Finding God in the Lord of the Rings

Troy: “Dada, can you guess my favorite character from The Lord of the Rings?”
Me: “I don’t know. Sam?”
Troy: “No, who’s that?”
Me: “The hobbit.”
Troy: “Oh, no.”
Me: “The Ents?”
Troy: “Who’s that?”
Me: “The tree shepherds.”
Troy: “No.”
Me: “Gollum?”
Troy: “No, he’s creepy.”
Me: “Then, I give up. Who is your favorite character?”
Troy: “The giant eye.”
Me: “Sauron? But he’s a bad guy!”
Troy: “So?! He’s cool looking.”
Me: “Did you know that he represents the Devil?”
Troy: “Really?”
Me: “Yeah, he’s like this invisible force that commands the forces of darkness. You feel his presence, his eye upon you, but you can’t really see him. Besides, you think Gollum is creepy, but not Sauron?”
Troy: “Gollum is too creepy.”
Me: “Well, what about Smeagol?”
Troy: “Who’s that?”
Me: “Gollum’s good side.”
Troy: “Why did Gollum have a good side and bad side?”
Me: “He represents the duality of man. We all have a good side and a bad side. And we are constantly at war with them inside us. Which one wins, the one we give in to, will define who we are.”
Troy: “How did he get that way?”
Me: “Like us, he was tempted by sin. The ring of power represents sin. It tempts us to give into our dark side, and the longer we keep it in our lives, the more it distorts us. Until all we have left is the dark side. You see it throughout the movie. People are constantly being tempted and corrupted by the ring. Some resist, the pure of hearts, but most are dragged down by it.”
Troy: “What about that hobbit that carried the ring?”
Me: “Frodo? The ring changed him too, but he was trying to destroy the ring…to rid the world of its evil and temptation.”
Troy: “And losing his finger in the process?”
Me: “Yes, he lost his finger. That shows us that having sin in our lives always exacts a price. We can’t walk away unscathed. Sin always has consequences. It always changes us.”

The Speed of Bears

Troy: “Dada, are sloth bears fast or slow?”
Me: “Well, they’re bears, so I wouldn’t say they’re slow, but they’re probably not the fastest bears. I mean probably not as fast as say a grizzly bear.”
Troy: “Then, how do they catch food?”
Me: “Bears eat all kinds of things. Berries, nuts, fish, and an occasional deer or rabbit maybe.”
Troy: “And honey! Sloth bears like honey. I learned that from A Jungle Book.”
Me: “Yes, and honey. Winnie the Pooh liked honey too, but that’s not my point. You see, with bears, it’s all about energy conservation. It takes a lot of energy to be a bear and go romping around the forest all day. So, they’re not going to expend a lot of energy chasing a deer or rabbit if they don’t have to. They might use more energy than they got back. That’s why fish are such a nice meal. They just have to stand there and let the fish fly up and slap them in the face.”
Troy: “Do bears eat other bears?”
Me: “Sometimes. If they’re very hungry or if they’re protecting their territory or their babies. But it’s not their preferred meal.”
Troy: “Do other animals eat their own kind?”
Me: “Do you mean is there a chicken out there eating other chickens or a cow eating a hamburger?”
Troy [laughing]: “Exactly! Like a cow eating a hamburger or a pig eating bacon.”
Me: “Well, not intentionally. I mean cows are vegetarians, so they’re not exactly going to the drive-thru for a Whataburger like we do.”
Troy [laughing]: “Can you imagine that?! A cow at the drive-thru?!”
Me: “I think it’s more likely to see a bear at Long John Silver’s eating triangle fish. Don’t tell me that wouldn’t be the greatest day of your life to see a bear at Long John Silver’s, wearing one of those paper pirate hats and chowing down on fish.”
Troy: “Maybe.”
Me: “Definitely!”

Consequences

Troy: “Where’s my baby pillow?”
Me: “It’s downstairs on the couch where you left it. Maybe you can go get it. Aaannnddd by the time you get back, I’ll be asleep.”
Troy: “Dada! Wake up!”
Me: “I’m soooo tired.”
Troy [walking out of the room]: “When I get back there will be consequences!”
Me [laughing]: “Sometimes I wish you had a film crew following you around, so I could have moments like that on tape. That was hilarious!"

I Am Groot!

My mother and son were playing a game together today, and I heard this from the other room.

