Last Reykjavic Morning…For Now

One last little hobble around Rek this morning before catching a cab to the bus station.
I had a decision to make. Art Museum vs Penis Museum, (or the Icelandic Phallological Museum, if you wanna be formal about it.). I mean, I can go to an art museum in any city, amiright??? As it was I just entered the lobby and saw enough penises there to sate my appetite, so did not pay the price of admission. Also they had a little cafe with the most delicious looking penis shaped waffles but alas, I was still full from breakfast.
Hobbled down to the waterfront and took a few pictures. Honestly, Reykjavik is a great city but 1-2 days here is plenty to see what you want to see. Had I been more mobile I would have done an excursion or two but as it was I was getting bored.
There are some things I will miss though:
1. The Europeans really know how to do coffee. You don’t go into a coffee shop and get a 24 oz Big Gulp of mass brewed Joe. You usually get a little demitasse cup and it is always served with hot milk. It always feels so refined to me.
2. Baked goods, especially croissants. I don’t even think Iceland is particularly known for their bakeries but they have a lot of them and OMG the PASTRIES!!! There is a saying in the addiction field for those who are trying to maintain sobriety and wonder if they can hang out in bars. “If you hang around in a barbershop long enough, eventually you’ll get a haircut.” I have amended that for my drug of choice, (flour, sugar, butter) to be, “If you walk by enough bakeries with delicious pastries in the window you will eventually buy and eat at least a half a dozen of them”.
3. The people. I was talking to an Icelandic woman yesterday and just remarked on how kind they are. She said, “I wouldn’t call them kind. It’s not like they’re warm or anything. I would say they’re practical. If you have a need they will figure out the most practical way to help you.” Whatever. It felt like kindness to me.
So…heading home. While I’ve been gone we’ve been having the entire interior of the house painted- from a warm terra cotta that complemented the cherry woodwork to a boring creamish color. This was, of course at the urging of the realtor and stager. My friend Gayle refers to them as a “bossy lot”. Grant has been sending pictures, and let me just say I have really been filled with regret over this. On the upside though, it has totally increased my motivation to move! But the painting is still in progress and I anticipate that the house will be in total disarray. News flash- I don’t deal well with that.
So…I’m gonna work on my own presentation and pre- calibrate my nervous system to just go with the flow. Good luck to me on that!

Well- while disappointing, this trip hasn’t been a total bust. I met people that have impacted me in big and small ways. I have a renewed gratitude for my family and their love. I’m already making plans to come back and do the hike next summer and have already enlisted son in law Matt and Payal and possibly even Fearghus to do it with me and that’s just a start.

Next up on the adventure docket is a trip to Peru with my Kili buddy Cynthia in April.

Until then. Czytaj więcej