Here I Am Iceland - 10/28

I arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland at 6:30 am (that's 2:30 Cleveland time). My flight was uneventful, if long on layovers, and included the now typical going backwards in order to go forward (ie. Boston via Chicago).

During the layover in Boston, several of us started talking. One guy was a widower whose flight was free. He was supposed to be flying with his bride who works for the airline, this giving him privileges.  I think one of my nieces or nephews should get a job working for an airline so their favorite aunt can have free trips.

I checked into the room at 6:30 am, 4:30 am EST.  Although I slept most of the flight, I was exhausted, and decided a nap was needed before visiting the town.  Seven hours later I start out. The hotel has a nice service - free city bus card. Although I walked downtown, I took the bus back. Which was nice given it gets dark at 5:30.

The city was much smaller than I expected for the capital. You could definitely are the European, especially Scandinavian influence.  Thus the Facebook picture of me with the giant troll. 

My first visit was to the Hallgrimskirka, the 2nd largest building in Iceland. It is a Lutheran Church. You can see it from almost everywhere. In 2014, it was voted as one of the strangest buildings in the world. I went to the top of the tower and was able to see the whole city.  In front of the church was a statute of Leif Erikson, given by the U.S (since Leif discovered America long before Christopher Columbus) in 1930 to mark the 1,000th anniversary of the establishment of Iceland's parliament.

Stopped in a grocery the hotel recommended. As is typical in European cities, most groceries in town are small, pricey markets.  This one was more reasonably priced. It reminded me of the Mentor Aldi's.  Although, instead of coolers along the walls for dairy, etc, like we are used to, they had a giant cooler room with a door.

I had heard the cost of living was ridiculously high here. I found out when I ate dinner. A ”salad” (and I use the term loosely), which is grilled chicken with a few leaves of lettuce was $18. 

My trip to walk on a glacier had to be postponed due to weather.  I'll go Tuesday instead.

P.S.  found a place called the Chuck Norris Grill. Sayings on the window:

• Chuck Norris once kicked a house in the chin. Its descendants are known today as giraffes.
• Chuck Norris once took a lie detector test. The machine confessed everything.