Crafty crafts update!

Half term is the time to do some crafty crafts!

First up as it's getting cold - a draught excluder! I had some map fabric left over from some previous cushions so what better to use than the Antarctica section as it's cold there!

Looks good! Now need to make a matching one for the back door.

Next up - a development to my travel set! Already having made the change purse I found a great blog that showed you haw to make an eye mask - perfect for flying. Didn't turn out too bad!

The travel set is looking good - what could I add to it next?

Home time...

Final day today - though we have had a fab time I will be glad of some sleep - well not sleeping with one ear open!

All packed up we leaded off to Reykjavik, stopping first on the edge of the city to a viewing platform over looking the city in a building called Perlan. Boy that was windy! Almost swept off our feet!

We then headed into the city where the kids had an hour at leisure (to probably eat!) and we found a quirky coffee shop to count the collection for Ephor - we had almost £30! We hit the tourist shops to buy some gifts and found a Christmas shop - awesome! We also got Ephor a travel mug for the coach. We were right - most of the kids spent the hour in Subway!

Before heading to the airport we had two last stops - first the Gunnuhvar hot springs - hot they were but due to the wind we couldn't walk round them on the raised platform as we may fall off!

Last night we wrote all the fun certificate awards which we handed out on our next journey, which I think was well received - including Ephor's and Sheila's. Good job by us! We then arrived at the Bridge Between Continents. Apparently the bridge spans between the Eurasian and North American plates though cynics say it is a bridge over a rift. Who knows but still fun to visit.

That's now it! Icelandic adventure over and heading to the airport. Hopefully no dramas on the way home. So gifts purchased for the department and last of our Krona spent we were boarding. Only to find out they had seated most of the kids at hte emergency exits! Doh. Musical chairs ensued then we were on our way home. Yippee. Shame it was the same film as on the way out but hey ho.

Fab time I hope had by all and now for a well earned half term break.

It's glacier walking time!

Very excited today - it's ice walking day!!!! We think we are more excited than the kids! After an alright night's sleep and a decent breakfast we were ready!

Before the glacier walk we visited the volcano that no one can say - Eyjafalljokull! The farm that was covered in ash at the foot of the volcano have built a visitors centre to cash in on the ash - good idea! The video they showed was good - showed you what they went through and in the shop you could buy no end of ash products!

Next stop the glacier - eeeek! We arrived at Solheimajokull Glacier and had lunch before meeting our guides and getting kitted up with crampons and ice axes. We looked the part. We definitely were far more excited than some of the kids! Off we went in smaller groups walking up the snout of the glacier. It's hard to describe but it was very exciting clambering around on the black glacier. Some parts looked like piles of dirt but when you chip into it it's actually ice underneath. We went through little tunnels in the ice - very coo.. The guide said he took groups out after the eruption and it was covered in ash and his friend when doing an ice caving type activity, dosed off due to the gases when they lowered him down into the ice hole! I could have stayed there longer but time flew and it was time for us to move on.

On the way back we stopped at Vik - a coastal town and apparently the wettest place in Iceland. There was not much there except a truck stop cafe where of course the kids loaded up on more junk food! We then hit the beach at Reynishverfi, black sands and it was hailing! The hail was being blown into our faces at extreme speed! It hurt! We made it to the cliff face and cave where it looked a little like the Giants Causeway with the stepping stone column look. There was also some needles out to sea which apparently as the legend goes was two trolls trying to drag a ship to land and when daylight broke they turned to stone!

Finally we headed back to the hotel for our final night and boy was it dramatic! After being moaned at about silly teenager pranks that our kids did, the annoying school in the corridor erupted like Eyjafalljokull into a full blown fight between two of their own pupils! How embarrassing! We did get an apology and they acknowledged their embarrassment, Finally the moral high ground and victory is ours! Lets hope it stays that way!

Hiking on Heimaey

Early start today! After finally getting some sleep we went to brekkie knowing we had a long day ahead. Only to be drinking our coffee to be greeted by a teacher from the annoying school on our corridor complaining - I mean seriously! After all the poor behaviour displayed by them they decided to tell us that our kids were ringing theirs in the night! Now though I am in no doubt this is true the sarcastic and condescending tone was not necessary! Then another asked when we were leaving! The cheek! So I am here with 5 lads doing work as a punishment whilst writing this.

So back to today. We headed out with Ephor our amazing coach driver on our hour long journey to the ferry. The sun was rising over the landscape and the frost was glistering like diamonds. Very beautiful.

We boarded our ferry and off we went. We looked like proper expedition explorers on the top deck with the wind in our hair, massive coats on, snow capped peaks in the background and the Icelandic flag flying. We descended off the ferry and began walking through a small fishing village until we reached steps up to the lava flow. We started to walk towards Eldfell volcano, our guide got a little lost but after finding the hiking trail we were well on our way up the volcano. Now I'm not going to lie it wasn't an easy stroll, it was steep on loose material but well worth the effort. Upon the peak we were totally in a Bear Gryll's moment, walking on a narrow edge, crater on one side and steep slope on hte other, clambering over rocks to get to the hot rocks for lunch.

Sitting on the ground was nice and warm and Gemma buried a Bic Biro in the hot rocks to see if it would melt. Sandwiches eaten it was time to check the pen - half had melted! Totally polluting the landscape but hey ho it impressed the kids. It was a very impressive feat for us and the kids to reach the top.

