Labour Day 2007

May 1 is Labour Day in Iceland and I guess most of the world, except North America.

I do not know why but the spell checker keeps telling me Labour is spelled wrong. I have checked it three times now and this is how it is spelled on my calender from Canada, so this is how I will spell it.

In Iceland this is not just another day off for a long weekend at the summer house. It is not even a long weekend. I had to work yesterday, and I got today (Tuesday) off.

I was so tempted, probably like everyone else, to call in sick yesterday. Who wants 2 days off to go back work 1 then have another day off? It makes no sense.

Anyways.....

I had heard there was a parade, that sounded fun, so I thought I would go. Davið told me just before we left with the boys that it more like a protest.

It was not a parade at all, just a long walk protesting everything that could be protested. At the end and gathering area there was speeches in Icelandic, lots of banners (one said something like Welfare Works), a blow up castle and we got to see the band.

During the walk we were bunched into some group that was for ?freeing Palestine? This made me wish I knew something about the issue, since I was walking with them.

I got the boys some cotton candy, it was a treat and they were so happy. Then we started the walk back home.

There was a street performer a.k.a. a clown. A very stupid and annoying clown. I wish I would have gotten him on video. He said he was from Australia. Kasper told him that he was from Canada. The clown said he only knows one sentence in Canadian and that is (in a very whinny voice) 'I am not American' . Now I was just angry and kind of wanted to kick him off of his suitcase. Kasper tried telling him that he had been to Australia and the clown told him to shut up. We left and continued walking home.

Well it was a eventful day and my first Labour Day protest/parade/walk.

So here are the pictures.