Touring the Golden Circle, Iceland (July 27)

hiking, iceland

Sunday, July 27, 2025. . . Starting: Hotel Island, Reykjavik . Ending: Geirland Hotel, Kirkjubæjarklaustur . Highlights: Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss, Strokkur Geyser, Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Reynisfjara, Vikurfjara Black Sand Beach, Vík . . . . . . I woke at 06:30, showered, dressed, and packed my bags. Inna also woke up and dressed. After our bags were packed, we took the elevator downstairs to try…

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Exploring Reykjavík, Iceland (July 26)

iceland, restaurant, spa

Saturday, July 26, 2025. Starting: Hotel Island & Spa, Reykjavik, Iceland . Ending: Hotel Island & Spa, Reykjavik, Iceland . . Highlights: Hallgrimskirkja Church, Einar Johnson Museum, Harpa Concert Hall, Magic Ice Reykjavík, Sky Lagoon . . . . After a restful night of sleep, I woke at 07:30, showered, shaved, and dressed. After Inna awoke and dressed, we decided to try following a one-day…

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Exploring Reykjavík, Iceland (July 25)

iceland, restaurant

In 2017, Inna visited Iceland with a Photofly Group tour. She raved about the beautiful waterfalls, hikes, and natural wonders, and urged me to consider Iceland for our next trip. Last year, we finally found an opportunity to plan a journey of our own, with an additional stop in Scotland. . . . . . Inna booked excellent business-class airline tickets from San Francisco to…

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Alpine iLX-507 Digital Receiver in Toyota Sienna

audio, tech

When my audio system in my 2008 Toyota Sienna died, I looked into replacing it with an OEM system, but it was challenging to find one for an older vehicle. . . I looked around and decided to replace it with an Alpine iLX-507 Digital Multimedia Receiver, as it was well-regarded and supported wireless Apple CarPlay and HD Audio. . I found a well-rated auto…

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Canon R8 with 28-70 f/2.8 IS STM

camera, tech

After 10 years with my full-frame Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and a variety of lenses, I decided to sell the entire system to fund a lighter, travel-friendly camera and lenses. . . I packed my gear in its original boxes and shipped it out using UPS on July 20, 2025, to Adorama: . . Canon 5DS DSLR Camera . Canon EOS EF 16-35 f/4L IS…

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Building Windows 11 Server

pc, tech

With my 10-year-old Windows 10 Intel Core i7-4790K server nearing the end of its life, I decided to build a new Windows 11 Server for media storage and occasional gaming. . . . . . I purchased the mid-tower Fractal Design Define R7 case to accommodate 4 hard drives. Most newer computer cases lack sufficient space for hard drives, and this one is among the…

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Hiking Seven Springs Trail, Saratoga

california, hiking, sf bay, strava

On Saturday, June 21, Inna, Alex, and I decided to hike around Saratoga. Inna found a highly rated trail on AllTrails.com, called Seven Springs Trail, and we decided to hike it. . . The trail had panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area, including the new Apple campus in Cupertino. The grass was all yellow (burned out), so this hike might be more scenic…

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