I woke up on the second day and knew it was going to be a very special day. I had it planned for a long time and wanted to make sure it went perfectly. We went down to breakfast and enjoyed a selection of cold meats and cheeses with fruit juice; the traditional continental breakfast. Apparently the chef had arrived late so the hot food wasn’t available. This was probably the only day that this didn’t bother me as my stomach was doing somersaults and I was just eating so it didn’t appear as if anything was amiss.
Stepping out in to the cold air was a blast of refreshment that was needed at this time in the morning. The sky was still dark and we were planning to walk back over to the harbour so we could enjoy the sunrise over the mountains. I had managed to convince my girlfriend on the walk back the night before (after a lot of persuasion). The walking tour we had booked was at 10 by the big church and so she was very eager to keep moving along and get up to the church in enough time to get a coffee. Usually this wouldn’t be too bad but it does make it slightly more problematic to find a romantic spot with a good view and few people to stop long enough.
As we continued along the waterfront the sun rose behind us and hit the tips of the mountains and I knew this was the perfect moment. We were completely alone with a beautiful view. In the end I had to pull out the water bottle and tell her I needed to stop just to give me a minute. I then put the water bottle down, reached in to my pocket and proceeded to ask the question that I had wanted to ask her for a long time. I am very pleased to say that she said yes! Well I say she said yes, she actually said “Are you joking” and then replied with the correct answer.
Before you ask, no I didn’t get down on one knee as I am sure this would have resulted in a different answer (too embarrassing). She loved the ring as well which was good, even if it wasn’t the correct size. I had made a big effort to size it to a ring that she had bought recently so it was the right size, not knowing that the ring was the size of her thumb rather than a normal finger. Ah well, can’t be perfect all the time now can I. As much as I was pleased that she had said yes it was more a relief as I had been stressed from the moment we left that she would unpack the bag (to reorganise as she likes to do) and find the ring. I have never felt my stomach drop like when my bag was pushed round for checking at the airport and thinking I would have to unpack my whole bag and spoil the secret. An airport security area isn’t quite the same as sunrise by the mountains now is it.
My new fiancée (still feels weird even writing it) proceeded to phone her parents and give them the good news. I had asked their permission the day before we left to ensure the cat wasn’t let out of the bag but it was extremely funny hearing them pretending they didn’t know what she was talking about until she said knew I had told them. “The ring is nice isn’t it? … Is it? … huh?”. Classic!
By this time we had about 15 minutes to make our way up to the church to meet the tour so no coffee time unfortunately. I called my Mum as we made our way and let them know the news and text my family. Getting a text from your sister saying “about time” can’t help but put a smile on your face. We then plonked ourselves on the bench by the statue with a couple of minutes to try and take in the big change that had just happened.
It is surprising how much you can write about an hour of your life isn’t it. Stay tuned for the rest of our second day including the walking tour, hot dogs, whale watching and easily the best meal I have ever eaten.
Ciao for now!
Enjoyed this post? Why not check out the rest of our Icelandic Adventure…
Icelandic Diaries Day 1 – Planes, Lanes and Automobile
Icelandic Diaries Day 1 – Food for thought
Icelandic Diaries Day 2 – A new beginning
Icelandic Diaries Day 2 – Walking, Whales and Wonderful Food
Icelandic Diaries Day 3 – The Golden Circle
Icelandic Diaries Day 3 – Waterfalls, Christmas Shops and 3 Course Meals
Icelandic Diaries Day 4 – Waterfalls, Glaciers and the Church on the Hill
Icelandic Diaries Day 5 – Stacking Stones, Hiking to Waterfalls and Basalt Columns
Icelandic Diaries Day 6 – Return to Reykjavik and the Strange Viking
Icelandic Diaries Day 7 – The Blue Lagoon and an End to Our Amazing Adventure
