Prepping for this trip started 7 months prior, with so many REI purchases and returns as we worked to get a wardrobe appropriate for cold, wind, and rain. We read travel blogs, books, and watched so many youtube videos to decide on hikes, and ended up mostly relying on Cory and Kristen to lead the charge on planning our areas and adventures. They had the advantage of visiting Iceland 5 years before, so we used their insider information to make more educated decisions.
We also packed early--a full three days! It made the night before easy breezy. Hooray for day flights instead of the red eye!
Brett and Shireen traveled through much of the night to arrive in time to leave for Iceland a day early. Delta emailed us informing passengers that we were traveling in a time that was risky for cancellations, so we rebooked for a day early to avoid the July 4 travel weekend. It meant we had no time to make last minute shopping trips for snacks, and also meant the kids were with Rachel another day.
They did not seem too upset about it...(don't be fooled, though: Kate was stressed out of her mind).
Sam remakes:
But it fit! Thank you, luggage rack and all your research, Brady.
Downright cozy in the backseat, I say from my nausea-proof seating in the front.
First stop, Hallgrimskirkja Church: the Lutheran church constructed in 1929 by Guðjón Samúelsson, Iceland's most famous architect. He built the church reflective of the basaltic cliffs found throughout the country. It is the distinctive building of the city.
We waited for the bells in the tower and still found ourselves jumping out of our skin when they went off.
The colors! The charm!
Lunch time! We found a spot on Rainbow Road for our first round of Lobster soup.
We were warned that Iceland's food is not the most easily accessible or delicious, so we were pretty delighted by the curry Lobster soup and figured it would be a novelty for our trip. We ended up having Lobster soup nearly every single day.
Next up, a crepe shop where some of us failed at the goal to stay awake until 9pm to adjust to the time zone.
Lava beads: this vender created a bracelet specially for Kate's tiny wrist.
Next up, the Harpa Concert Hall with its accompanying strangely famous sculpture.
Brady took one for the team, running back to get our car and avoid a parking ticket while we explored the colorful streets on the way to our AirB&B.
By this time, I felt like garbage and so did everyone else.
We pushed through, made it to dinner for another lobster soup, and finallyfinallyfinally went to bed. It was a less than restful evening for Cory and Kristen, who learned about basement flooding, and for both other couples who dealt with the nightlife of the city, but we slept GREAT.
Meanwhile, the kids shopped, explored, and attended Elise and Audrey's concert.
Funny Quotes of the Day:
Shireen, hung over from zero sleep 2 nights in a row, "There's the white ones--the ones you blow on." (Dandelion seeds)
Brett: "It cost 680."
Brett, looking at the desolate views from the airport, "You guys maybe oversold it."
Shireen: "I would rather do Fly Over Iceland than fly over Iceland."
Brady: "Those are expensive gloves!" Shireen: "Are they made of puffin?"
At Fly Over Iceland, referencing our delayed flight to Iceland, "I wonder if anyone will have to get off the flight to balance the payload."
Brady: "We're going to walk right by the scaffolding I hit."
Man in Reykjavik, "I don't want to get older. I just want to party forever."
Cory: "This is a great place to be a bird."
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