Talisman

I have been neglecting the challenge a bit of late while I concentrate on writing rather than reading, but have managed to get through a few more countries in the past few months: The Atlantis Gene by AG Riddle for Gibraltar Only God Can Make a Tree by Bertram Roach for Montserat/St Kitts (highly recommend this one) Surviving Paradise: One Year on a Disappearing Island by Peter Rudiak-Gould for Marshall Islands

Loads more hugs from various clients, and being invited to share a cup of tea and a slice of birthday cake with one of them. Sometimes I love my job.

It was a G5 storm (the highest category from 2 X class solar flares which left the Sun on 14th/15th March) with a KPI index of between 7 and 9, as it varied in intensity. It started off as a 9 but was later downgraded to a 7. Sadly I didn't see any of it live on the ground, but I was watching the webcam live from the Icelandic observatory, which is the next best thing. I have one Icelandic friend on Facebook who said he was out watching it for 9 HOURS from 8pm until 5am ! The pictures I have seen circulating around the media have been incredible, with every single colour going. I could be pissed off about missing it by just 10 days, but you can't predict these things by more than a few days. When I heard about those solar flares I knew that something was going to happen in the early part of the week, but I wouldn't have dreamt of it being on this scale. It was though incredibly good fortune that the skies were so clear that night - if there had been cloud, then no matter how strong the KPI was, no one would have seen a thing. I am still happy with what I saw - I got the tail end of a G1 storm (the lowest category), with a KPI of 5/6, which is by itself unusual. The KPI doesn't often go above a level 3/4. Anyway - it's Iceland, so I know I will be back, right ? At least now, I know how to photograph the damned things ! Nice pictures though Kell - and Inver.

Unfortunately it was too cloudy to see anything where I was. It got slightly dusk like and the temperature dropped a degree or two, plus the birds stopped singing, but that was it. It was a good excise however to stop work for 10 minutes and go outside on the lawn with the clients and staff from horticulture. It has though been an interesting week with the geomagnetic storm on Tuesday (the biggest in the current 11 year cycle, in fact the last 20 years), todays eclipse, the super moon and of course the spring equinox tomorrow. We are halfway to summer already - yeah !

A big hug from one of our clients.

Seeing the clients and some of the staff at work yesterday take part in their own version of the Great British Bake Off to raise funds for Comic Relief. There were 4 teams, each consisting of a staff member and a client who had to decorate some pre-made cakes. The Kitchen Manager then had to judge which was the best. They were all dressed up in red noses and having a great time. It was won by one of our lovely clients who has Downs Syndrome - who positively beamed from ear to ear at the applause, and one of the Horticulture Tutors. Afterwards everybody paid a £1 and ate the cakes !

Coran and I spent an enjoyable day shopping in Guildford, where we enjoyed a nice lunch in our favourite vegetarian restaurant, and added several more books to our respective wish lists. I also treated myself to a rather nice rose gold ring to replace one that I recently lost.

It has been lovely here all day - temperatures of around maybe 8 or 9 degrees with beautiful sunshine - it makes a change from what I had last week when the temperature didn't get above freezing.

I have flown with them 3 times now and can recommend them - they have a brilliant sense of humour !

Apparently Wow Air do now fly from Dublin Noll, and they have a sale at the moment, so you might be in luck. Really though it is just one of those places that you have to see for yourself - my own descriptions which are based on my experiences will be unique to me and don't in all honesty begin to do the country justice. It is well, just out of this world. I love the northern world though too Sousa - the further north the better. There is just something about it that captures the imagination, although I have tried the south as well it pales into insignificance when compared to this. I was so lucky to arrive when I did when the KPI index for the lights was this high - a level 3 is about the average for Iceland, but the Jeep driver said that what we experienced was more like a level 5 to 6. It was just amazing. I have never heard the lights make a sound Anna, but have heard others say this. Really though there is no science to it, you just need clear skies and darkness - and a good set of thermals.

