Hi all,
Well I have been meaning to sit down and write a postcard for a long time. I know some of you feel it has not been long enough, haha, but I also met and spoke with a lot of people this summer that praised me for what I am doing and want me to keep up the good work. I will write a short article about my time as tour guide for Sunnukór, the sun choir form Isafjörður.
Canada, I must admit that I was looking forward returning home, a little homesick I guess. After writing so many to make arrangements I was thinking so much of Canada that I missed it. Other than getting my ticket at the very last minute, on my way to the airport the flight to Minneapolis went well. When we arrived there was also a 747 coming in from Amsterdam so some of us got through customs fast some took forever. We were shuttled downtown, checked into the Radisson Plaza. My cousin Carol and her husband Jeff came to help me with a quick tour of Minneapolis and then we were invited to a barbeque at Orn and Maddy Arnars´ summerhouse. We had a great time and it was a nice way to start off the trip. The choir performed at a church service and had a concert in Minneapolis. We toured Alexandria and Fargo before spending a night in Grand Forks. With the assistance of Magnus Olafsson we toured the Icelandic settlement in North Dakota. The choir sang a few songs in the old church in Gardar and then entertained at the seniors home, Borg in Mountain. I got into a bit of hot water when I told the group that they could buy liquor in Cavalier. How was I to know that on election day the bars and liquor stores are closed until the voting is over.
Winnipeg had not changed much, after a morning off we had lunch at the Royal Crowne revolving restaurant. We toured Winnipeg and ended at the Forks Market. We toured Selkirk and Gimli the next day and after a mini concert for the Betel home residents and a traditional Western Icelandic supper of smoked gold eye, the choir performed to a full house in Johnson Hall. To keep up the busy schedule the next day we visited Arborg, Vigfussons´ and then Hecla Island. Sat. June 15th we travelled to Lundar to take part in the 50th annual Lundar Fair. Sunday the choir participated in the service at First Lutheran Church in Winnipeg in the old Icelandic area of Winnipeg, some of us then toured the Museum on Man and Nature. All of us and a few friends enjoyed a dinner and cruise on the Red River. Lower Fort Garry was visited on June 17th and then we prepared for the official June 17th celebration at the Legislative Grounds and a reception at Nordic House. Guðni Agustsson, Iceland´s Agricultural Minister was also in attendance. He was also in Lundar when we were there as well as at First Lutheran Church.
We returned to Minneapolis the next day and it was a kind of long ride but no one complained. We stopped for lunch at Shooting Star Casino, the lunch was great but no one was really interested in the Casino so we didn´t stay long. The next day the group finally had a full day off, they went on a shopping spree at Mall of America. The next day a few of us did some touring, the Sculpture Garden, State Capital and even toured a small brewery. After freshening up at the hotel, all of us went to The Chanhassen Dinner Theater and saw the Music Man. After getting everyone on the plane on the 20th, I was able to get downtown and look around a bit more before getting on the Grey Hound bound for Winnipeg. The ride was rather uneventful and it was kind of weird but it took longer for 5, yes only 5 were on the bus, to cross the border. My father picked me up in Winnipeg and finally headed home to Fraserwood.