Iceland Day 1 (LONG POST)

S0 today was our first day out of the U.S., in Iceland and ready to party, but there was one problem. I was sick (I have been for about a week), stressed, and exhausted because I hadn't slept in the 24 hour period in which we were travelling and there is a 7 hour time difference. Everyone told me that the best way to adjust is JUST DO IT! Show up and stay awake until you are SUPPOSE TO SLEEP! Well I was determined to do that but it was 6 am and I was TIRED, much to my surprise it was raining and cold out also, adding insult to injury!

WE found our hotel okay and decided to get Welcome Passes which allowed us into many tourist spots free as well as unlimited bus use and we got to go to thermal spas for free too. I was so tired but I was trying to be a good sport so I went to the thermal spa.

It was gorgeous. This is the inside portion but there were also two outside hot tubs that were naturally heated with hot springs. They felt so good but one was a little to hot (I looked like a tomato coming out) and the other just a fraction to cold for the rainy weather. So after about a half hour we heard home!
This is where we are staying. We arrived from the airport around 9 and instead of making us wait until ten they let us check in right away! I was so grateful because my bags are HEAVY!
We had a quick lunch, which included a PB sandwich, pringles, and orange and yogurt. With how bad my stomach was hurting I was not about to put more junk in it! I am still grateful with my choice!

In short, I was having a really really rough day! This is not how I wanted to start my European vacation but I was so tired I wanted to cry, scream, kick and sleep until it all went away! I know I sound like a huge baby but being tired and sick can really do that to me. Have no fear I wasn't about to give up! I wasn't going to bed until 8 if it killed me so Brent and I ventured out to the National Museum! It is there that I had a great moment of inspiration! CAFFEINE! I never drink the stuff so I bought a diet coke from the gift shop and IT CHANGED EVERYTHING! I was finally awake enough to enjoy everything! And we did! Nothing got me down, including the pouring rain as we were out walking around in it... ALL DAY!
We saw a lot of wonderful things in the museum! This is a statue of Mary, Baby Jesus and St Anne, Mary's mother, carved out of drift wood. It is so beautiful!
This is me pulling on a Nordic bell. I later figured out I wasn't suppose to be touching... oops!
Brent playing dress up! The helmet had actual chain mail and was very heavy but Brent said it didn't weigh a whole lot once it was on.
On the wall there were symbols that were suppose to help young Icelandic men get wives! This one was my favorite!
After the museum we were walking around (in the rain!) and a SUV took a sharp turn into a round about and soaked us! I thought it only happened in the movies but our dripping clothes confirm it is possible in real life too! I should have been mad but I was laughing to hard to think about the fact that I was going to get colder. By the end of the day my hair was TOTALLY wet!

While walking around we found this great Cemetery. For most it is a little to morbid to find interesting but Brent and I always seem to end up finding a cemetery on our adventures and this one had so much character it is my current favorite! All of the plots are sectioned off and raised so they look more like grass beds than graves. I like how this picture illustrates that even in the After-life you can tell certain individuals DO NOT want to get to know their neighbors (you know, because he has a cement wall around his plot blocking out the others!)
Don't worry I found the plot I plan to have! I love the fence and the simple but elegant memorial! Plus it is just a little flashy! Brent couldn't decide on one so he had to chose three. I think they are all interesting for different reasons. This place was amazing, and I think the overgrown, personalized, old looking plots beat out the well manicured American ones any day!
After we finished at the cemetery we went walking to City Hall. It is built over a pond, which is where we took this picture!
Inside there was a little art museum and we found this swam sculpture! Mom I bet you and your preschoolers could make something even cooler than this our of folded newspaper!
Once outside Brent flocked with the Birds. These birds were super aggressive too! We saw them take Bread straight out of tourist hands. It was pretty cool, but lets hope there is never a food shortage for their sake!
When Brent saw this mural (as we were walking to a church) he thought of Toren saying "how did they get such a good picture of the manatee?!"
Our next stop was Halgrim Skirkja! This is the best place to visit in Reykjavik. Brent loved it! this place was a massive massive cathedral! Brent loves churches! Behind us are the organ pipes! They are about 30-40 feet tall at least!
This is a wonderful Stained Glass Window in the Cathedral! It was so gorgeous!
After the cathedral we went to the second biggest tourist spot "The Pearl". Inside of "The Pearl" there is a spiral stair case that is over an indoor pond. As we are walking in a geyser shoots up into the air. It happened about every 5 minutes so you bet we got pictures while we were looking around!
The dome is why it is called the pearl and it has five round cylinders holding it up. Brent informed me that the cylinders house naturally hot spring water, so they don't have to pay to heat it up... or something like that!
I saw the incline and decided to climb up! Doing the bear climb is really fun! I am about 10-12 feet up in this picture!
After "The Pearl" we headed back to the bus stop. I have to say I am pretty proud of Brent because within a few hours he had the system down, and with our Welcome Cards we could use the buses as much as we like... and we did! Well we were waiting for bus 18 (it was 4:25 pm) and I said that the bus would be there at 4:44 and Brent said 4:46. So of course we bet a 5 minute back rub on it, and went to look that the schedule. Well, in my mind we wanted bus 18 so I found the 18 and saw that it came at 44 after the hour, that is when Brent started laughing because the first number is the hour so I should have been looking at the 16:00 (4:00 pm) making him the winner of the bet! This is a good lesson on why Blonds should never Bet!
After "The Pearl" we headed to the mall looking for something nice to get a a souvenir. It was a nice mall but VERY upper end so we didn't find anything but Ice cream! Now, it is pretty evident that I am the blogger and therefore get to record all these wonderful memories for everyone to read, but Brent was feeling a little left out. That is when I had the great idea that he should sample Gellato in every place we visit and then rate it. While at the mall we had a splendid Oreo gellato, make sure to check back to see what he thought!

After we finisihed at the mall we ran out side just in time to see our bus, so we ran and hoped on... well the thing is it wasn't our bus! Instead of the ten minute ride home we ended up taking an hour ride all around the country. This made me realize that the Reykjavik bus drivers are REALLY REALLY terrible. They never stay in their lane, they miss stops, they miss people, they almost hit cars... it is a pretty interesting system but I actually don't mind at all because at least they are on time and take you where you need to go!

Once at our home station Brent decided to finish with a little gambling at our local Lottery store... Just kidding, but we do have one less than a block away from us!
Overall the day started out rough. I wasn't meant to adapt to a 7 hour time difference in a day but once I got my second wind (also know at stimulant) it was amazing seeing the city and the life! I loved it! Sorry the blog is so long but I just wanted to remember all of it!