Reykjavik

July 15th

We left Bergen for Reykjavik on Friday.  Gail and I were greeted with the standard weather pattern -- rain, clouds, and cool temperatures.  The locals brush that off and cruise the city like it's nothing.  Tourists typically fall into line.  "When in Reykjavik do as the Reykjaviks do."  We didn't go quite that far.  Despite temperatures in the low 60s there was a big turnout for an outdoor slip-and-slide.  Children lined up all day in their bathing suits.  Gail and I are not that tough.  We threw on a jacket and hat.  Getting around was a challenge.  While Gail could follow the street signs in Norway this language was incomprehensible.  There also was new money to learn.  Fortunately the people all spoke perfect English.

Our hotel was on Laugavengur, the main drag.  A party rolled down the street each night.  Every morning actually.  The drinking would begin around midnight and finish when the sun rose at 3:00 am.  Long before that we walked up the street our first evening, looking for a restaurant.  We asked a local where it was.  "You're going the wrong way.  Go back and turn left on Skolavordustgur."  Gail and I nodded, hoping the other could figure out what the first letter of the street name was.  Eventually we stumbled across the restaurant but all the tables were taken by then.

We visited the Hallgrimskirkja church earlier in the day.  It towers above the city, providing a convenient landmark.  The church was commissioned in 1937 and serves one of the largest Lutheran congregations in Iceland.  It's quite a structure.

Reykjavik has a modern look.  The shops and restaurants have humorous qualities and were fun to visit.  Tourism is the nation's largest industry these days.  Everything exuded a Western look and feel.  Dunkin' Donuts, an American coffee chain that originally was based in Boston, had the longest lines.  The basics were Icelandic.  But most places featured an American or European twist.

U.S. $1.00 is worth 120 kroner in Iceland.  In Norway it was 8 1/2.  It took a while to make the adjustment.  A bottle of soda sold for 400 kroner at a convenience store on the main thoroughfare.  It paid to shop around.  The next day I found one for 150 on a side street.

That first night Gail and I also discovered a less expensive restaurant.  The food was great.  There were several specials to pick from.  The ambiance was quixotic.  The service was terrific.  That's not always the case.  Waiters are paid a fixed wage.  In America they need to work hard for tips.  Attentive. Friendly.  Anything you want.  Just make sure you pay the 20% extra.  In Scandinavia the tip is included in the meal's price.  Sometimes that leads to a less satisfying customer experience.  At one spot Gail and I sat unattended for half an hour.  After we asked for a waitress, we finally got one.  But she wore quite a scowl!

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