Troy: “I am Groot.”
Gammy [deeper voice]: “I am Groot.”
Troy: “I am Groot!”
Gammy [deeper voice]: “I am Groooot.”
Troy: “I AM Groot!”
Gammy [deeper voice]: “I am Groot.”

Yeah, so that happened. It had to be the strangest conversation that I’ve ever heard.

The Northmen Vacation: Day 10

Since we had to check out of the hotel by eleven, but we weren’t flying out until five, we decided to tour around Reykjavík a little. As we aimlessly wound our way around the city, I noticed a weird looking building in the distance that looked like it was falling down. We decided to check it out, and that’s when we noticed the cross on the top of it.

Seltjarnarneskirkja church is a cool little church on the peninsula with a sloping white roof in geometrical angles. The golden light from inside shown through narrow windows that ran along the underside of the roof giving it a warm and inviting feel. The church was nestled in a little neighborhood, overlooking the sea and the mountains off in the distance.

Behind it was a large grassy park that looked like the moors in England with a walking trail winding around the outside of it. On a little hill just behind the church was a neat statue that resembled a ship. The whole place was enchanting and peaceful.

Since we were this far out, we decided to head out to the very tip of the peninsula to see Grotta Lighthouse. The lighthouse itself was nothing spectacular, just a little white tower next to a black house. The interesting part was that it was only accessible by boat. The lighthouse was on a sort of island that connected back to the mainland by a barrier made of boulders and sand. I went as far as I dared across the boulders before I decided to head back. I didn’t relish the idea of getting my last pair of shoes wet.

Our last stop in Reykjavík was The Sun Voyager statue. This beautiful metal statue resembled the bones of a Viking ship, sitting on the beach just off Old Harbor and pointing out to sea as if hoping for one last voyage into the sun.

From there it was off to the airport to begin our trek back home. It’s hard to believe our time in Iceland is over already. It seems that time flew by, and there was still so much more to see. I’m not sure if we’ll ever get back here, but it’s definitely a place I’d be glad to visit again.

The Northmen Vacation: Day 9

I find it interesting that everyone finds a routine on vacation…some way to make the uncomfortable comfortable. Even in the smallest ways, like always sitting at the same table in the dining room at breakfast. For the last three days, I’ve noticed that the same people always come down at the same time and sit in the exact same spots. It’s gotten so predictable, that we even made friends with an older couple from England…Yasmin and Martin.

We noticed that all of the cars in Iceland are electric or at least hybrid. Apparently, Iceland has always been on the cutting edge for implementing and buying in to environmental protection. Everywhere we go, they push the green initiative. It’s really cool to see an entire country caring more about protecting the environment than making money off oil.

Our destination today was Reyniysfjara Beach, so we headed south along the coast. It was finally a beautiful sunny day, and the drive was absolutely gorgeous. The mountains outside of Reykjavík had received a powdering of snow, so we were greeted with white everywhere.

Once we got to the other side, the scenery changed to stunning views of green with smatterings of golds, browns, and blacks. The contrasts were striking. Small waterfalls trickled down at various cracks in the rocks, and the pink and yellow sunrise made the perfect backdrop to the beautiful cliffs.

About a half an hour before we got to Reyniysfjara Beach, we happened upon a giant waterfall just off the side of the highway. We hadn’t even planned to visit Skógafoss, but it was too beautiful to pass up. The water was plummeting into a large pool below that almost looked like a mini lake. The pool then ran off in a river away from the site. This time, we kept our distance from the spray, so we didn’t get drenched again, not that we could have gotten too close anyway. What made this waterfall unique was the narrow and steep staircase, winding up the side of the mountain to an observation deck overlooking the waterfall. Being short on time, we didn’t go up there, but it looked cool.

The sun was beginning its descent when we finally pulled into Reyniysfjara Beach, making for breathtaking views over the crashing waves. The place was packed with people, hoping to get a photograph of the black sand beaches, unique rock formations, and basalt cliffs. Lava rocks dotted the black sand as a constant reminder that this whole place owed its existence to the volcanoes on the island. As we tried to get our own unique photos, a wave unexpectedly crashed into the rocks next to us and drenched us all. With the biting wind instantly freezing our wet clothes, it was pretty miserable after that. The sun was setting anyway, so we opted to just call it a day.

