CGAHGFI

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Circle_(Iceland) We decided (well, Cody and Dan decided, and I’m going along) to do one of the hot spring baths here in Iceland. There are a couple of things that were holding me back. 1) I don’t have a bathing suit that fits. 2) One has to shower - naked and in a communal shower - before (and I suppose after) going into the bath.  Now, look. I know that no one is paying attention to my almost-65-year-old body except me, but I consider me somewhat important to me. I have not showered in a communal shower since, well, ever. The closest would have been the disgusting and embarrassing experiences of PE in middle school. And that was enough to put me off of showering with other people until the end of my days.  Despite my nerves, the drive gets pretty as the sun comes up at 9:45 AM: Real-time update: It was great! There were not many people when we got there, so the undressing part wasn’t *too* traumatic. We were at Secret Lagoon, Iceland’s old...

Let me just say that the cost of things here still has my head reeling. Cody and Dan got three scones (biscuits here) and two coffees for breakfast at the cost of $40. FORTY DOLLARS!!! Do you know how many biscuits I could make for $40? Jesus.  We spent the day in Reykjavík, starting with The Þjóðminjasafn Íslands, The National Museum of Iceland. It was fascinating. After going through the exhibit, I told the young man at the ticket desk that we aren't really taught anything about Iceland in history classes, and he said that it makes sense because they failed at every invasion that they attempted and so didn't really disrupt anyone enough to make the history books. I just never thought of history that way.  The first thing that we saw was an exhibit of the Yule Lads. Iceland doesn't have the kind of BC story that so many other places that we have visited had. Their recorded history starts in the 800s AD. Iceland was ruled by clan chiefs, much like the Scots, and then they h...

Our anniversary was a day of travel. We got a ride to the airport. In our younger, and more frugal, days, we might have combined the metro, buses, and a lot of walking to get there, but at this point, a taxi sill do. We flew Icelandic Air to Iceland. This airline has a deal whereby you can have a layover off up to 8 days at no additional airline expense. Our flight was pleasant, and after Cody told the crew that it was our anniversary, we were given champagne and chocolates.  We once again rented a car, and Cody drove us to the town of Hafnarfjörður.  Hafnarfjörður, officially Hafnarfjarðarkaupstaður, is located about 10 km south of Reykjavík and has a population of around 31,500. It is proud of its Viking heritage. (Vicki here… At this time of year, the Icelanders have about four hours of daylight, so it was just about pitch black when we left the airport. There are many Christmas decorations still up, as you would expect, which made a walk into town very charming. ...

Today is our 43rd anniversary. ❤️

I started the day with breakfast - yet another excellent French croissant, a cup of cappuccino, and a piece of quiche. Vicki's quiche is better, but I have yet to have a croissant that is as flaky and buttery as those here.  That last row on the right was mine. After some time in the apartment, we headed to lunch at a fondue place. I have loved fondue since the seventies, when my parents had plug-in fondue pot and Germantown had a Melting Pot. We still have a fondue pot; it is rarely used.  It was wonderful, I got my monthly quota of cheese, and we had some really nice discussions. On our way back, one of us had to make a pit stop. Paris has very nice rest stops on the sidewalks occasionally - free. And as you can see below, they are self-cleaning between uses.  Also on our route was a portrait of me. I didn't even know they knew me. We have ridden the metro several times. It is usually very quick, very punctual, and metro stops are fairly close to wherever you are. It's ...