April 8th, Easter Sunday. I write this on the ferry which departed 8.15am, not having been able to take in an Easter service but will do so at 2pm in Reykjavik. Yesterday’s weather was close to if not hurricane force, and I dare not drive to some of the higher parts of the island for fear of being blow off, car and all. Today’s weather was fine by reason of no wind but typical drizzly weather and average seas. Departing the harbor, the ferry passes close by those incredible cake-like mountains with steep cliffs falling into it, a dramatic sight no matter how often you’ve seen it. The most remarkable feature of them all: sheep grazing on the top at an angle of 45 degrees and more. They’re up there all the time and come close to the edge, risking a 400 foot drop. I marvel at how they live under such conditions, especially when windy as yesterday, who puts them there and who corrals them. Surely a special breed. Bringing my car is worth the extra money which totals to an extra passenger. However, since my friend and his family reside on Westman, they can get a 40% discount. Well worth having the car even if I’ve seen the island before; always great to get out and about by myself.

I would have enjoyed being in Reykjavik yesterday for Easter Vigil at the Catholic cathedral but was stuck overnight in Westman. “Stuck” isn’t precisely the word since I came here on my own but felt that way. What gave that feeling was my friend with whom I was staying got quite ill around 7pm, his wife was at work until midnight in addition to 2 eight year old girls running around. When you’re on an island and want to get off, you know you’re really stuck. Often I wondered what people did during those long winter nights; can’t complain in my situation compared with them. Anyway, it’ll be an Easter “vigil” I won’t forget for a long time. While Christians around the world are commemorating Christ’s resurrection, here I am out of the loop, first time in my life. The experience was valuable in that despite the importance of Easter, God is God, transcending any gestures of worship we make. Always I had been aware that life was going on its merry way apart from these events, so today is a good re-enforcement of this insight.

April 9th, or what is called here Annar i Páska or second day of Easter, a full-fledged holiday. I head off to work 11-5, the only day with the exception of day after Christmas of triple overtime; volunteered for this a few weeks ago. Yesterday I arrived home around 11.30am and took in an English Anglican Mass at Hallgrimskirkja said by a Lutheran priest I know well. Then a quick visit to Jon and Olla and home for the day. All in all my Easter weekend went smoothly though different from what I had been accustomed. Why not?

After Hallgrimskirkja I met Dolly, an elderly American lady living here since end of WW II. She’s one of those people with her feet squarely on the ground. “Be grateful for the things you have and don’t go looking for things you can never have.” She concurred with an observation by a fellow at the university which I noted some time back, namely, that many people are living alone (as she is). The bulk of these people are either divorced or had broken up with previous relationships or like herself, a widow. According to Dolly, theis loneliness is exceptionally high. Immediately afterwards I ran into Gautur, Iceland’s chief sýslamaður, equivalent to sheriff. He’s a very congenial fellow who goes around knocking on doors of people who own money and taxes; not little folk but big-timers. Often Gautur brings what he calls two “muscle men” in case he runs into trouble.

On the news yesterday I caught a glimpse of the Pope talking about Iraq. I don’t recall his exact words, but they were very much to the point, about that country being a disaster. I believe he implied the American intervention which, as I continue to talk with people here, gets more depressing.

I continue to have problems posting entries on my home computer, don’t know why, because no problem with others. Hence this larger entry is posted from work today.

Today promises to be a fine one, weather-wise.