandwiches and pastry for lunch at Bakari Sandholt, with artisan bread. The long line-up was worth it. Don't worry, there is lots of seating.

Continuing up Laugavegur street, the boys dropped into the Phallological Museum (they were not impressed), ‎while the girls did some shopping. Heading up to the Cathedral we were on time for a lovely performance on the organ‎. Then to the craft stores along Skolavoroustigur to browse and be tempted.

A rest at our hotel before an evening explore of the Harbour area. Not finding a restaurant we could agree on in the Harbour (although several looked good), we went back to Ingolfsstruti and had dinner at Solon. The crab cake appetizer was amazing and so were the mains. Definitely recommend this place.

As it was the summer solstice, everyone was dressed up and ready to party all night. We were taking pictures on the street at midnight – no flash required !

Iceland - Day 6 - Vestmannaeyjar: Pompeii of the North

Heading to the Westman Islands, most of the two hour drive is along a now well familiar landscape. Our adventure really starts with a ferry at Bakkafjara to the island Heimaey, where a major volcanic eruption in 1973 destroyed half the town and buried the rest in ash and lava. The large, comfortable ferry allows adequate viewing, fries and coffee is available on board, but the sea is rough today and walking is difficult - some of us are worrying about seasickness, however the ride is too short (about 40 minutes) for that to set in.

After about a 10 minute rest stop we are back on a boat, smaller one though, to cruise around the island, check out the coastline of lava and see the puffins in their nesting place. Not long into the trip we are on the ocean side and the waves are really rocking the boat. Not taking my cue from the captain ducking below the dash, we are caught by a massive wave coming over the bow and are soaked. A number of people, my teen and husband included, are now starting to feel ill. My son is 6'7" and, with a guardrail only up to the top of his thigh, waves pitching the boat and finding ourselves airborne at times, I am worrying about him going overboard. Pulling into a cave at the end of the tour we were serenaded by the captain, who also turned out to be a great sax player. Awesome acoustics in the cave.

After a delicious soup at the Cafe Kro (free wifi!) we enjoy a bus tour of the island, driving over the buried town and next to the volcano that destroyed it. A little creepy - thinking we are driving on an island with active volcanos, although the locals assure us they have very good early warning systems in place now.

Several stops along our island tour included an old stone house, a puffin nesting area, gazing out at a young island (formed only 40 years ago by a volcano) and some totally amazing views.

Back to the Cafe Kro for a screening of the documentary about the 1973 eruption, a yummy donut-style cake and the best latte in Iceland.

Reverse order to get home - ferry to the mainland and bus. The driver recommended an Italian restaurant named Italia on the main street by our hotel and we had a fabulous dinner. Pizzas and penne were great. Deserts were amazing and big enough for 4 of us to share 2 - we strongly recommend the ice cream cake.

Iceland - Day 5 - Reyjkavik

This is another day to explore the museums, other places of interest and, of course, the shops. Look for the “duty free for travelers” signs to get your VAT back.

‎The Settler's museum is a must see. Then we headed up Slolavoroustigur street for some shopping and enjoyed a delicious and reasonably priced, for Iceland, lunch at Cafe Babalu, en route to the Hallgrimskirkja. Nothing in the decor of the cafe indicates what you will find in the bathroom - lifesize Star Wars character cut-outs and colourful flashing lights. Check it out !

Headed back to the apartment for more shopping along Laugavegur to get some jewelry made by Icelandic craftspeople, with designs influenced by the local rocks and culture.

Down to the harbour for dinner at the renowned Icelandic Fish and Chips - definitely lived up to its reputation.

Iceland - Day 4 - Glacial Lagoon Tour

Today's 14 hour tour is taking us along the south shore of Iceland, with several stops on our way to and back from the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, the #1 tourist attraction in Iceland.

