First Day Etc.

Here are some things about Iceland so far:

1. Actually, it's pretty freaking cold. I don't know why I didn't expect this--I looked up the weather and the name features "ice" fairly strongly. But I am freezing my tits off. I did not dress for this weather. Worse, everything here is super expensive as a result of no obvious reason, and at home, I have scarves, gloves and hats that I love dearly and am in no way lacking for---so I'd feel stupid buying extra cold weather stuff that I don't need at too high a price. The only option is to freeze. To death. Soon. Goodbye, friends.

(Look at the piddling excuse for cold weather gear I have. That scarf isn't even mine--it belongs to Jay Austin. JAY. AUSTIN. )

2. Their currency is insane. Josh and I extensively researched exchange rates and educated ourselves appropriately, but over here, we have discovered it to be inconsistent and confusing.


(CASH MONEY I think.)

3. It looks like a cross between an Ikea and THE SURFACE OF THE MOON. No, it's actually quite beautiful, but in sort of a stark, strange way. I keep telling Josh "WINTER IS COMING" and he looks at me in vague annoyance. The words I would use to describe Iceland are all the kinds that snobby people use to define white wines "flinty," or "mineral"--and I feel like a jerkoff every time I try to think about it. The lavafields are amazing, and there are all these strange little piles of stones in the middle of these giant tundra-esque moors. I think when we go out into the country tomorrow, I'll have more opinions about them.

The city itself is surprisingly modern, for a Nordic city. When I was in Norway, everything was so old, they had all these ancient churches and buildings and such. Everything here in the city is...Ikea.

4. Weirdest Thing Eaten So Far: fermented shark at a place called Cafe Loki. Yes, Legenders, CAFE LOKI. :O

It wasn't bad, actually. It smelled godawful, but you know, for rotting fish, it was pretty decent. It helped that I was having a beer called "Freya" at the time.