After the long drive back, we topped off our day with hotdogs and hamburgers from Pittu Bram? I think the cold and damp has finally caught up with me. I feel like I have a cold. I guess it’s better at the end of the trip than the beginning, but it still sucks.

The Northmen Vacation: Day 8

I have never seen two human beings sleep as much as my wife and son. They’ve never really gotten over the time difference, but I’m not sure that it being dark most of the day is helping either. There is something in their biology that tells them that they should be sleeping when it’s dark. So, they’re tired all of the time. They sleep 7-8 hours at night, wake up, eat, and then take a nap. We get in the car for a two-hour drive, and they sleep. It’s unnerving sometimes. We came to another country to experience the sights and culture, and we end up spending most of the day in the hotel room. Not to mention that we’re working with only four hours of daylight here, and we’re very limited in what we see in a given day. I know I should just be relaxing and going with the flow, but it’s stressful to me to sit idle. I want adventure. Otherwise, I feel like I’m wasting my time. And that’s how I feel every day, like I’m wasting my time here in Iceland. We only have today and tomorrow left to see things, and most things are a two or more hour drive away. I get tired too, but I’m disciplined enough to wait until the end of the day.

Needless to say that that rant was directly related to what was going on this morning. I have to pry them out of bed every morning to get ready and go down to have breakfast before they close the bar at 10:00 a.m. All in an attempt to be on the road and at or near our destination by the time the sun rises at 11:30 a.m. to maximize what we can see in each area. For example, the intent today was to see the Lava Tunnel at Raufarhólshellir and Reyniysfjara Beach, but we only made it to the Lava Tunnel.

We barely made it down for breakfast at the hotel, and scarcely had time to scarf down food before we were encouraged to leave the dining area so that they could prepare it for lunch. We headed back to the hotel room where I gave Troy a Christmas gift. Only one, small thing that I’d packed away in my suitcase and kept hidden all of this time. I’d carried it all the way to Iceland, because I wanted him to have something to open on Christmas Day. He was so worried that Santa Claus wouldn’t be able to find us since we were traveling. I had to assure him that I had sent Santa a letter, directing him to deliver our gifts to the house, so we wouldn’t have to heft them home in our suitcases.

After breakfast, we went to the Lava Tunnel at Raufarhólshellir. Raufarhólshellir was formed over five thousand years ago years ago in a volcanic eruption that created the surrounding lava field. As the lava from the eruption flowed through the area, its outer layer solidified, while the lava beneath the crust remained molten and continued to flow. Over time, the solidified crust thickened and formed an insulated channel or conduit for the still-flowing, molten lava beneath, which is called a lava tube. When the eruption stopped, the molten lava inside the tube continued to flow downhill until it was drained out. This left behind the lava tunnel of Raufarhólshellir.

Inside the cave we found colorful rock formations in reds, golds, grays, and black. You could also see interesting textures created by the cooling and solidification of lava over time, as well as by the molten lava moving through and draining out of the tunnel. At several points, parts of the cave's roof have collapsed, forming natural skylights or “holes” as the Icelanders call them. Our journey through the tunnel took us over rough but mostly even paths and gangplanks of steps when the elevation changed dramatically. The company running the tour took great pains not to bring in materials not naturally found in the cave already, so the floor was actual lava rocks that had been shifted or moved to create the flattened floor. Even the gangplanks, which were a necessary evil, were carried in and assembled by hand inside the cave.

My wife struggled on the steps and slick surfaces, but the guide went slow enough so that she could keep up. We stopped at several points to get information about the tunnel, such as the different minerals that the lava picked up along the way that dictated the color of the rocks being formed. Or how the dripping lava would cool dramatically, forming mini stalactites of volcanic glass along the walls. Or how a usual bacteria grows in the darkest, driest part of the cave and is the only living thing down there, which is why our guide felt compelled to tell us not to lick the rocks. (I mean someone had to have actually licked a rock for them to come up with this rule. Why else would they feel like they needed to tell us something so obvious?!) Or how there are no bats in the tunnel, because the innumerable cracks and fissures running along it displace sound and prevent it from echoing, which ruins the echolocation of bats. (Funny tidbit, there are no bats anywhere in Iceland. Those that make it to the island die from lack of food, especially in the winter.) Or how there are over five hundred known lava tunnels in Iceland and possibly many more that haven’t been discovered yet. Apparently, they only discover a lava tunnel when the roof of the crust collapses. And usually it’s sheep that find them as they roam freely around the land during the summer. Our guide joked that we shouldn’t worry about the sheep, because they are so stupid that after one falls into a tunnel, inevitably others will blindly follow too. So, they aren’t alone down there as they wait for the farmers to come find them. That is unless the farmer stupidly falls in too and has to wait for his wife to come find him!