I returned from 6 spectacular days in Iceland last night - and this time it really was spectacular ! The Northern Lights forecast for the day before departure was the best of the season, and thankfully it stayed that way for the rest of the weekend as well. I had booked the tour for 6 hours after arrival knowing that in Iceland the weather changes at the drop of a hat, and was rewarded with some amazing lights. I had been practising with the camera and tripod for a few weeks, and my hard work paid off nicely, I am pleased to say. That first night I returned to the hostel at 1am tired but happy. On the second day I had booked a trip to the Blue Lagoon - normally I go for the basic package which is just entry to the Lagoon, but this time I pushed the boat out by going for the Premium package which included a free drink at the bar, use of a robe and towel, and a table at the 5 star restaurant. I wouldn't normally contemplate spending anywhere near that much (£34 for a 3 course meal with a glass of wine and coffee afterwards), but it was worth every krona. That fish was delicious. The crème brulee was nice too - and all gluten free. It was almost surreal later on to be sitting in the warm waters of the Lagoon drinking ice cold beer. The next few days were spent exploring Reykjavik, sampling the delights of various other eateries and coffee houses and sampling the cities swimming pools and hot tubs. The forecast was so good that I decided to go out on a second Northern Lights tour - the first one was with one of the so-called Super Jeep companies but at £100 a go I couldn't afford that again and so plumped for the cheap coach tour with all the masses. I was rewarded once again with lights that at one point streaked right across the entire sky in a arc of whirling colours almost a far as the eye could see - lights are measured on a KPI scale of between 1-10-, with anything higher than a 3 being pretty rare. The ones I saw on both of the nights that I went out were somewhere between a 5 and a 6, which is about as good as it gets. The final day was spent exploring the Golden Circle - three of the major sites around the southwest - Gulfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir, which is quite possibly my favourite place in the country. It been snowing on and off that day, but I was once again rewarded by a beautiful sunlit landscape with clear blue skies. It was back to Reykjavik by late afternoon for some more exploring and night time photography and a lunchtime departure for the airport the following day. It was pretty chilly at this time of year, with night time temperatures down at times to minus 11, but I managed fine with thermals and plenty of hot chocolate and vodka. Iceland may not be the cheapest place in the world (I stuck quite well to my budget of around £100 a day), but it is worth it, as there is really nowhere else on earth quite like it. This was my 9th visit over a 31 year period, so you could say that I slightly biased. I have posted some of the best pictures on Facebook if anyone is interested.

You should definitely try and go - although I don't think you can fly direct from Ireland. Akureyri is a lovely city - I spent a day there last summer. In fact everything about Iceland is lovely. My arrival this year is perfectly timed to coincide with not only the best aurora forecast of the season, but also National Beer Day !

I have finished work for a week, and am off to Iceland again on Sunday morning for 5 days of mooching around my favourite city. I have booked the Northern Lights tour as per the usual advice for 6 hours after I land, and this time I am doing it properly - in a big jeep driven my an even bigger and burlier Icelander bearing vodka and hot chocolate - I know how to travel in style. The Aurora forecast is looking good with one of the best nights of the season projected, All I want now then is for the clouds to stay away so that I can see them.

Me too - I used to love Level 42. At the moment though, I am listening to Angela Bofill - all of her previously deleted material has just been reissued, so I treated myself to make my collection complete. This one though has to be my favourite - what a voice. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PeOizNAUpfA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It has been a good day for me too - although somewhat emotional. A few days ago I had a letter informing me that following a routine mammogram I had to go back for what they referred to as 'further assessment'. While the logical mind (having found a lump about 10 years ago that turned out to be nothing) told me this probably didn't mean anything, the thought was still there that there is a history of cancer on my Dad's side of the family. Everything though turned out fine, and I have nothing then to worry about. What a relief ! This time next week I shall be looking forward to jetting off to Iceland again for some more Northern Lights hunting. It has been very cold out there these past few days with lots of snow, so I shall be packing the thermals and ice grips.

There are some interesting points there that you make Chesil, which I have to concede you are right on, especially the idea of a painting being a one off original. I still think though that books are undervalued. As for that article, I had to laugh when it said the average full time author makes £11K a year. I never made anywhere near that, and don't know one single author that does - most of the ones I know are lucky to make even half that, but then it did say this is the average. It's a bit like the so-called average wage - most people I know don't make anywhere near that either. If 17K is deemed to represent an acceptable income, most of my friends are living in poverty !

Sounds about right - and pretty close to my own experience. in my humble opinion, half the problem is that books (and by default those that write them) are not sufficiently valued. People baulk at spending more than a fiver on a book which took sometimes years to write, but have no problem in spending hundreds of pounds on say a painting, which may have taken a few days to paint. Books are seen as a disposable commodity.

The letter they sent me said much the same thing. Like you say, it is probably nothing to worry about. I can't say I am particularly looking forward to the appointment though.

It has been beautiful in my part of Surrey as well - although we had a heavy frost this morning. I wore my winter trousers to work but soon changed into less warm ones. It was so beautiful and sunny I had to find an excuse to loiter around the horticultural department a bit longer by replenishing all their cleaning supplies - they were busy in the garden today sowing broad beans for harvest later in the summer. After they had finished, they invited me to share a mug of hot chocolate with the clients, which can't be bad - sometimes I love my job !

Good luck with the job Noll - whatever happens it will work out for the best. As for pancakes - none for me - I have a gluten free pancake mix in the cupboard, but can't be bothered to make any. Maybe at the weekend. I have my mind on other things at the moment. I went for a routine mammogram a few weeks ago and had a letter this morning asking me to come for further assessments on Friday this week. I know it doesn't necessarily mean anything, but am still a little anxious. I found a lump once before that turned out to be nothing, so I guess it's better safe than sorry.

I am very surprised to read this, as I have always thought it was Iceland that produced and read the most. At least that is what they tell you.

We are having a mixed veg stroganoff, cooked in veg stock with soya cream and loads of dill. It's a great way of using up veg at the end of the week, and rather tasty too.

A big mug of Kenco decaf coffee.

egg, chips and peas for us tonight.

It started snowing here about 10 minutes ago and is coming down thick and fast.