Back at home, Friday is my Sabbath. 

A Sabbath is different from a day off. It’s even different from a vacation day. 

It’s a day to stop. To cease. To allow God to fill in the spaces and allow the world go on without me.  It may be the most challenging spiritual discipline. 

In the midst of a glorious vacation, today I will try to center in a place of Sabbath. 

It is fall in Iceland. One of my most favorite seasons. Vegetation tends to huddle close to earth in this rugged clime, even the few trees. The fall color this creates a foundation for the soaring landscape and sky. 

I began this day, after breakfast, sitting in a lounge area, with a symphony of voices of folk from all over the world chatting as they ate and visit.  With the voices of God’s people surrounding me, I prayed Morning Devotions to be posted later by Rev. Alan. 

I’ve loved beginning the day this way. 

Now what will happen today as I Sabbath and God does the rest?

Carefully planned vacations can become even better when recalculations happen. 

My friend Betsy has something her family calls an anything can happen day.  It’s a way to travel without any set plan and respond to opportunities rather than planning an itinerary. 

Yesterday was an anything can happen day. 

We arrived at the small local grocery store right after it opened to look for something for breakfast. The gracious staff at the market opened up the closed for the season dining room so we could sit and eat our skyr and what the Scots call digestive biscuits (i.e. cookies).  One of the employees carefully made us the best cappuccino and latte we’d had in Iceland, served in lovely cups and saucers.  She then made our  takeaway order, and refused to take payment.  The kindness of strangers 

In Iceland, hotels offer amazing and abundant breakfast buffets.  This simple breakfast with what was available was as wonderful as any of those served at heavily laden tables. 

Looking at maps, my friend and I created our own Ring Road to circle the Westfjords in cold, rainy, and windy weather. It was a perfect day for experiencing Iceland’s stunning and rugged beauty.   We came upon a local handcraft cooperative where I found some handknit slippers to replace mine damaged beyond repair in the flood. We had a picnic overlooking a moss covered lava vista. 

Driving anything can happen gravel roads in the rain can turn a white car brown.  Since the car was too dirty to even see out, we stopped at the car wash near our night’s resting place. Car washes in Iceland are free, and consist of a brush attached to the end of a hose. While we waited our turn for the one brush hose, a fellow traveler from Maine found another hose and proceeded to rinse our car while we waited.   The kindness of strangers. 

Much has been said about the extraordinary response of stranger to stranger since the flooding in Houston.  I know that I experienced it time again from both friends and strangers that became neighbors, in the Jesus sense. 

I continue to experience this in Iceland. I think of one of my favorite hymns: 

As Christ breaks bread and bids us share, 
each proud division ends. 
The love that made us makes us one, 
and strangers now are friends, 

http://cometsgirlga.blog/2017/09/20/the-missed-memo/

 

Today was a travel day. We packed up and began the road trip from Akureyri to the Westfjords.

When my friend and I had to do a little reorganizing of our trip due to Hurricane Irma, we had to choose which places we wanted to see most. After a lot of research, we decided to go to the Westfjords, a remote and even more wild corner of Iceland.

We began the five hour trip knowing it would take us far longer. As always, there were many stops for photographs, walking, painting, and even ice cream.

Leaving The Ring Road that circles the country, we headed up the stunning east coastline of the Westfjords.   After nine hours of driving, we were finally in the small fishing town of Holmavik.

Though we thought we had planned well, it turns out that we had been given some misinformation.  I should have known since every time I googled the town the top piece of information is about the Witchcraft and Sorcery Museum. Yikes!

Turns out that the  tourist season here ends August 21.  All but one restaurant had closed; it was the restaurant that was attached to the Witchcraft museum, and it had limited hours.  The laundry service we’d been promised (having brought a week’s worth of dirty clothes) never was a possibility.  Finally, in this remote town it appeared we were the only guests in the hotel.  It was all rather creepy.  I think it was that Witchcraft museum.

At least we had good internet.

After agonizing over what to do, we decided to stay the night and find another place to stay tomorrow.  That being said, we also had to agonize where in Iceland we wanted to travel to next.  I guess agonize and travel in Iceland don’t really go together.  After all, it is Iceland.  It’s all beautiful!

We went down the hill to the lovely grocery store and bought some provisions for a picnic dinner in the room.  Then as the sun set, we took a walk to the local church.  The steeple, I’m afraid, looked like a witch’s hat, with a cross on top.

Tomorrow we’ll drive some more through the Westfjords and to a place that will be back near the Ring Road.  We’ve decided that for the rest of our stay we’ll cut back on driving so we’ll have more time for stopping and exploring.  And laughing, too.  And, oh yes, doing laundry.