We’re hungry…but not so hungry that we want to go to a fine dining establishment tonight. Plus we have had a full day of sightseeing so we don’t really want to head back into the city center either. What to do? What to do? There is the Pearl observatory right across the street from our hotel. I ask at the front desk and they say, yes, it is an easy 10 minute walk up to the observatory. There is a self-service restaurant open until 9p.m. plus a five-star French gourmet restaurant that revolves on the upper level…and from either dining locale one can enjoy the breathtaking views of…well, Iceland is so flat I think depending on what direction you are looking…you can see the U.K. to the east; and NYC to the west. The locals say if you get lost whilst driving in Iceland just stand up…you’ll find your way.
We decide soup and salad will do us just fine so after blow-drying our clothes dry from our days adventure and changing our soaked socks, we prepare ourselves for literally, a walk in the park to the observatory. It starts out harmlessly enough…we’re walking, we’re climbing, meandering and then, boom, the gentle incline path becomes an aerobic workout…and the resistance is provided by the wind which was gentle enough when we started …mind you 5 minutes ago, but is not blowing so hard that it feels like it will topple Mom and I over. Never mind the fact that even with gloves, our fingers are now frozen…and trying to take a photo? Can’t steady the camera in the wind…with semi-frozen fingers….
Wow…Mom is breathing heavy but …and kudos to her…she perseveres, braved the elements and won. We get inside the Pearl Observatory where it is thankfully warm and dry. We have some Icelandic meat soup…a cross between cabbage stew and minestrone with lots of lamb thrown in too. Plus a yummy salad bar, a smoked salmon salad for me…bread and butter, desserts and coffee…all with the same view that the gourmet restaurant diners are experiencing but at a quarter of the cost. We even sat where we could hear the piano player tinkling the ivories…and we were the only diners….hhhmmmm…could that be because of the gale force winds outside? Oh, no what is that sound? Mom said it is the rain falling on the observatory windows…a steady whooshing sound…it stands to reason but that wasn’t it. The observatory has its own geyser…okay, we would call it a fountain but this is Iceland. Every four minutes it shoots a column of water from the first floor of the observatory to almost the fifth…almost.
After spending about two hours enjoying the view…and a good meal…wait, lets talk about “the view”. It’s nighttime…it’s cloudy. Not much more to say there. I wonder about the concept of the revolving restaurant. What exactly is it revolving to see? There were lights twinkling in the distance…not too far bend the city limits because remember most of the island is uninhabitable so there’s no point in illuminating…well, nothing.
Before we leave Mom needs to use the ladies room and so she does. It takes her a really long time to return. When she does, she tells me she has done her good deed for the day. No, it’s not what you may be thinking. Turns out one of the patrons of the fancy restaurant has gotten herself locked in one of the bathroom stalls…and can’t get out. No joke. So Mom goes up to the maitre d’ at the fancy restaurant, explains the situation…and next we see a waiter going in with a towel?….then a few more employees…then next, a ladder. The woman emerges unscathed and Mom has scored karmic brownie points.
Time to go…and we are looking for a path back to the hotel where we can stay indoors as long as possible. That being accomplished…we go to open the exit door…and we can’t. That’s how strong the wind is…with a man’s assistance the door is opened and we face the elements…again. This time there is rain and wind…we can’t walk fast enough back to the hotel.
“Hey Mom. Look. A bunny rabbit. And there along the path, trying to be hidden in the grass in the darkness is a bunny rabbit”..We stop to take his picture. He doesn’t move. Mom said it is because we scared him. I say it is because he was frozen. You decide.
Back at the hotel, the thermostat is set for 95 degrees. That suits us just fine.
Under the down comforters we go to get some sleep. Can’t wait to see what Mother Nature/Icelandic style has in store for us tomorrow….
We decide soup and salad will do us just fine so after blow-drying our clothes dry from our days adventure and changing our soaked socks, we prepare ourselves for literally, a walk in the park to the observatory. It starts out harmlessly enough…we’re walking, we’re climbing, meandering and then, boom, the gentle incline path becomes an aerobic workout…and the resistance is provided by the wind which was gentle enough when we started …mind you 5 minutes ago, but is not blowing so hard that it feels like it will topple Mom and I over. Never mind the fact that even with gloves, our fingers are now frozen…and trying to take a photo? Can’t steady the camera in the wind…with semi-frozen fingers….
Wow…Mom is breathing heavy but …and kudos to her…she perseveres, braved the elements and won. We get inside the Pearl Observatory where it is thankfully warm and dry. We have some Icelandic meat soup…a cross between cabbage stew and minestrone with lots of lamb thrown in too. Plus a yummy salad bar, a smoked salmon salad for me…bread and butter, desserts and coffee…all with the same view that the gourmet restaurant diners are experiencing but at a quarter of the cost. We even sat where we could hear the piano player tinkling the ivories…and we were the only diners….hhhmmmm…could that be because of the gale force winds outside? Oh, no what is that sound? Mom said it is the rain falling on the observatory windows…a steady whooshing sound…it stands to reason but that wasn’t it. The observatory has its own geyser…okay, we would call it a fountain but this is Iceland. Every four minutes it shoots a column of water from the first floor of the observatory to almost the fifth…almost.
After spending about two hours enjoying the view…and a good meal…wait, lets talk about “the view”. It’s nighttime…it’s cloudy. Not much more to say there. I wonder about the concept of the revolving restaurant. What exactly is it revolving to see? There were lights twinkling in the distance…not too far bend the city limits because remember most of the island is uninhabitable so there’s no point in illuminating…well, nothing.
Before we leave Mom needs to use the ladies room and so she does. It takes her a really long time to return. When she does, she tells me she has done her good deed for the day. No, it’s not what you may be thinking. Turns out one of the patrons of the fancy restaurant has gotten herself locked in one of the bathroom stalls…and can’t get out. No joke. So Mom goes up to the maitre d’ at the fancy restaurant, explains the situation…and next we see a waiter going in with a towel?….then a few more employees…then next, a ladder. The woman emerges unscathed and Mom has scored karmic brownie points.
Time to go…and we are looking for a path back to the hotel where we can stay indoors as long as possible. That being accomplished…we go to open the exit door…and we can’t. That’s how strong the wind is…with a man’s assistance the door is opened and we face the elements…again. This time there is rain and wind…we can’t walk fast enough back to the hotel.
“Hey Mom. Look. A bunny rabbit. And there along the path, trying to be hidden in the grass in the darkness is a bunny rabbit”..We stop to take his picture. He doesn’t move. Mom said it is because we scared him. I say it is because he was frozen. You decide.
Back at the hotel, the thermostat is set for 95 degrees. That suits us just fine.
Under the down comforters we go to get some sleep. Can’t wait to see what Mother Nature/Icelandic style has in store for us tomorrow….
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