The Icelandic Canadian - 01.02.2007, Blaðsíða 21

Vol. 60 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
147
Our daughter Kate and Kristine Johnson at
Gullioss
Reykjavik and conjured up images for me
of Heidi in the Swiss Alps. It was very
quaint and we could walk everywhere in
town if we chose to. The weather was win-
tery compared to the spring-like weather in
Reykjavik, but not overly cold. Kind peo-
ple in Akureyri opened their homes to
players and parents while some of us stayed
at Hotel Kea. Kate and her friend stayed
with Gudrun (Goody) and her family. Kate
thought her children were adorable and
was impressed that Goody still played
competitive hockey. Everyone was so
friendly and happy that we had made the
trip. Many of us gathered in the evening
on the mezzanine of the Hotel Kea and I
particularly remember that one night a
lovely couple joined us to watch American
Idol where an Icelander was competing.
They were as interested in it as we North
Americans are. It made me think just how
small our world really is—
Brynja started helping out with our
group and we toured the countryside,
which included a stop at Lake Myvatn, a
very old sod house, and a farm where we
got to ride the Icelandic horses. I was excit-
ed to visit the Christmas store, where I
purchased a beautiful Christmas nutcrack-
er for one of my other daughters. Almost
all the girls and parents bought Icelandic
sweaters, mitts and hats for themselves and
to take home to family. I don’t know if
they have yet replenished their stock at the
Viking shop!
We played three hockey games in
Akureyri, including a game against the
Icelandic national team. All three teams we
played on our trip worked very hard but
could not beat us. Remember hockey is
OUR game! On our last night, Bjarni and
the hockey club organized a very nice
reception for us that included an emotional
presentation of a replica Falcon jersey from
Cathy Appleby, whose grandfather was a
member of the original Falcon hockey
team. After the reception, the girls enjoyed
one last night of partying. Akureyri may be
a small town in the mountains at the edge
of the world, but the people sure are hip.
It was time after five days to head back
down the mountain—this time in much
better conditions. We enjoyed the scenery,
which we missed on the way up, and took
more pictures to fill our photo albums and
scrapbooks back home, although I pur-
chased Lost in Iceland, for its’ amazing
photos. I think the quote near the end of
the book, “Some people claim that in the
silence of Iceland’s wilderness, you come
closest to hearing God,” pretty much sums
up my thoughts of the country.
Our last night was spent together in a
dormitory style hotel, which was not con-
ducive to my style of travelling with lots of
big luggage. It was nice to see Carol and her
husband again and Dan enjoyed some more
camaraderie with his friend Steinthor.
We arrived home in Winnipeg late on
April 3rd with full suitcases of warm
Icelandic clothing and even warmer memo-
ries. Thanks to everyone who helped make
them and someday we’d love to show you
the same hospitality.