At the very end of our tour of the tunnel, our guide turned on a dramatic light effect; flashing reds, oranges, and yellows; to simulate lava flowing through the tunnel. Then, she turned the lights out completely, plunging us into complete darkness. It was disorienting and eerie to completely lose your sense of sight. Suddenly, I became acutely aware of the sounds around me. The dripping of the cave walls onto the rock, onto the gangplank, or onto the coat of the person next to me. The exhalation of breath from other tourists. Someone’s shoe scraping on metal as they shifted their weight. The papery sound of a winter coat as someone moved their hand in front of their face in a vain attempt to see it. It was crazy how the darkness was so absolute. After that, we ambled back to the cave entrance, taking photos and chatting with our guide. It was a very cool experience, although I’m not sure how much Troy actually took in or acknowledged.

After our soirée into the earth, we started to head for Reyniysfjara Beach, but we stopped in Selfoss for some food first. Being that it was Christmas Day, most things were closed. But we found a little place called Erbil Kebab open that served pizza, shawarma, and hamburgers. We opted for the burgers, which were surprisingly tasty. By the time we were done, it was too late to go farther. We would never have made it to the beach before it was dark, so we turned around and headed back to the hotel instead.

We unloaded our gear and decided to walk up to Hallgrímskirkja church, since my wife and son didn’t get to see it with me. The church was lit up in red, green, and yellow lights for Christmas that gradually shifted colors. It gave the church a warm, happy feeling, like it was truly celebrating the birth of its Savior. And since we were in the area, we headed over to the Viking Food Truck, not to eat, but to take our picture in the wooden cutout next to the truck. We ended the night by scavenging for food. My wife and son went to buy supplies at the grocery store, and I headed to the Pósthús Food Hall and Bar for a second go at the fish and chips. After dinner, my family surprised me with a tiny birthday cake and serenaded me with a rendition of Happy Birthday.

I have to say that it’s weird being away from home for Christmas. Last year, we didn’t start our trip until after Christmas, and given the choice, I think we all preferred that. Even though it’s Christmassy everywhere, it still doesn’t really feel like Christmas without my whole family around. We pretty much treated it like any other day, except that most things were closed. I don’t think we’ll travel for Christmas next year.

The Northmen Vacation: Day 7

Today was another bleak and rainy day. We managed to have breakfast downstairs again before venturing out into the wind and rain. We headed south this time toward Selfoss, hoping to see a waterfall and go to the lava tunnel. We stopped first at Seljalandafoss a 200-foot waterfall dropping over a cliff from the river above. The wind was ridiculous, and the already-hard spray was the waterfall was shooting out like a tidal wave. Troy and I tried to climb to the cave behind the falls, but both of us felt the wet rocks were a bit treacherous looking, so we turned back. We were all completely drenched from it and the rain within minutes. Even my socks and underwear were drenched. We were so miserable that we decided to forego the rest of the trip and head back.

Dried off and warm again, we rested for a bit before pizza and spaghetti from 101 Bistro. Did you know that Icelanders celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve instead of on Christmas? This dates back to a time when night would start at sundown, so Christmas is celebrated at 6:00 p.m., which means all of the shops and restaurants are closed to allow staff to celebrate with their families. So, we were a little limited on options. The food was delicious anyway.

The Northmen Vacation: Day 6

My wife wasn’t feeling well today. Apparently, all of the time out in the cold and rain has taken its toll on her. We managed to make it downstairs for breakfast, but then she needed to go back to the room and rest. So, even though we finally managed to get up early today, we still ended up getting a late start. It also meant that she didn’t feel like driving. So, I took the wheel, while she slept in the car.

It was pouring down raining today, and the forecast showed that it was going to stay that way all day. So, I decided to head to Snæfellsnes Peninsula. We had originally planned to go south, mostly for my wife, but since she wasn’t feeling it, I didn’t want her to miss it. So, we headed northwest instead.

Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a pretty desolate place with flat grasslands interspersed with occasional clusters of craggy rocks. And all of this is framed by Snæfellsjökull mountain and its surrounding pyroclastic cones. Snæfellsjökull is a 700,000-year-old glacier-capped stratovolcano. It was made famous by the Jules Verne novel Journey to the Center of the Earth in which an exploration team finds an entrance to the center of the Earth on Snæfellsjökull. While we could see the foothills, we really couldn’t see the top of the mountain due to the low cloud cover.

Our first stop was Ytri Tunga beach, which is supposed to be an area filled with a dense sea lion population. I say supposed to be, because it was pretty barren of life, except for the horde of tourists traipsing across the sand and rocks, hoping to catch a picture of a seal. We did manage to spot one harbor seal and one gray seal lazing on a rock, but I guess it was a bit cold and windy for any others to enjoy being out today. But it wasn’t a wasted trip as we enjoyed climbing on the rocks and exposed kelp beds along the shoreline anyway.

After that, we raced to Arnarstapi, trying to beat the quickly fading sunlight (I use this term loosely, because it was so overcast and bleak that we hadn’t seen the sun all day). Our destination was Gatklettur, or the “Hellnar Arch,” which is a basalt stone arch approximately 500-1000 years old, being slowly carved out by the constant ocean waves. The name "Gatklettur" basically means "rock with a hole" in Icelandic. The arch stands as a testament to the slow, constant work of nature over centuries.

Having no interest in braving the wind and rain again, my wife and son stayed in the car while I went it alone. In hindsight, perhaps they made the wiser choice. The wind on the cliffs was like trying to walk through a hurricane. I was literally being pushed backwards along the path. It reminded me of the wind on the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland. Leaning so that I was almost horizontal, I finally made it up the trail only to find…nothing. I was on the cliffs, but I had no idea where the arch was! There were no signs, and trails headed off in several different directions. So, on instinct, I decided to head left along the cliffs, at least hoping to get a better vantage point to figure out where I needed to go. I lucked out as Gatklettur was right around the next bend. As I stood there admiring it, and trying to snap a photo, the wind constantly pelted my face with icy water. I could taste the salt on my lips, and my fingers were starting to freeze. What little light there was was also fading quickly. I finally surrendered and ran back to the car, not so much out of choice but because the wind was shoving me away.

The drive back to Reykjavik was brutal, as the wind and rain assaulted us the entire way back. On top of that, everyone else fell asleep, so I was left to fend for myself. Exhausted and starving, I had a yearning for fish and chips. On a tip from the lady at the hotel desk, we headed to the Pósthús Food Hall and Bar, which is basically like a food court. We found fish and chips at Finsen. It was magnificent. The fish were huge and tasty, and the accompanying mustard tartar sauce was also delicious. Stuffed and happy, I settled down to get warm and enjoy a movie.

The Northmen Vacation: Day 5

Today was another late start, but it didn’t really matter because our goal was seeing the Northern Lights. We found a map that showed cloud coverage over Iceland and decided to head north to the coast. But before we left, we stopped at BakaBaka bakery to sample their goods. We tried a variety of sweet and savory items from ham and cheese croissants to cardamom cinnamon rolls to apple crumble strudels to tomato basil rolls. Most of the food was good, although I was less sold on the cardamom cinnamon rolls.

We made the long trek to Hvammstangi, a small village on the Vatnsnes peninsula. Unfortunately, the lights of the village were too bright to see the sky properly, so we headed north along a desolate road. The sky was clear above us, but there were clouds lower down along the horizon. Around 6:00 p.m., my wife claimed she saw something over the giant dirt mound to our right. We stopped and waited, but whatever was happening was happening very low in the sky where the cloud coverage was. There were a few streaky white things, but no giant color ribbons like you usually see in photographs.

My wife still claims that what we saw was the Northern Lights, but I think we saw the Northern Clouds instead. I’m calling them the Faux Lights. I was very disappointed as this seems to be our only chance to see the Northern Lights. The weather is calling for rain and clouds all week, which sucks. After the Northern Bust, we drove back in the pitch blackness, chomping on the leftover pastries from breakfast.

The Northmen Vacation: Day 4

Our objective today was the Gullfoss waterfall. Along the way, we stopped at Thingvellir National Park. We had gotten a late start, so we didn’t have a lot of time to spend there. We mainly stayed around the visitor center and enjoyed the views. After 30 minutes or so, we proceeded to Gullfoss. Interesting fact, “foss” in Icelandic actually means “waterfall.”

