The Land of Ice and Snow
There have been many destinations on my bucket list and Iceland was not one of them, but when this incredible opportunity came our way, it was a no brainer. Our good friends Deb and Scott had honeymooned in Reykjavik and had been several times since. They reached out to tell us about a stupid good deal for flights, hotel and excursions so we went for it. For those historians looking back through my archives, this trip was scheduled during the covid times so to be honest, I wasn’t sure we would even get there. Alas, we made it! We set out with our friends/tour guides to the land of Fire and Ice.
Instead of taking the transfer bus that stops at a dozen hotels, we decided to hire a taxi that would take us directly to our destination. Genius! Unfortunately, our driver was none too thrilled that it took us an hour to get through customs with all extra precautions in place. He was humorless and looked like one of the thugs from Fargo.
In addition to being perturbed about hanging around the airport lobby at 6:00am, he was also so exhausted. How do I know this? Well, because he suggested that Jeff do the driving because he was so tired. I spent the entirety of the one hour drive riveted to his drooping eyes in the rear view mirror. Needless to say, we all survived. There was some sorting out of rooms to be done, so in the meantime we took advantage of the included buffet breakfast. I’m told this is a great perk because although it’s cheap to get to Iceland, it’s expensive to be there. We took advantage of this every morning. Not as much advantage as the lady who stuffed here backpack full of croissants though.
Skyr yogurt with granola and banana. I peeled it after 
Fresh baked sourdough and various meats 
Tumeric ginger shots!
After breakfast, we still had some down time so there were naps taken in the mid-century lobby.
Naps had and rooms sorted, we took a stroll. We started around the waterfront. This hotel was in an ideal location.
Along the waterfront you’ll find he Harpa Concert Hall where one might catch a Bjork performance. This was a brilliant example of architecture.
We made our way to Reykjavik’s Main Street, Laugavegur. Its name roughly translates to ‘The Water Road’. This was where women used to bring their laundry to be washed in the hot pools.
It was time for a proper sit down and a drink. Deb and Scott had been here before and loved it. I could see why.
The cocktails were crafted to perfection. We will revisit this spot before the end of the trip, rest assured.
We continued to loop around the city in a desperate bid to stay awake until a reasonable time. Jet lag is real, people.
This the the portion of the day where it down-poured. We made our way to another bar where I had to shed my waterlogged sneakers. The weather prediction for the week was a washout, so I was not surprised or disappointed by the rain.
We made it to a reasonable hour to head back to hotel to call it a day, but not before stopping in the lounge for a night cap.
We finally got to see our room. There was a welcome gift….for Laura and Bjark! We were too tired to go back down to the front desk.
We had a capitol first day keeping awake and seeing some sights close to our temporary home. Tomorrow we will be setting out for an all day tour. Friends, this will be epic!