Getting to Reykjavik, was an Icelandic Saga in itself, taking a year to actually arrive. In 2023, the flight from Philadelphia to Toronto was delayed and finally cancelled. That domino knocked over any connection to Iceland that would have gotten there in time to board the cruise ship. Battered by that experience, and possessing insurance, 2024 was a do over.
The travel gnomes, pixies and trolls tweaked our noses again in ’24. No sooner had we settled at gate than a one hour delay was posted. Fortunately we boarded only that one hour late. We pulled away from the gate and went nowhere. Our route was closed due to thunderstorms. We awaited a new route. Some ten minutes later we got one. And still we didn’t move. A heavy rain cell was passing through, which the pilot referred to as “only about five miles across.”
Well making it away from the gate was further than we got in ’23. When we finally made it to Toronto a celebration should have been in order but with unappealing food choices and overpriced alcohol, it just wasn’t fun. Thankfully, the Iceland flight boarded uneventfully and we arrived on schedule.
Country 44-flat, gray and wet. My initial impression of Iceland was that tourist sites cheat by waiting for the one day of sunshine all year to take photos. It could only get better.
Never one to waste an afternoon it was off to the Phallological Museum. That museum would not require significant cerebral processing, or so I thought. Hilarious cartoons lined the stairs down into the lobby. Perfect! We had a good laugh imagining the byplay between husband and wife as the joke phallus collection began outgrowing their house. Dusting around them, Sweetheart? No. When the collection outgrew the house it was time for a museum. More scientific than prurient, cerebral process was necessary. There were fun facts about creatures and their anatomy. For example the domestic pig can orgasm for fifteen minutes, well ok! Only Phallological Museum in the world, check that off the list.
Sunshine broke through from time to time during day two allowing for a delightful walkabout between visiting shops and galleries. The National Gallery, all three parts, was delightful. Each had at least one artist and usually more whose work engaged us in fun and thoughtful ways. The contemporary artists combining media, sound, sight and the viewer were best. I came away with a new art project in mind and a path forward to execute it. Reykjavík City Museum was also fun, taking visitors time traveling through all the eras that site in the city occupied. The reuse and repurposing of the building site fascinated.
Day three is logistics. Check out of hotel. Taxi to ship. Board ship. Learn where everything is. Find entertainment schedule. Gee, have we done this before?
The saga continues: https://www.clarenovak.com/location/isafjordour-rural-iceland/
