Arriving in Reykjavik

I got my dissertation finished, drove to Essex, met Laura's parents and flew to Reykjavik in the last couple of days. We arrived here yesterday, checked into Baldursbra guest-house, and slept immediately. Then explored Reykjavik. Its a very small capital city - understandable in a country with fewer inhabitants than Newcastle - and we got to see quite a lot of it. The church is huge, concrete, and closed, but the sun voyager sculpture is very good. Then we ate - our target restaurant was closed, so ate in cafe Paris. Lamb soup for me, trout salad for Laura. Waffles and Crepes to follow. Went home, and again slept.

Awoke and broke fast, ate fantastic paprika cheese and strange pancakes. Planned a day of galleries and museums. Saw a video installation critiquing Islamic society in Iran... very disturbing. Then a viking history exhibition, which was great fun, full of recreated vikings and gory stories. Ate a ham salad sandwich, and a cake. Then we wandered into town and looked around, and found this here internet cafe, which sells nice cakes and tea and is very atmospherically pleasant, and snug. It is insanely cold here, so much more than expected. So tonight we intend saunas and hot-tubs to rule the day.

Tomorrow we collect a hire car, which we will use to drive around 'the circle', Iceland's famous ring-road. This will take a while, and there's lots to see on the way. I really like it here.