Seeking Beauty on Roads Less Traveled

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

Some days just feel more like cosmic jokes than others....and maybe Mom has now finally learned that there is some truth to that age-old adage, "Beware of what you wish for". Ever since last year the resounding chorus and theme from her has been, "You never take me anywhere. I haven't been to Iceland". Oh, well, she will have to pick some other theme song like, "You never take me anywhere because I've never been to an obscure monastery down a road of 99 twists and 49 u-turns inTibet" because we have done Iceland...or Iceland is trying to do us in...one or the other.It started relatively harmless enough (I am presently writing this as the typing is being drowned out by a howling wind outside accompanied by rain) on Icelandair from JFK - Reykjavik. For those of us in the airline industry, I know there is not a lot to appreciate about our jobs anymore but the fact that we can fly business or first with a fair degree of frequency is a freaking bless

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