Dear Chroniclers,
after a long absence, we open a new series of postings to capture a few, fleeting memories from our recent visit to Iceland. A place which is, quite simply, stunning.
Testing Times
Our journey begins with the outward flight to Keflavik - three hours and a following wind, then the clouds clear as we head down to land. The auspices are not good. On arrival the weather is misty, everyone appears to have gone home early for the day and we're seated on the transfer bus unsettlingly close to Miss Grumpy of Grumpyville, a middle-aged lady who positively oozes funereal doom from her every pore.
The road out of Keflavic proves equally unpromising. Several miles of bleak, flat land punctuated by the occasional lump of unyielding foundation-concrete that presages yet another featureless building in gestation.
Celebrations
As the wheels on the transfer bus go round and round, so we begin to question why we've just expended a sum not unadjacent to the Gross Domestic Product of a fledgling East European republic on the holiday of a lifetime. You see, electrofried(mr) is celebrating his half-century in style, accompanied by the good lady and young teenygoth.
My favourite top-hat and spats ensemble has been duly packed (together with the infamous electrofried thermals) and now it's eight days in the wilds of Iceland to look forward to.
A Turn for the Better
Our fortunes take a turn for the better as we change buses and join our tour party for the week ahead. I say a silent prayer of thanks as Miss Grumpy is ushered, still muttering under her breath, onto another coach, allowing us to settle down and savour the trip to our hotel. We are not to be disappointed. As we head out of Rekjavik the road narrows and we climb into cloud-skimmed heights.
And then the mist thins. There below us lies a small settlement, glinting in the early evening sun, our hotel just a mile or two down the road. We've arrived, and what adventures we're about to enjoy!
best regards,
electrofried(mr)
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