(07/25/14) In Country!

We are in country! First class seating was divine! We were seated and found a personal care kit with mini toothbrushes and toothpaste and eye masks. We were served a snack of warm mixed nuts and sparkling wine while the flight attendants cooked our dinners that we got to choose. I had mini burgers with some delicious mayonaise sour cream type sauce. George had salmon with sweet potato puree. We were given hot towels to wash our hands and faces with. As we chased the dawn across the skyline, we were served croissants, orange juice and coffee. We had individual TV monitors with touch screens and noise cancelling headphones so I entertained myself watching "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". (The lead character goes to Iceland!) George slept through most of the flight. I tried watching a second movie, "The Grand Budapest Hotel", but the comedy was lost on me. We arrived early this morning at 5:45 AM.

I HATE airplanes and flying but this experience was different. There was not squishing in the seats. There were no crying children. There was a nice lounge for me to sit in at Dulles Airport so I could watch my airplane come in to the the gate and unload and reload, all kind of prepping me for the reality of getting on the plane. First class is it for me now! I have been spoiled and wil never go back. Poor George.

We were sent through security at the airport then we grabbed a rental car and were on our merry way... Not exactly. Our iPad maps were not working and the map that Hertz gave us was not going to cut it so we went back inside and rented a portable GPS unit. Back out to the car and then off we went. We are driving on the US side of the road and the steering wheels are also on the US side of the car. 

So what is Iceland like? It is barren, no trees or bushes, maybe some grass here and there. It is raining. Not exactly the land of paradise. The stewardess mentioned to me that they have been having terrible weather this summer, rain coming  5 out of 7 days a week. We have been having some culture shock. It is weird strolling around and not understanding anyone we hear talking. We did find a mall because we needed to buy a mobile hotspot for our electronics. There were no fewer than five shoe stores in a mall the size of the former Frederick Town Mall. Icelanders love their shoes? Food is very expensive. We needed lunch and the mall was full of american restaurants, so we ended up at TGI Friday's, laughing that this was where we chose to eat our first Icelandic meal. We did find our first Icelandic geocache this afternoon. We just did one so that we got it out of the way, knowing that there will be more to get tomorrow and the next day.

Tomorrow we are going on a cruise to see a Puffin Colony and then in the afternoon we are going on some brewery tours. Busy day, early night to bed!