Gullfoss was a massive waterfall that ran across a flat triangle-shaped plateau before plummeting to the ravine below. The noise was deafening and the spray reached us even up on the very top platform. It was freezing and windy along the observation deck, not to mention extremely crowded, so we didn’t stay for very long.

After some quick shopping for souvenirs, we headed down the road to see Geysir (pronounced gay-seer), a geyser that supposedly was taller than Old Faithful. We quickly learned that though it may be taller than Old Faithful, it was not as reliable. It only explodes after an earthquake, the last time being over a decade ago. So, we resigned ourselves to the smaller ? geyser, which exploded every 4-8 minutes.

The daylight was fading quickly, but we could still make out the geyser eruption in the darkening gloom. We watched it erupt several times, enjoying the build-up of churning water right before it did its thing. As the darkness descended completely upon us, we grabbed a quick hot chocolate and then headed back to Reykjavík.

We were delighted to find that my wife’s suitcase had arrived at the hotel by the time we got there. She was so relieved to finally have her stuff, that she immediately took a shower just so she could use everything. After that, we grabbed diner at Hresso’s, hoping to get some good fish and chips. Instead, we got some okay fish and potatoes (not fries). Wouldn’t recommend it.

The Northmen Vacation: Day 3

We awoke to it being pitch black outside. Apparently, the sun doesn’t rise until 11:30 a.m. Although, it’s a cloudy, rainy day, so I’m not sure we’ll see it when it does. My wife’s underwear still weren’t dry yet, so I had to trek down to get breakfast for all of us alone. It wasn’t until I got back that I realized that there’s a towel warmer in the bathroom. So, I put her underwear on that to dry faster.

The breakfast at the hotel was a full buffet in a large dining room. It was stocked with a variety of options for every tastebud. It was also completely empty. So, I had my pick of food, and I loaded up three boxes full to carry back to my room. The two ladies in the dining room were amazing, helping me with supplies, bags to carry the food in, and even a little carrier for the drinks.

After breakfast, I trekked out into the cold to find a store that sold lingerie. While I was able to find some panties, I couldn’t find a bra in the right size. Since I knew there was no rush while we waited for my wife’s underwear to dry, I decided to walk around the city a bit. It’s a quaint city with cute houses and little shops that reminded me a lot of Derry, Northern Ireland. And much like my time in Derry, I spent hours exploring it alone on foot.

I made my way to the half-frozen lake to see the swans, geese, ducks, and seagulls. I’ve never actually seen a swan in person before, so this was a surreal experience. And to commemorate the occasion, they even played me a song of accompanying trumpets and honks. After that, I decided to walk around the lake and look at the random statues and artwork adorning the shoreline.

After it started to drizzle again, I made my way back toward the hotel and stopped to grab a picture with Jólakötturinn, the famed black Yule Cat. It’s said that Jólakötturinn would eat any child that didn’t get new clothes for Christmas. This meant that children needed to be good and do their chores so that their parents were inclined to buy them new clothes and thus keep them from being eaten.

When I finally made it back to the room, Troy was playing on his LeapPad and my wife was sleeping. So, I decided to take a little nap too, since the long night last night and the exercise was making me tired. Troy got tired too and snuggled up next to me. When we awoke, the Christmas Market was going on outside, so we decided to go outside and see it. After all, that’s why we got here early, so we’d be able to enjoy it on the last weekend.

We shopped a few stalls at the Christmas Market, got kissed by a giant troll, got Troy’s picture with Santa Claus and his elf on the sidewalk, snapped another picture with Troy being eaten by Jólakötturinn, visited a head shop which actually ended up being a hat shop instead of selling new heads (both Troy and I were disappointed by this), watched the sunset at 3:30 in the afternoon, saw the famed Rainbow Road, and then roamed the streets to check out the little shops.

We ate dinner at Icelandic Street Food, where they serve soups in a bread bowl. They were a little pricey, but you get as many free refills on soup as you’d like, so there’s that. And they served free waffles for dessert. We had the lamb soup, and Troy and I enjoyed it, but my wife did not. So, she filled up on waffles instead.

