Golden Circle: The Bowl -- Kerið

Our next day in Iceland was the craziest and most spectacular!  Crazy, because in hindsight, we could not believe that we saw so many amazing and unusual sights all in one day.  Think I will break up our Golden Circle Tour into a bunch of posts so I don't overwhelm you (and myself) with photos.  I'm trying to sort through them without having my memory of the real thing be replaced with images.

In the morning we were scooped up by our bus driver/tour guide and whisked away on a day that we won't forget.

First stop was at Kerið, a volcanic crater.  Mind-blowing to think the Bowl and the surrounding fields are about 6000 years old.  Unbelievable to see so many vivid colours exist naturally in one little spot.

 The area all around was equally stunning and seemed endless.

 Here are a couple shots using Hipstamatic on my phone.

and one of My Friend.  He was there too.

Dining around

Seem to be gorging non-stop lately.  Here are some photos from only a few of the food-stops along my way of eating ridiculous amounts over the past few weeks.  Not sure why I feel compelled to take pics of my food...  Last night we had a multi-course feast before Aunt E. leaves town today. The resto owner was barking at us to take photos of the meal but I refrained.

Coffee and donuts at Little Nicky's.

Remember Chiclets?  I liked the fruity ones best.

I didn't eat this odd tomato, but the Big Fat Burrito was mighty tasty!

Pork and rapini at Porchetta & Co.

Big family BBQ at Aunt I.'s place.  

(My Friend's presence was requested and so he came too.)

It was a fun and busy week!  Caught up with a bunch of different friends over some of the food above... saw Pearl Jam at the ACC... actually hung out with my neighbours after living on two sides of the same wall for 9 years... finished a crafty side-project... and got lots of work done!  And now for the weekend.  Hope you have a good one!  There is so much going on in the city.  Hope to pack a whole lot in...

My Friend in Cuba

My Friend really needs his own blog! He recently had the opportunity to travel to Cuba with my Sister and her friend L. I hear he had a great time, although... it was kind of cool and he felt the need to sport his toque at the beach. I'll have to make it to Cuba one of these days... jealous!

My Friend's holiday

The sister and W. took My Friend along with them on their holiday. Looks like a good time was had by all! I was rolling with laughter at these...

They went to all the hot spots in Vegas,

stopped at Hoover Dam,

visited the House of Chan,

stared in awe at the Grand Canyon,

enjoyed some pool time at the hotel,

soaked up the scenery,

caught a ballgame,

and saw the Golden Gate Bridge!

Good times! Now it's back to real life for My Friend.

Boston - Day 4

Friday my hosts were at work, so I took the day to go on a big walking tour. I checked out the financial district, then walked over to the ICA to see the Shepard Fairey show and to see the small permanent collection. On my way there I walked around the South Boston Waterfront.

Strolled by the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse.

Here is a shot of the Boston waterfront.

My Friend is enjoying a stroll at the water's edge.

Took my time to view the Shepard Fairey/Obey Giant Show at the ICA. Actually, on my walk to the gallery, I observed at least 3 of his Obey Giants around town. The area around the ICA seems to be going through a revitalization and the ICA is a big asset to the area. There was so much construction nearby.

I enjoyed the whimsical nature of the fine art wall in the ICA lobby. The installation is by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. Love all the colours!

Then I trekked over to Beacon Hill to admire some of the giant homes. I didn't get any pictures, but they were lovely!

My Friend is enjoying a break in the Commons.

A pretty Beacon Hill drain (?) cover.
Then I dragged my exhausted self to the waterfront. People were sunning themselves, biking, blading and paddling along the lagoon.

Later, in the evening, I got to experience a typical Boston activity. We dropped by some of the W.'s friends' place in the neighbourhood and spent some time "stooping it" with good music and nice drinks. Ended the day gorging ourselves on a good meal at nearby foodery, Union Bar and Grille.

Boston - Day 2

On my second day in Massachusetts, we drove to the Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show which was like treasure hunting heaven. I drooled over amazing buttons...

mounds of pristine Pyrex...

and more Pyrex... even some I had never seen before... and lots of stunning Jadite...
trinkets of all sorts... I always love the animal shaped Bakelite napkin rings...

more treasures...

and still more... or are these junk?

We ate Pilgrim sandwiches... My Friend enjoyed his sandwich very much.
After re-fueling, we hit even more vendors. We visited Les with all his Bakelite gems. Many are carved by him and therefore considered altered by the purists, but it was still amazing to see his huge collection. Mr. and Mrs. W. visit him each show, which is 3 times a year, so we had a good chat. His whole booth was filled to the brim with Bakelite. He had napkin rings, bangles, rings and brooches galore, flatware and utensils and oodles more.

Here are Mr. and Mrs. W. at a booth where we bought a few gorgeous Bakelite bangles. Sadly the one I really hemmed and hahhed about fell to the ground as soon as we got it home. It broke into two so I am now trying to decide what kind of glue/adhesive to use to repair it. Anyone have any tried and true suggestions?

It was a great day at Brimfield. I saw lots of inspiring vintage jewellery and plenty of beautiful and wild collections of all sorts. The weather was perfect and we all went home with some good finds. Can't wait to go back again!