Mousefriends

What I Got for My Birthday

2009-02-21T08:17:33-08:00

Ok, I can't drag you on like this forever. I've recieved my Birthday present. First of all, I got a shipment to our rental apartment in Regal Palms. It was a package from Amazon. When I opened I found a book about scavenger Hunts in Disney searching for hidden Mickeys. Great fun! This is one of the things I love about Disney - all the tiny little details. There are actually hundreds of hidden Mickeys scattered around the parks and if you're alert, you might see them in some amazing places. Maybe I'll set up an album with pictures of some of the Hidden Mickeys we found.

But this wasn't the big present. This was just a warmer up. One day when we were in Magic Kingdom we found a letter. With my name on it! In the envelope there was a letter with the first clue on where I would find my present. So we started running and searching all over the park, following leads that took us to different rides, restaurants and shops until we finally found the prize we were looking for.

I can't share any details with you, but I can tell you, it was a lot of fun. The most fun I've ever had "excavating" my birthday present. The scavenger hunt was arranged by Gifts of a Lifetime who did a great job.

Cheers
Hjörtur

It's My Birthday - And I Got Something I Can't Blog About

2008-11-14T15:51:04-08:00

Today is my birthday and I didn't get a present from my wife. Don't worry, I'm not turning this into a platform to rant about my wife, I did get something very interesting instead. I got a birthday card saying that in Florida, where we are going in only three days now, I would get a surprise birthday present.

I don't know what it is yet, but it's most likely some sort of an experience. All I know is that it is something that I'm not allowed to blog about. Hmm, I can't imagine what it is, but I'm very excited to find out. The problem is, I will not be able to tell you about, since they specifically ask people not to blog about it.

Any ideas what it could be? If you do, don't tell me ;)

Cheers
Hjörtur

Practicing for Disney

2008-11-01T12:18:36-07:00

Hjörtur Smárason

20 days and abbrevations

2008-10-28T13:55:32-07:00

Yeah! Under three weeks! I know that you Disney freaks out there know what that means? Excitement - the word doesn´t do the feeling justice. Stress? - You bet! Sooo much last minute planning left to do. As many of you know I often turn to my fellow addicts on the Dis boards for ~~moral support~~ help with my itinerary. How often, some of you might ask. Well...like sixthousandthreehundredandsomething times ;) And what do I ask about, someone else might ask. Oh, you non-believers wouldn´t understand anyway, would you? Last week I asked the following: CRT- DDP or OOP?

If you got that (and you´re not a fellow Dis´er) I´m impressed!

My new best friend in Cyberspace

2008-10-26T14:43:13-07:00

Hats off to this mom! Who cares about the white picket fence anyway?

http://www.anymommyoutthere.com/

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama....I´m ready!!!

"Last minute" reservations

2008-10-20T06:49:58-07:00

Let me start by saying this:

Disneyworld is NOT just another themepark!!!

Honestly, I don´t know any other themepark where you need to make table reservations 180 days out, if you want to dine at a sit-down restaurant. We LOVE our character meals at Disney and all the other fun themed dining places and so we make sure to know 6 months in advance where we want to be dining each day of our trip. Call me a compulsive planner, but my kids would be soooo MAD at me, if they wouldn´t be dining with any of their favorite characters during our upcoming trip.

But, guess what? I´m not perfect. Not even at planning. And so I made the big mistake of thinking we would try some new places this year and skip dining with the princesses, since we were so privileged last year to get to dine at the castle with Cindarella and her princess friends. "What do you mean, we´re not eating with the princesses this year?", my 6 year old asked after I had told her our dining plans for this years trip, followed by a "I want to meet the princesses" from her 3 year old sister who can´t remember having visited the castle last year. And so mommy went on a guilt trip.

I have tried calling Disney Dining for 2 weeks and have even gotten my Travel Agent to call for me but with no luck. All 3 princess dining experiences are booked solid for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the whole week we´re staying onsite.

I´m telling you, this is NOT "just another themepark"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Introducing again: The Gang!

