Blogs from Southwest, Iceland, Europe - page 17

I visit the main post office of every capitol city I visit. This time I could do my business without having to worry about how bored my wife is getting. I must say that these folks are amongst the most efficient and customer orientated postal authorities I have ever encountered, very philatelic centred. I then went to meet a couple of friends from the village we live in for lunch. They had discovered this wonderful fresh fish restaurant on the harbour front. The Fish Baron. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqpQQHyah7c I had a halibut brochette, brushed with lemon butter. It was excellent, fresh and flakey. For those of you that like fish soup, my friends swear by this house specialty, loaded with lobster meat and its broth. I was especially grateful to Bertrand and Claire for taking me for a ... read more

Because of the air traffic controllers strike, we had to circle the Reykjavik airport for 20 minutes before landing. It was a long walk from the plane to customs. I was surprised at the size of airport given the size of the city but it is a hub for Europe after all. A good occasion to stretch my legs. Customs was a breeze. The agent matched my face to the passport photo and stamped it. Somewhat like Calgary and WalMart, there were lots of greeters ready to answer questions and direct people out of the airport. Since my flight had been delayed thrice, I was worried I would miss my connections to my hotel and hot springs. Not to worry as the bus company changed my tickets to take me to Blue Lagoon and then on ... read more

While in Reykjavik, we explored this hip artistic Capitol. I created a list of the places we went: Hallgrimskirkja (Church) Lebowski Bar Kafinn (Coffee house) Kex (Hostel) Sandholt (Bakery) Volcano House Art Museum Bravo (Happy hour) Reyjkavik Chips (French fry place) I must say at the church, I was most impressed with the extensive organ system. Awed by it, actually. At Lebowski Bar we ordered fries and milkshakes - delicious. Kafinn, an adorable basement coffee house, made delicious cappuccinos. Kex was the hostel we stayed at. This place was unbelievably hip inside. From the outside, it is so inconspicuous. One would never know what lied inside! Sanholt was my favorite bakery, their chocolate croissants are the most flaky and buttery I've yet tasted. The second day, I ordered two. Volcano House showed nearly an hour long ... read more

This is a must see - the only penis museum in the world, and it is in downtown Reykjavik. The museum contains a collection of phallic specimens that belong to a variety of native mammals, both land and water creatures. This museum contains more than 200 penises, most preserved in formaldehyde. There are even three Homo Sapiens specimens (humans) and three more pending donations with written letters declaring their "prized possessions" will be donated to the Phallogical museum after their death. There are even 20 or more folklore specimens. As an American, this topic is a very taboo one, especially in regard to displaying for all to see, but for Europeans, it is a quite interesting and intriguing display. ... read more

Today, in the town of Hveragerdi, I got to experience the effects of the 6.6 Richter Scale earthquake that hit in 2008. It was a very eye-opening learning experience. The "museum" displayed photos of destruction, videos, and personal accounts. It also had an earthquake simulator for a small fee. The simulator simulated what it would feel like to be standing during a 6.6 Ricther Scale earthquake, just like the one that hit in 2008. It was terrifying to think what I felt in the simulator happened to so many of the people, their families, and homes in this small Icelandic town. Tragedy strikes all over the world in different forms, but tragedy in the form of natural disaster can be the most terrifying. Mother Nature is one powerful force. Today I saw the aftermath of that ... read more