We then headed to a pool with a trampoline at the end of a chute but we didn't go in this time.

Our final stop on the island was the Surtsey exhibit - a newish island that rose from the sea - it is a UNESCO site so you can't go on the island which is a shame.

We boarded the ferry back and headed back to the hotel. Ephor said on the way back there was a slight chance of seeing the Northern Lights - that would be amazing. We kept an eye on the schedule forecast over tea and then later sent the kids to bed. Just got them settled then about 11pm a teacher from the annoying school came running down the corridor saying he could see them - then following him out ran all the bloody girls. Now there was a faint glimmer but nothing to write home about. Thank you very much! Thankfully ours went back in their rooms sensibly and he got a ticking off from the other teachers for running down our end of the corridor. Finally a good nights sleep.

Steam and snow on the mysterious island

We had a lovely lie in planned but low and behold the other school reared their loud selves in the corridor. What a surprise! Yes that was sarcastic. We have taken a dislike to them. Busy day today. First stop Thingvellir National Park. Now this isn't like one of our national parks, there were very few people and a lot of nothingness but the views were amazing. Actually thinking about it, it is pretty similar, however one major difference at this one is that you have the North American plate on one side and across a void of rocky baron landscape the Eurasian plate. The gap is solidified lava that has filled the gap as the plates move apart. Now due to some plebs in our group who didn't bring their coats (it is -1*C and snowing!) we couldn't do the full walk. They had a stern talking too and hopefully they were cold! We went on a short walk, saw a great waterfall falling onto snowy rocks and the views with the mountains/volcanoes around in the snow were epic. I think the kids were suitably impressed!

Boarding the coach in what felt like a blizzard we then headed to the Geyser Exhibition Centre. We had our lunch on the coach due to the weather (and our plebs tided the coach up!). In yonder distance we could see more steam - creates an air of mystery around the place - it's like this round the whole island I think. First stop here was the loo - we were desperate (not as bad as the coach to the airport though!) then obviously the gift shop! We told the guide we weren't shoppers then loved the shop so much we had to build in another stop! There was lots of fur though. We went into the exhibition centre and the kids were brill filling their workbooks. The earthquake shake table was good making it feel like a 5.1 Richter scale quake. Trying to exit the centre we ended up walking into a taxidermist horse! Right in your face! This was massive - life size but there was no way around it than to shimmy past! Turns out it wasn't even the way out. The kids thought we'd come all this way to see pictures of the geysers and not see the actual things!

After some tat shopping - yep a fridge magnet has been purchased - we took the walk to the geysers, now we were told one of them goes off every 5-8 minutes so as we approach, yep you've guessed it, it went off! So we all line up, up wind of the geyser cameras poised ready...for what felt like forever...then as it went off we jump, take a photo quickly then thought it'd be a good ideas to have a look at the photo...only to not realise that the geyser would go off again...and again straight away! We were definitely treated here.

Final stop of the day is Gullfoss - a massively epically impressive waterfall. As we approached you couldn't really see much except the natural landscape but as you walked towards a roaring noise the land opened up to reveal a massive series of waterfalls. It did look amazing - unfortunately due to the weather we couldn't take the path closer to the waterfall but we still had amazing views from a safe distance! Health and safety first!!

The ride back was prime for a snooze and after a stern talking to the coatless boys (who we think learnt their lesson as they looked freezing) we headed to the pool - well the kids did - we took our seats at the bar to supervise them! After a fab day we are ready for tea!

Next stop tomorrow - Heimaey.

Iceland - the land of fire and ice!

After a ridiculously early start getting up at 3.05am all pupils were surprisingly prompt for our 4.30am set off. Sleepy and bleary eyed we headed down to Gatwick. Pretty uneventful even the half 6 services stopoff until half an hour later when we had someone throw up and another almost peeing himself! He almost had to use an empty Starbucks cup as a vessel but luckily hung on until an emergency services stop 48 miles later!  Drama over we made good time and checked in with plenty of time to spare. Interesting getting a group of 25 kids through security but we did it! The issue mainly being we had so many layers on!

So far so good! Aboard the plane we go! OMG we were met by what looks like Britney from Toxic but in bright pink. The cabin crew were hilarious. Clearly the Icelandics have a sense of humour - that is a little strange. One even decided to help herself to one of our kids sweets and take a read of my magazine. Apparently us English like to gossip! So true! We watched Night at the Museum 2 and then prepared to vacate the plane - we had arrived!

Very swift exit meant we were at the Blue Lagoon early. Now the horror stories before we left about showering naked obviously filled me with dread but actually it wasn't too bad. I didn't see any naked people - though I did look at the floor! The lagoon was very relaxing, muddied up our faces and floated about in the cloudy water. It was so hot in places and steamy. The nature of the place being spa like meant the kids were very peaceful. Excellent! Just what we needed after such a long day.

The hotel is nice though there are so many other school groups here! Thankfully ours are being amazing...unlike some others!

After a heavily based mushroom tea and a little meeting about tomorrow we were ready for bed! So unlike to other school in our corridor who were very loud, ours were tucked up in bed by 10.30pm! Happy days!