Day 16, Sep 9: Reykjavik 4 - Heading Hom

Breakfast at the hotel and deciding what to do. Marie and I walked over toward the old harbor and along the reclaimed shoreline, now protected by large boulders. Snapping a few more pics of wall murals. Gail charged me with finding a gift for the cat-sitters back home and I got some salt. Did final packing and a short walk through the city hall and its huge contour display of the country, then around the "Pond." Back at the hotel, we checked out. We asked for a taxi, expecting to wait half an hour but the driver was there as we walked away from reception - he'd been waiting for a fare out front and got the dispatch call immediately. We chatted with him on the 45-minute ride to Keflavik airport - from Serbia, been here 20 years, has a son following him as a football (soccer) player. We were early for our flight so had some lunch and killed time. Flight left a bit late but flew over Greenland on the way. Looked down on the flowing glaciers and calved icebergs in the fiords. We arrived in BWI on time but then joined two other flights trying to get through customs. We shuffled and snaked in the waiting line for an hour and a half before finally seeing one of the two agents processing the three flights! Holly and Nathan wanted for us outside and drove us home, getting there about 23:00.

I had been a little nervous about not knowing the language when we started but soon found that just about everyone speaks English, as well as Icelandic. One person said they learn it in school but also need it to follow entertainment. Anyone connected with the tourism industry, of course, has English but we also heard Icelanders chit-chatting among themselves in English.Read more