Nov 08
16
I walked so much that my feet are now protesting. Speaking of protesting, I went to the protest at the Parliament square. The local papers are saying that 8000 people were there. The people are angry and are demanding answers and a solution to the sudden economic problems and that it won’t ruin their lives for generations. That might explain why so many brought their children. It was a passionate demonstration of the democratic process yet peaceful. No violence and no arrests. The people have spoken.
I continue walking and visit the downtown core and harbor area. Rather stunning to see the coast guard ships with the snow capped Esja mountain in the background.
The Saturday flea market was packed with bargain hunters. Everything from typical flea market fare to stalls of books and vendors of fresh food. The lineups for dried fish were long so I skipped that as I’m still learning and didn’t want to make the line slower. So I picked up some fresh rye bread and the local flat breads. I snacked on that while walking back toward the hotel. I walked through the residential area, the ’101′ district which is central Reykjavik. Very lovely and peaceful. However if I don’t find a suitable battery charger I’m afraid my camera is finished. Perhaps tomorrow I will find one. I left mine plugged in the wall back home. D’uoh!
I stopped at a small restaurant and ate a lovely meal of fish soup and local breads. And a tall glass of the cold clear water. How wonderful it is to drink water that tastes like, well, water. Back home we pay lots of money for this kind of water. The restaurant would be having an outdoor party that evening so I planned to come back.
A nice hot shower back at the hotel re-energized me for the evening. The hot water here is very very hot. I am getting used to the slightly sulfurous smell of the hot water but knowing that this water comes hot out of the ground without burning any fuel is comforting. The cold water is pure and very drinkable. The same naturally hot water is used to heat the room. Old fashioned radiators are still a good idea in this modern era.
The party was a wonderful experience. I met so many people and they made me feel very welcome. My new friends Marta and Doddi took me around the infamous night life that is a Reykjavík Saturday night. It was even more interesting than I could have imagined. It almost seems that everyone has some connection with everyone else. So free and full of life despite the uncertain future that is coming. It is hard to describe how different the experience was to a similar ‘club district’ evening anywhere else. When I finally made it back to my room I was surprised to see that it was 5am. These people know how to party, at least for one day a week. There is a balance in their life. I think they will survive. Perhaps I will too.
5 a.m.? You have more stamina than we do
Congrats on your nightlife experience… we old fogies crapped out early on in favor of the warm and wonderful hotel room and/or guestroom at the Flókagata guest house. We did enjoy the flea market too – although I was not able to locate any cheap Icelandic art for my wall here at home. We loved the fish line… did you happen to see the frozen sheep heads in the deep freezer? FYI, we buy all of our yummy stuff on the way home at the airport in the duty-free store. They have lots of goodies there, including smoked lamb, cheeses, kleiner, hardfiskar and Breninvin to name a few. You will be so sad when your trip has flown by and is all over. Keep on enjoying things… will you be hitting the Blue Lagoon while you are there?
Well I might be older than you so I’m not sure how I managed 5am. Perhaps the lively conversation and pretty ladies.
I do like the heaters and the towel heaters that came in handy with the wet bathing suit and towel. The pools are amazing.
I didn’t see the sheep’s head, how could I miss that…
I’ve been eating lots of fish including fish on my pizza.
The Blue Lagoon is the last visit on the way to the airport. I’m sure that will be a wonderful goodbye to Iceland. I’m already regretting that I didn’t have at least one more week. I need much more time. I guess I’ll have to come again.
Hi daddy! I read your Blog! I loved It and I read more than 2 of your selections. It Was very Interesting. And I also watched Your Slide Show too. Thanks so much for putting Interesting pictures up! Bye!
Yes, one must always plan on coming back to Island. Funny thing though… the more you go there, the worse the craving gets.