Up at 6:30, long before first light to drive to Egilsstaðir for the morning flight to Reykjavik.
Roads were clear for the first two-thirds, then snowier as we got closer to the airport. We couldn’t figure out how to fill the car at the first station, so we had to go to the next one (where the self-service directions were a lot clearer). It was snowing a lot and I wanted to make sure we got there in time.
When we arrived, people were just lining up to check bags. We had enough time to go upstairs to the upper lounge, where I spent a few hours talking to Martina and Clio a month earlier when we were waiting for the van to pick us up and take as to Stöðvarfjörður. Seems so, so long ago.
Gorgeous, but uneventful flight. It was a lot colder in Reykjavik (maybe 20 degrees F compared to 35 in Stöðvarfjörður) and they’re expecting snow and cold from Greenland for the next few days. We walked to the guest house we’re staying in overnight (which is right near the church) before we head back to the airport in the morning. Since I stayed at a different guest house the last two times in Reykjavik, we decided to stay at the place Amy was in before coming out to the Eastfjords. Plus, it’s called the Guesthouse Aurora… and what’s not to like about that?
We’d hoped to go to the flea market, which is only open on weekends these days. It’s been relocated, but was a highlight of our first trip — back when half the stuff being sold seemed to have come in from Russia or other Eastern Bloc countries.
The entire harbor has been built up since then and Reykjavik has really become quite the tourist destination. I have mixed feelings about this, to be honest. Reykjavik is a lot of fun and there are some cool and interesting things to do there (and excursions from there), but I feel like you need to leave the city to experience “the real Iceland.”
We looked for a post office, but wound up buying post card stamps from a souvenir shop so I could post some postcards to send back to the states.
We wandered around forever looking for some food and stopped at the Bonus store to get some chocolate to take home with us. We finally wound up at a great (and relatively inexpensive) place called Just Wingin’ It that specializes in chicken wings, chicken tenders, and chicken sandwiches. Most of the customers who had wings wore plastic gloves so their hands wouldn’t get too greasy, which honestly seems like a genius idea.
We tried to get together with one of the Icelandic musicians who played on Amy’s new EP that she mixed and recorded vocals for in Stöðvarfjörður, but it didn’t work out.
Still, a good day. It was great to be in a city and in temperatures that were slightly colder (and to be able to walk in streets and go into shops). I tried not to be too judgmental about the loud foreign tourists and sometimes succeeded.
More later.