2008-10-18T06:55:09-07:00

Yeah! We´re leaving in just under a month. I´m already packing in my head. Seems like we need to take a little bit of everything with us for this time of year. Summerdresses and t-shirts for the lovely Florida midday sun, and fleece´s and hats for those cool December nights. That is quite a lot of stuff for a family of 7!

People keep asking us whether we´re still going, considering the major bank crisis and recession we´re going through. Ever heard THE Mouse speak of stock, crisis, recession? - No? - Didn´t think so!

So off we go to Fantasyland :) We´re even going to celebrate nothing less than 3 birthdays while there. DH will turn 33 three days before we leave, DS, will turn 14 the day before we leave and DD will celebrate 12 years while there! I can´t imagine a more magical place to celebrate yet another year in this world.

Speaking of family, maybe it´s time to offer a reminder of whom the gang consists of. Here goes:

Dad: Young at heart as Peter Pan, bouncy as ~~Sportacus~~ Tigger and was called Bambi as a kid!

Mom: Knows that a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, has a ~~not so~~ secret crush on Captain Jack Sparrow and would love to have a pair of bright yellow Minnie Mouse shoes.

DS almost 14: Parents call him Grumpy but he thinks Donald Duck is his hero. No worries people. He still won´t be going to the parks with no pants!

DD alsmost 12: Loves Eeyore and thereby proves that opposits attract.

DD 6, just started school: KNOWS that she´s a real princess. If the crown fits...

DD 3: Sweet as Piglet and tells everyone that Mickey Mouse is our friend.

Baby Boy: He´s our Simba, working on his roar!

That´s it for now. Going to try to update our pre-trip report frequently. Keep checking in on us :)

Hakuna Matata!!!

How To React in an Earthquake

2008-08-23T04:57:28-07:00

I have been thinking about writing this post since the devastating earthquake in China in May. I live in an earthquake zone myself so when I was in school we had earthquake drills learning how to protect ourselves in the event of an earthquake. But not everybody gets that, and definitely not if you’re not from an earthquake zone.

Before I got down to refreshing my memory on what to do when you experience an earthquake, I got hit by one. May 29th we had an earthquake measuring 6.3 Richter. That’s a pretty big one. Fortunately we have well built houses and a low population density so only a few got injured and no one got killed. I tweeted the first reaction of the earthquake: (recorded and published by Happy Hotelier)

Here's a video from the earthquake in Iceland May 29th 2008:

and another disturbing video from inside a collapsing building in China May 12th 2008:

We live in an active volcanic and earthquake area so we are used to earthquakes here though they usually are a lot smaller (theoretically, I could get a volcanic eruption right under my house, but then again, I could also get hit by a falling satellite). But what about tourists who come from “earthquake-free” zones and know nothing about earthquakes? We saw that those people were much more likely to panic during the earthquake here. So if you want to know what you should do in the event of an earthquake, here are a few tips:

How you can prepare for an earthquake:
1. Bookmark this article on del.icio.us, bub.licio.us, digg, SU or any other social network so you can read it again before your next trip.
2. Leave your travel plan with someone back home. Somebody should always know where you are. If you don’t follow the plan, let someone know of the changes you are making or might make.
3. The first thing to do in a hotel is to find the fire escape and the fire extinguisher. Fires start small, stop them if you can before they become large. Plan an escape route in the case of an emergency.
4. Have a battery radio (included in some phones today), a first aid kit and a flash light in your baggage. A tool like a Leatherman or Swiss Army knife are good things to have (just remember to pack it before your flight).
5. Keep yous shoes where you can find them, preferably by the bed, so you can find it very easily in the dark.
6. Go to that first aid course you have been thinking about for years. It’s too late to sign up when you need to use it.

