Classes and modeling and reindeer

Today was the day when my body decided it did not like the schedule we had. I couldn't fall asleep last night until almost 2 and when I had to wake up at 7:30, my body thought it was the middle of the night. I dragged myself out of bed and went to class though.

The lectures this morning were much better. I think the instructors got the impression that more than half of us weren't following along at all...which is exactly the case!! After a morning of lectures and lunch, we had a quick introduction to the modeling exercises we were to do for the next day and a half.
After a break, we split into groups and I headed with mine over to one of the computer labs to run modeling exercises on something involving the collision and deposition of molecules in molecular clouds and how to look for when we might find water. Yeah...not fun...at all. I clung to an astrophysicist that I met on a coffee break (see perk to smoking...make friends with other smokers!) and she pulled me through most of it.

After 4 1/2 hrs of that we headed back to the hotel to get changed for our fancy welcome dinner. We were a bit skeptical based on the other meals we've had but this was EXCELLENT!

I unfortunately can't post pictures in this because it's not cooperating, but I've put pictures of all the food up on my flickr site, linked to in another post.

We were served 3 courses of traditional Icelandic meals with accompanying wines.

1st course was a creamy, garlicky, cheesy risotto which was AMAZING! It was paired with a German white wine which was okay.

2nd course was...ready for this? Reindeer. Yep, I ate Rudolph and it was DELICIOUS!!!!! Kind of a cross between prime rib and lamb. Not at all like venison. It was so freaking good, I couldn't believe it. It wsas paired with a Chilean red wine which happens to be the one Chilean one I really like, so of course, that was great!

3rd course was a crepe like thing filled with whipped cream and blueberry sauce and surrounded with strawberries and blueberries. (Oh yeah...did I forget to mention that the Icelandic definition of "gluten free" is a bit different then at home so I figured if I'm going to have to eat it to survive at lunch, I'd might as well eat it all the time. Oh well...I'm dealing.) Anyways, I digress, it was paired with a dessert wine that was awesome. It tasted like honey and I'm normally not a fan of dessert wines at all.
Ingeborg and I left before coffee so we could stop at the store on the way back to the hotel.
Have I mentioned how expensive stuff here is? So for a bottle of water, small bottle of OJ, and a package of crackers it cost me 1300 Icelandic Krona which is a little more than $10. I might as well be back in the Bahamas!!! A pack of Juicy Fruit gum was 150 krona so a bit more than $1. With the economy so bad here I don't know how locals live!

Anyways, heading to bed since we have a VERY long day tomorrow.
We meet from 8:30-1 to do another modeling class (whoo hoo...I can hardly wait...gag), then leave for a trip to the botanical gardens where we are having lunch. Then we are going to the Blue Lagoon (yeah that's the hot springs you see on the Travel Channel), and then having a Viking Dinner (whatever that is or means!)
I'll try to post tomorrow night when we get back!

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Part of trip: Iceland

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