This is a travel day and day one of our Iceland adventure. We met at the airport, all a little sad since Linda Chermside had to cancel at the last minute. We will miss her. 
While waiting to board, we kept getting conflicting text messages from JetBlue. First, boarding was 10 minutes late, then 2 hours late, then on time, and finally 15 minutes late. We eventually did board, and it was a smooth flight to Boston. We didn't realize just how long of a walk it was from one gate to the next. It seemed to go on forever. As we walked, we talked, and found out that Kathleen had never been out of the United States before, so this is her first international trip. We are so excited for her!
With a five-hour layover, we spent time walking, talking, eating, and reading. The flight to Reykjavik left on time; we reached our destination a little early at 5:30 am Iceland time!  After visiting the baggage claim for our luggage, we located our driver and headed out.  It was a 45 - minute drive into Reykjavik, and  we learned all about the city from our driver.

Reykjavik is made up of seven small towns which is at least 65% of all the population in Iceland. Our driver said it is extremely difficult being in the rural areas during the winter which is why most of the population is housed in the towns.  He pointed to a pyramid-shaped mountain, the most active volcano in the country, the old American military base which had been turned into condos, the Harper Concert Hall, and the Höfði house, “built in 1909, and best known as the location for the 1986 Reykjavík Summit meeting of President Ronald Reagan of the United States and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. This meeting was an important step towards the ending of the Cold War.”(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B6f%C3%B0i)   One of the things the driver suggested was “FlyOver Iceland”. It sounded like a grand idea, but I didn't really think we'd have time to fit in a plane ride to see the whole country that way.  It turns out this is a tourist attraction, and he highly recommended it which is housed in a silver silo building.  He dropped us off at the Skuggi Hotel around 7 a.m. Iceland time.
It was way too early to check in, so after storing our suitcases with the hotel, we went off in search of breakfast. The hotel suggested a little place about four blocks away called the Sandholt. The food was fabulous.   Finishing up around 9:30, we left there stuffed, and it was time to go exploring. We had a free day, and five and ½ hours before checking into the hotel.  Heading in the general direction of the FlyOver Iceland exhibit. We wandered through an outdoor area with signs and statutes displaying some of the history of Reykjavik.  The Flyover Iceland exhibit was awesome. We learned about storytelling traditions, history and wildlife of Iceland, then were part of a simulated flying experience over the beauty and geography of Iceland. 

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Sandy and Kathleen caught a taxi, while Linda, Mary Ellen, and I walked back to the hotel cutting through some of the neighborhoods to get a better feel for the city. When we got back to the hotel, we looked for Sandy and Kathleen. They had been able to check in early so that's what the rest of us did as well.
Mary Ellen and I realized we were getting hungry and set off to find lunch, joined by Kathleen and Sandy, we ended up at Wake & Bake, The bagels and pastries were scrumptious.  We were able to sit in a cozy little area and chat while we ate. There was a young man sitting at the table behind us who overheard our conversation and offered a little bit of advice. I realized he had an American accent. He had been living in Reykjavik for almost 5 years and had moved there from South Carolina. We ended up getting dinner recommendations from him before we left.
​Our next stop was to check out the Hlemmur Mathölll food hall which was recommended by not only the man at the restaurant but also the hotel staff. It is like an upscale mall food court, so there were many choices to select dinner from, and we could all eat together. Then it was time to rest.  I was so tired I kept falling asleep as I was trying to work on this blog. I gave in and took a nap
We met in the lobby around 6 o'clock and headed out to eat. Dinner was an experience. Four of us had Icelandic hotdogs with Iceland ketchup. What makes Iceland ketchup so different? I was told by Kathleen that Iceland ketchup is made with apples for sweetener and not corn syrup. The hotdog was very good, and the ketchup had a little kick to it. Mary Ellen, Kathleen, and I finished off the meal with wonderful Gelato. 
​After eating all of that, I needed to walk.  Mary Ellen and Kathleen joined me; we headed to the  walking path along the water's edge. You could see a storm approaching in the distance.  
Our walk took us past the Sun Voyager sculpture before heading back to the hotel.

Tomorrow, we are all looking forward to the walking food tour but a little concerned about the possible rain showers.
First impressions and observations: 
  1. The topography is much like Hawaii; there are areas that are very flat and land covered with cold lava with hills in the background. 
  2. Weather: When we arrived in Iceland we all had to dig out warmer clothing. It was about 45 degrees Fahrenheit and windy. 
  3. The weather does change instantly so you really do need to be prepared. Layering is key!
  4. The electronic speed signs along the highway show the speed the car is  going. Then displays a smiley face if it's below this limit and a frowning face if you are above the limit. I saw a lot more frowning faces than smiley faces.