During the earthquake:
7. Stay calm. Earthquakes are very common while earthquakes that can kill you are very rare. What ever you do, don’t panic.
8. Take cover. Most people get hurt because of falling objects or structures. Find a desk, heavy table and take cover under it. Grab one table foot with your one hand and hold the other hand above your neck and head. If you have nothing to go under go down on your knees, put your head down and cover your head and neck with your hands.
9. Stay where you are. Running out can be risky because of falling glass and parts and it can be very difficult to step down when the earth is moving. Falling and twisting a leg is common when people try to run during earthquakes. Of course, if you think the building is really going to collapse, evacuate.
10. Stay away from heavy furniture such as book shelves, closets etc. that can tumble over you, bridges, trees, power lines, phone lines and basically anything that can fall. If you’re at the beach, go to higher grounds (but stay away from steep hills). Strong earthquakes can cause tsunamis and flooding.
11. If you have children or pets, try to grab them and keep them with you under the table.

The aftermath:
12. Stay calm, check if anyone got hurt, provide first aid (you did go to that first aid course, didn’t you?) and get out of damaged buildings, structures and shelters.
13. Does anyone know where you are? When you are travelling you should always have a contact person back home who knows where you are and how to get a hold of you. That person is also the only person you should try to contact to let know you’re alright after the earthquake.
14. Phone lines, electricity, mobile networks are all likely to go out so you may be unable to get any message out, even for days. The pressure on phone lines when working is tremendous and phones should only be used for emergencies.
15. Stay out of damaged buildings. Aftershocks will occur. They are usually not nearly as strong, but they can cause a damaged building to collapse.
16. Find everybody something to do. People feel helpless and it can mean the world to people if they feel they can do something useful.
17. If you smell gas or hear a hissing noise, turn off the gas and get out. DO NOT USE OPEN FIRE!
(This list is a combination of what I've been taught and guidelines found on the internet)

So where are the earthquake zones? In the last few months we've had earthquakes in SW China, Iceland, California, Peru, Greece and even Spain. Some of those places, like California, Spain and Greece are among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. So though the chance of you experiencing an earthquake on your travels is small, the chance of being travelling in an earthquake zone is quite big. You can take a look at this map that shows earthquakes in the last five years (click it to see a larger image). They mainly go along the lines of the tectonic plates with the most active areas being the West coast of both South and North America, the Pacific islands, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, China, Himalayas, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Greece and Iceland.

Hjörtur

ps. for some not-so-scientific analysis of peoples reaction in an earthquake, check June Casagrande's earthquake experiment.

Reykjavik - Travel Tips From a Local

2008-08-18T08:20:01-07:00

Gudrun @ Uptake.com has started a new challenge for travel bloggers. To answer 10 questions about their own city to give their reader the best insider info on their home town. Guido @ HappyHotelier.com wrote about his home town, The Hague, and I decided to go along and write about my hometown, Reykjavik (I'm suddenly realizing that I don't live in Reykjavik. I used to but now I live in one of the neighbour towns Hafnarfjordur. Oh, well. No one is interested in Hafnarfjordur anyway, so Reykjavik it is.)

Tjörnin in Reykjavik, Iceland

1. Give 5 adjectives that you would use to describe the “feel” of Reykjavik and its residents:
Fresh, friendly, energetic, cool and creative.

2. What are your favorite neighborhoods?
101 Thingholt without doubt. That’s the old town where I grew up. There you’ll find streets with character and houses with a soul and the old shopping streets where you’ll now find designer shops, cafés and restaurants.

3. Which cuisine do you think Reykjavik does best? What is the runner-up?(feel free to share your favorite restaurant(s))
Seafood. After thousand years where creativity in the cuisine was either to let the food hang, lay it in salt or rot, Icelandic chefs have finally got their hands on some proper cook books and foreign spices. You can now get excellent food where fresh high quality ingredients is used with creatively inspired by the best from the Mediterranean, Japan and other cultures where food is a rich tradition.
My favorite restaurant is Sjavarkjallarinn and their “exotic menu”. It’s excellent food and top service. Actually the best I’ve ever had. The Fish Market and Domo are also excellent seafood restaurants. You’ll find excellent food in many restaurants in Reykjavik, but unfortunately, the service level is often way lower than you would expect.
For more classic seafood at more affordable prices I would recommend Thrir frakkar (Three French Men).