‎As we drove along the highway, we passed a wide variety of topography, from great expanses of lava fields (rock piles covered in moss) to small hills to flat and barren spaces, flanked by a mountain/volcano ridge with many waterfalls. Then the varied views of the glacier as we drive past it for an hour. Quite fascinating to see the power of volcanoes and earthquakes.

Enroute we had a brief stop at Seljalandsfoss waterfall and were able to walk right up to the edge of the falls.

‎After a couple of days we are really beginning to appreciate the benefits of a kitchen. Iceland is not cheap and even a modest meal (ie. a sandwhich) for 4 is around $120. Coffee is $3 or $5 for a decent cup at a cafe.

The Glacial Lagoon boat door was hands down the highlight of this trip. The iceberg dotted lagoon was awesome and we even had the opportunity to eat 1,000 year old ice. Unfortunately I inadvertently swallowed my piece and it was the strangest feeling as it cooled down my stomach….

A brief stop in Skaftafell National Park was only long enough to watch a video about the park and see a little of what you could enjoy if you had a day or more to spend here.

Best tip from the guide was to grab a sandwich at the first stop to have for your dinner at the beach stop. This ensures you have plenty of time to go down to the black beach, a must see. If you're interested in buying Icelandic wool or clothing, this is also a good place to get it (better prices than in Reyjkavik).

Last stop for today - Skogafoss waterfall, where the path takes you behind the falls. Lovely, although slippery and nothing to hang on to - I slipped and got a little muddy.

Can't say this tour was good value at about $750 for our family of four. While the mountain view along the drive and the boat tour of the Lagoon were clear highlights, the other stops were perfunctory and pit stops were often too short to get a snack/coffee and go to the bathroom. Also, since the stops were so fleeting, I had trouble recollecting where we had been. Perhaps it's best to rent a car and take a couple of days to tour this area.

‎After such a long day, the kids crashed in front of the TV and we made a simple pasta and salad dinner in our apartment.

Iceland - Day 3 - Golden Circle

Embarking on the Golden Circle Classic tour, we had a very charming guide share a wealth of information and history along the drive and in the Pingvellir National Park, where we straddled a narrow rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Rift Valley was awesome. 

We visited the beautiful Gullfoss waterfall, where we enjoyed the specialty - lamb soup - mmmm. Then off to the the hot springs of Geyser, where my son got soaked by the spray of the geyser. 

Overall, a fine day experiencing some of the most popular sites in Iceland.

Returning in time for dinner, we headed over to Cafe Paris for dinner, just around the corner from our hotel. The best burgers yet - burgers seem to be very popular in Iceland, with some very creative condiments. A cool spot, very busy and varied menu.

Today is Independence Day in Iceland and, despite the rain, ‎the bandshell by the Harpa Concert Hall attracted a moderate crowd. Fortunately the music wrapped up by 10 so we were able to sleep. 

Iceland - Day 2 - Reykjavik

A nice leisurely day walking around Reykjavik started with the Volcano House, where we watched a very interesting film on the devastation Volcanoes have wrecked on Iceland and the world, spewing tons of ash into the air and burying homes.

It was a late start today so we stopped for lunch at a fun little spot, the Laundromat Cafe, where the burgers were great. After lunch we stopped at the Saga Museum, to learn about the settlement of Iceland and get freaked out by some uncannily human-like wax figures. Look closely - one of them is actually breathing! 

On our way to the National Museum we wandered through a beautifully manicured cemetery and peaked into a catholic church. At the National Museum, we learned more about the history of Iceland, including up to modern day. In a 1950’s exhibit we saw a coffee mug matching the set we have at the cottage (which originated as a gift from my father when I headed off to university).

Back for a short rest at our apartment, we were shortly rousted out by the fire alarm. The burgers at the pub below us smoked too much and set off the alarms. The staff merely turned off the alarm, opened some windows and took a quick look upstairs to confirm there was nothing of concern. Problem solved - no need to engage the fire department. We are quickly learning that Icelanders are less safety conscious than we are.