After dinner, my wife and son wanted to go back to the hotel and rest again. So, they went back, and I wandered the streets alone. It’s funny how things come alive after dark. It’s like a night life, but it’s still only early evening. The streets were packed with people wandering around like me, eating, shopping, and snapping photos. I made my way back up to the Rainbow Road and then followed it up to Hallgrímskirkja church, which at 74-meters tall (almost 244 feet) is the tallest church in Iceland. Its gothic design gives the church a dark and haunting feel, especially at night. The natural cobalt columns on its sweeping outer walls pay homage to the cobalt cliffs to the northwest. While I didn’t get to go inside, the church also boasts a 5275 pipe organ. There is also a statue of Leif Erikson in the church plaza, a gift from the United States to commemorate Erikson’s believed discovery of America 500 years before Columbus.

From there, I wandered around some more until my feet started to hurt, and then I headed back to the hotel again. It was an enjoyable day.

The Northmen Vacation: Day 1

We decided to take a trip to Iceland. It was sort of an unexpected spontaneous trip for Christmas. We were trying to find a Christmassy place to go, and my wife was looking at places like Finland, Norway, Canada, and New York. But those places book up well in advance or are way too crowded, so we had to find an alternative plan. We didn’t really have Iceland on our bucket list of places to see, but we were watching a Hallmark movie one night where they go on a quest to Iceland to find the treasure of the Yule Lads. I casually turned to my wife and said, “What about Iceland.” And that’s how it began. I did research and found out that they had a lot of Christmas markets and holiday celebrations, so we pivoted and threw the trip together in a matter of days.

I’m really glad that it worked out, because I’ve been growing out an ace Viking beard for months now. And it would have been a huge waste if we’d gone to someplace like New York or Canada, where they don’t appreciate such displays of facial expression.

UPDATE: I’m very disappointed. The majority of men in Iceland are clean-shaven, and those that aren’t, are tourists like me. Oh well. I still feel connected to the past, even if they don’t. Plus, it’s keeping my face warm in the frigid wind.

Anyway, our trip started off with an immediate hitch. The car service that we hired to take us to the airport brought a car that was too small. We opted not to wait for them to go get a bigger car and make us late to the airport, so we had to drive ourselves. Which wouldn’t be such a big deal if we weren’t returning to a completely different airport! Oh well, go with the flow, right?

The airport check-in experience wasn’t too bad, except we weren’t able to get seats together on the plane. Oh well, go with the flow, right? Security wasn’t too bad, and we arrived with plenty of time to have a bite to eat before we boarded.

Troy and my wife sat next to a nice man that chatted to them about England and academia. While I sat next to a fascinating old woman, who told me all about her life in England (growing up in Newcastle), Canada (how beautiful Vancouver is), and the United States (residing in Dallas, but missing the cold). She was a former English teacher, well-educated and well-spoken, on her way to spend Christmas with her younger sister. She liked to cross country ski, play the piano, read, and watch movies. And we swapped stories about all kinds of things.

The second hitch we encountered was when Troy and I were going through immigration. My wife went through the EU Only line and zoomed through in two seconds. Troy and I got in a line that closed just as we got to the front. Then, we moved to another line where the woman in front of us had some sort of issue and ended up taking forever. Both of the other two lines processed ten or fifteen people in the time that it took this one woman. When we finally got to the booth, I realized that we had gotten the immigration agent from hell. He scrutinized everything about us and then told us that next time we’d need to provide written proof that we were allowed to travel, whatever that means. I had a hard time understanding him through his accent. He finally let us pass, and we realized that my wife had walked off and left us there. We had no idea where she’d gone, but she was nowhere to be found. So, we headed to baggage claim, and lo and behold there she was standing by the carousel. Which was annoying, especially considering that we almost didn’t even get cleared to be in this country!

The third hitch we encountered was arriving in Iceland only to find out that my wife’s suitcase didn’t arrive with us. We dropped off three bags at check-in, all at the same time, but hers is the only one that didn’t make it. She got emotional and started crying. She’s already decided that the whole trip is doomed. At this point, we have no idea where her bag actually is, which is stupid to me. Every bag has a tracking barcode on it. We have the other half, so I’m not sure why they can’t scan it and instantly know where the bag is. Why do they always need to “go investigate” and then get back to us?

We got our rental car and headed to Reykjavík, which was tricky because it was dark and cold and rainy. Luckily, my wife had put her winter coat in her carryon instead of her suitcase like Troy and I did. That and one change of clothes, but no underwear, so that’ll be interesting. Oh well, go with the flow, right?