4. What is the best free thing to do?
Perlan (the Pearl) is a great place to visit and get a great view of the city. It doesn’t cost anything to enter and view the city from the “balcony”. You can also go to the top floor where you’ll find the Perlan Restaurant, chosen one of the 5 best scenic restaurants in the world with their turning floor (but you can’t eat free there, though. Not even close).
You could also take a walk on the shore to Grótta light house and enjoy the midnight sun from there, setting behind Snaefellsjokull glacier in the north (the gate to the center of Earth).

5. What is your favorite type of entertainment?
Getting out of town, camping or hiking. The night life is lively if that’s what you’re looking for, but the nature out in the country is exceptional. Go explore.

6. List the best family friendly activity:
Husdyragardurinn (the local zoo) with local animals only plus some minor rides and a small experimentarium is a nice place to visit. Feeding the ducks at Tjornin is the classical family Sunday for the locals.

7. What spot would you send a couple, looking for a romantic weekend?
Hilton Nordica with their spa and Vox restaurant. If you’re willing to move around a bit, a dip into the Blue Lagoon is a must (watch the hair though, ladies), or even just a trip to one of the local swimming pools, like Laugar.

8. Describe a perfect day…one that captures what your area/city is all about. ~~In 3 sentences or less~~.
Start the day with a swim in one of the local pools chatting with the locals in the hot tub, followed by an Icelandic breakfast at Grandakaffi with the old sailors. Go from their to either the tower of Hallgrimskirkja or Perlan to enjoy the view.
Grab lunch at one of the café’s downtown and take a walk checking out the designer shops, art galleries and if you have time, the National Museum. End the evening with a classy dinner at one of the better restaurants ending the night by watching the midnightsun with your loved one. If you don’t have a loved one, check the clubs. You’ll probably find something that’ll do ;)

9. Tell us about a place that you love to go, whether it is in the guidebooks or not.
Pancakes at my wife’s grandma top the list. She would probably give you a warm welcome, but still, I think I’ll just keep her address to my self. ☺

A walk in the old cemetery at Sudurgata is nice. Quiet and peaceful. I actually proposed to my wife there 14 years ago ☺

10. What question did we not ask that we should have (and answer it, of course!)?
How to dress in Iceland?
The only thing you can count on regarding the weather in Iceland, is that you can never count on it. So bring a warm sweater and a windproof/waterproof jacket. If you don’t have any, I recommend checking 66 North or Cintamani that make excellent clothes for Icelandic weather conditions.

So those are a few tips on my hometown. If there's anything more you'd like to know, just post a question in the comments :)

Hjörtur

Denmark by Nature

2008-08-16T05:37:23-07:00

We slept in the "guest house"

The last two days of our stay in Denmark we decided to spend with our friends in a summer house in Sjællands Odde, the northern most point of Sealand. The summer house is located in a wood, close to the beach.

After an inspirational day at Lejre the kids where quick to find them something to do. Branches were cut and turned into bows and arrows and on the beach the kids found flint and granite they could use to create some stone age tools from. No prefabricated toys with flashing lights, beeping sounds and extensive need for batteries here. Those two days were very relaxed, spending time on the beach, something I'm usually not very good at.

Strawberry Fields Forever
Picking strawberries has always been something we've wanted to try, and now was the change. We had the time to do it and were at the right place at the right time. So off we went. At a nearby farm we were allowed to pick as many strawberries as we liked, only paying for those we took home. In a box that is, what we ate out in the field was free of charge. The weather was fantastic and it turned out to be just the perfect day.

"I only ate one, maybe two ... or twenty"

After eating strawberries till our stomach hurt, we went to Havnebyen where we bought some local smoked seafood. Outside we could sit down looking over the ocean towards Norway.

The following day we returned to Iceland where several exciting camping trips are waiting for us.

Hjörtur

Strawberry quadruplets