A stroll down Langavegur to check out the shops, with a little detour along the waterfront path. On the way back, we picked up some groceries at Krambud on Skolavordustig. For a wider selection of drinks and snacks, 1011 (open 24 hours) on Austurstraeti is the place to go. Both just a short walk from our hotel.

A late dinner at Vergamot, providing lots of selection, was delicious. Heading back at almost 11, the sky was still bright.

Iceland - Day 1 - Arrival and Reykjavik

As we flew over Greenland and then into Iceland we knew we were somewhere different. It never really got dark, we sort of went from sunset to sunrise immediately and the topography was so different - rocky and the vegetation was low - no trees.

Although a very smooth and uneventful flight, the first day was a killer as we arrived at 9 am but couldn't get into our room until 1. We dropped our bags and found a lovely coffee shop/tourist info centre/boutique store (Around Iceland), one of the few places open early on a Sunday, and whiled away a few hours over a leisurely breakfast with awesome coffee. We soon found out that fresh light wonderful cream is provided in copious amounts on waffles, cakes and drinks. We also found out that eating out in Iceland is not cheap. However, tipping is not the norm (there is no special minimum wage for servers).

Next we wandered down to the Harpa Concert Hall, rated one of the worls's 10 best performing arts centres. It is an awesome building, with a really intriguing crystalline glass design enveloping almost the whole building. At 3 floors, it has lots of performance spaces, shops, a restaurant and a cafe with amazing cakes.

A short walk around the harbour, then able to check into our room for a nap. We are staying right in the centre of town, in Apartment K. We have a very spacious room with a king bed in the bedroom, a pullout couch in the living room and a little dining room/kitchenette, with a supermarket nearby (we heard about the high cost of eating out in Reykjavik). Lots of space for a family of four. The teens were a little freaked out about the bathroom though, as it has a clear glass door and there was quite some time and effort spent devising a way to enhance privacy.

A fabulous hamburger at the Islenski Barinn (pub) next to our apartment on Ingolfsstruti and then off to the show "How to Be An Icelander" for an entertaining one man rendition of the 15 unique characteristics of an Icelander, some of which we had already experienced, interspersed with some jabs at every other culture in the room. The performer opened the show by asking where everyone was from, greeting them in their language and referring back to them later with his jabs - what a memory!

After coffee and cake at the Harpa cafe we took the long route back to our apartment, enjoying the brightness of the day, at 10 in the evening.

We were asleep before the sun went down.‎ We were in the centre of town and, as we heard in the show earlier this evening how Icelanders love to drink and party, the revelers seemed to be in the room with us most of the night.

Luminato - Kid Koala's Nufonia Must Fall Live: A Graphic Novel Animated in Real Time With a Live Soundtrack

Awesome collaboration between author/composer Kid Koala, director K.K. Barrett, puppeteers, set designers and musicians to bring this graphic novel, a poignant love story, to life through puppets.‎ 

The performance was preceded by a spell-binding animation short by Monroe Ferguson, with Kid Koala's mesmerizing score, titled Minotaur.

My teen daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. While it is only playing a few nights at Luminato you might be able to catch it somewhere else on their world tour.‎ 

Luminato - Green Porno Live on Stage

Isabella Rossellini was brilliant in this lesson on the sexual habits of the animal world. Not only did I learn some interesting tidbits about some rather strange and exotic sexual proclivities and combinations, but was hugely entertained by her comically serious presentation. I strongly recommend you see this show, but move fast, as there is only one showdate left!

TSO Exposed: What Makes it Great - Appalachian Spring

A wonderful and fun way to truly appreciate music, it was really intriguing to learn about‎ the structure and complexities of a composition. Enjoyable and interactive, the deconstruction gives you greater insight into the music and a deeper appreciation for the seemingly simple compositions.

Mirvish - Flashdance

My daughter summed this up in one word - exuberant. The musical more than did justice to the movie. The vocals were amazing, the dancing was amazing. All of the leads were strong, engaging and very well cast. A really fun night out - I definitely recommend this show!