The Hotel Borg is a very old, very nice hotel, if you can get to it that is. They have several streets closed off for the Christmas Market happening this weekend, so it was nigh impossible to get to where the GPS was leading us. Not to mention that the only parking is on the street, and there weren’t any spots available…anywhere in the city! After driving around unsuccessfully for 45 minutes, we finally called the hotel to get help. They directed us to a parking garage beneath city hall, but that was also full. We waited there for ten minutes for someone to leave and then proceeded to cram the car into one of the tiny little spots and unload it to walk the rest of the way. Which ended up being only about five minutes or so. Needless to say that we were exhausted when we finally got to our room.

Thanks to the ridiculous delay with the parking situation, it was almost ten o’clock when we finally checked in at the hotel, so most of the restaurants were closed, including the one in our own hotel. Luckily, the one in the hotel next door was still open, mostly because it had a bar. We settled in for a hearty meal, because by this point, we were starving. Everything on the menu was in Icelandic Krona, so we had to do the conversion to surprisingly find out that every dish cost was a small fortune, even the sides.

I decided to split a meal with Troy to reduce costs, so we got a lobster tail and tiger shrimp dish. It came with one small lobster tail and two slightly larger than regular sized shrimp. That was it…on a large plate. Luckily, we’d also gotten a side of rosemary garlic French fries, and they provided complimentary bread. My wife got a chicken dish and baby roasted potatoes. All of it was tasty, except the potatoes. And for that small pittance, we paid $65. This was to be a recurring theme in this city, but more on that later.

We headed back to the hotel for showers and then bed. It was close to one in the morning when we finally managed to crawl under the covers. Since my wife is on limited clothing, I washed her underwear in the shower and hung it up to dry. We’ll see how that turns out tomorrow.

Ghost Dog: Part 2

Me: “There’s Scooby Dooby Boo. Do you think he’s a ghost dog, or do you think he’s actually bioluminescent? We’ve never actually seen him at night. Maybe he glows in the dark.”
Troy: “I think he’s bioluminescent.”
Me: “You know that there are animals that can glow under a black light, right?”
Troy: “Yeah, I’ve seen it on the Kratt Brothers. They went deep into the ocean and found fish that can glow.”
Me: “That’s right. There’s fish, and corral, and squid. But did you know that scientists actually took the bioluminescent gene from one animal and put it into another animal to make it glow too?”
Troy: “Really?”
Me: “Yeah, they put it into a rabbit.”
Troy: “Really?! That’s awesome! What color was it?”
Me: “Mainly green, but I think they also did other colors too.”
Troy: “I bet it was blue or purple. I’d like to see a purple rabbit. Can I see a picture of it?”
Me: “Sure. When we get to school, I’ll show you. Did you know that that’s what Mama does? She works with genes.”
Troy: “Does she work with rabbits?”
Me: “No, but she works with mice sometimes. She takes their genes to study them.”
Troy [smiling]: “I can’t believe that Mama steals a mouse’s jeans!”
Me [laughing]: “Yeah, that’s all she does all day. She’s a pants thief!”

The Northish Pole

Troy: “Dada, how long will it take to fly to Iceland?”
Me: “About 15 or 16 hours.”
Troy: “Why does it take so long to get there? Where is Iceland exactly?”
Me: “Well, it’s a long way away. Very far to the north, almost to the top of the Earth.”
Troy: “And we’re going to be there for Christmas?”
Me: “Yep.”
Troy: “Then, how will Santa Claus find us so far from home?”
Me: “That’s a great question. I sent him a letter and asked him to deliver our gifts to our house while we’re gone. That way we didn’t have to try to pack them and bring them all the way home from Iceland.”
Troy: “That makes sense, I guess.”
Me: “You know where Santa lives?”
Troy: “At the North Pole.”
Me: “And do you know where that is?”
Troy: “No.”
Me: “It’s toward the top of the Earth, pretty much exactly where we’re going.”
Troy: “So, Santa lives in Iceland?”
Me: “Well, maybe not exactly in Iceland, but pretty close. I just meant that we’re going to be near his house.”
Troy: “Can we go visit him?”
Me [laughing]: “The North Pole is in the middle of nowhere. It’s very hard to get to. I mean Santa can’t have people just dropping by all the time.”
Troy: “I guess not. But it would have been cool to see his house.”
Me: “I agree.”