Finally, I have a telephone landline connected to my house so it is possible to call me :) I am however still waiting for the ADSL which was more important for me to have. I ordered these services on 31st of January, early enough (or so I thought) to be connected at my arrival in Iceland. My communication with the respective company has at times reminded me of stories from my friends in Edinburgh and their communication with BT and the wonderful call centres in India. All the people I spoke to at Vodafone spoke perfect Icelandic and all promised the same thing, for some reason I still do not have an ADSL connection at my home 17 days later even though according to the company it is supposed to take 7-10 days. Fingers crossed that I'll be online from my home Monday.

I start my new job on Monday. My boss and I decided it would be best I'd only do part time the first week while settling in to allow me space to complete my unpacking and so on. It is all going pretty well and I'm finally sleeping properly again since my stuff arrived Thursday.

Just a quick note to let you all know I'm back home in Iceland, have moved into my new flat and Óðinn is already in school :)The move went well, my dad picked us up at the airport and it was very nice to arrive at my new flat to find my mom there with coffee ready and some groceries in the fridge. I still need most of my furniture and Óðinn and I slept on an airmattress last night (oh my aching body) and Unnur slept on the sofa. I think I will take the sofa tonight.

The rest of the trip in Florence was equally enjoyable as the first days. I spent Friday morning looking at typical Italian markets where every booth is selling either leather, t-shirts or small things made in Italy like Pinocchio this and that, ceramic this and that and so on. I went inside Mercato Centrale which is a real market with meat, fish, vegetables and fruit along with pasta, nuts and oils. Sat down outside it and ate lunch at yet another place from my book. Not that I was hunting them down I just found myself in front of them all the time. I had the best ravioli with mozzarella and spinach with walnut sauce, yummy, and then continued roaming the city until I met up with my dad who I spent the afternoon with. At half past six we said goodbyes, he was going to Iceland the morning after, and I went to a meeting in a very nice church.

So today I met with my dad and his company at the train station in a beautiful warm weather. We then took a train to Pisa. Takes an hour from Florence and walked up to the Douma in Pisa the one that has the leaning tower next to it. Well what can I say, been there, done that, NEXT. Well of course it was very beautiful but there were just a bit too many guys trying to sell me watches!!!

When we got back from Pisa we followed my book's advice on restaurants (I bougth one about Firenze from Berlitz) and we do not regret it. We went to a place called 13 Gobbi which means 13 hunchbacks and it was soooo Italian and wonderful and the food was great and the ambiance just perfect. Now I've seen the other people off and am back at my internet cafe talking to Igor in Brazil :) and telling you my story.

Hey you all. Florence is magnificent. I came here yesterday after flying from Edinburgh to Frankfurt and then from Frankfurt to Florence. An okey flights but do not like Frankfurt airport at all just to make that clear!! he he. Well so I met up with my dad down by my hotel (which is not so great but very central and that makes up for the tired look of everything) and we walked downtown and had coffee (I had bruschetta yummy)next to the Duomo. Then we went to the flat my dad and his partner and her family have and had dinner there... very nice and then since I was tired as hell from only sleeping about three hours the previous night went to my hotel on a bus and slept soundly all night. Or as soundly as I ever sleep. Got up early and met with my dad at the train station which is across the street from me (very handy although there I got the most expensive toothpaste ever (yes Florence is expensive) )and we went for real Italian coffee (dad had breakfast but I had had breakfast at the hotel)outside the Santa Maria Novella which we then went inside to explore and I had to put on a robe of some sort because I was showing too much skin (it's really hot by the way :o)) We then walked around all day had lunch and coffees and lots of water. Met up with Hrafnhildur my dad's partner and her two grandchildren who are 15 and 17. Went inside the Douma and we also walked on the Ponte Vecchio which is a bridge with houses on it that have all jewlery shops in them. We then had dinner at Trattoria Mamma Gina on the left Bank which was really nice and they then took a taxi home but I walked in the gorgeous evening sun home. And now I'm at this internet cafe writing this down. I'm really happy with my trip so far. Tomorrow the plan is to go to Pisa on the train.

Unnur and I woke up on Sunday morning and we could hear Óðinn playing alone in the living room. Nothing news worthy in it usually except this time he was playing in English!! Yes he now plays in English, he answers me sometimes in English and speaks to people without hesitation.

The kids are only 9 days away from going back to Iceland and I'll have to keep myself very busy studying. There is coursework to hand in on the 11th and 18th of May and then 2 exams some time late in May and then it will be time for my dissertation. However I have plans to go down to York and Harrogate to meet up with friends and former collegues from FÁ who will be in Harrogate in a conference. Then Edda Lára and her family will show up at my house on the 12th and stay for a few days over Easter. I invited my self over to the Rae's family on Easter Sunday to have traditional lamb and hopefully some Icelandic chocolate eggs. Yummy, they are sooo good.