Battered, bruised, and a little bit intoxicated - a Transatlantic Crossing updated 02/13/18 - Page 5 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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There are other changes as well.
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We go on to the joy and through the tears
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Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
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To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
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So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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We left the Blue Lagoon and started climbing in elevation. The scenery in Iceland is really like nothing else I’ve ever seen. We came back down along the coast, and since it was now after 1:30 we decided lunch was in order. We found a spot that looked good from the outside and after checking the menu in the entryway, we decided to give it a try. We both opted for fish and chips. I have no idea what kind of fish it used, but it was DELICIOUS! It was very white, very flaky, and not at all greasy. The breading wasn’t overpowering, as it wasn’t too thick. It was expensive, which we were expecting. Iceland is not a budget destination. Lunch was $50 and all we had was the fish & chips - no dessert, no starter, no drink other than the ice water.
On the downside, it was HOT inside the restaurant. I realized the radiator was right under our table, and it was turned up almost all the way. So, now that I had the hang of Icelandic radiators, I turned it off! . I also opened the window I was sitting next to. Much better!
Bellies full, we traveled on toward the Bridge Between Continents. A light house caught my eye, though, and we decided to see if we could get to it. We not only got to the lighthouse, but also to a coastal area with a memorial to penguins that used to inhabit the island! You could also see some small islands/rocks off the coast that are inhabited by birds, and bird poop. The view was fantastic, but the wind was brutally cold so we didn’t stay out there too long.
Back in the care and back toward the destination. This is where the North American and Eurasian plates split. They have information about it, and then you literally walk on a bridge between the two plates. Pretty cool, and for my geeky hubby, something he really enjoyed. When we first arrived, it was us and a small handful of others, so I didn’t think it was something most people probably did. But as we got into our car to leave, a tour bus pulled up FULL of people. Glad we’d finished before they arrived.
We pointed the car toward Reykjavik, but the GPS couldn’t seem to find our hotel. We stopped for a bathroom break and saw an Icelandic bakery. In the name of research, we felt we had to stop to try it out. So glad we did!! Mike found a giant chocolate frosted donut type pastry. I think it was as big as his head. Mine was smaller, but probably more decadent. It looked like a Boston cream donut, but it was filled with NUTELLA!!! When I bit into it, the Nutella was oozing out like a lava flow! Perfect afternoon snack.
Plus, the bakery had wifi so we were able to get hotel directions on my phone. That would’ve helped, but as we got within blocks of the hotel ALL the streets became pedestrian only. We couldn’t turn at any of the places the GPS was telling us to. We ended up going in to a hairdresser’s and she gave us directions. Success!
I dropped Mike and our luggage and moved the car across the street to a public lot. That was $15 rather than the $50 it would be if we’d turned the car over to the valet - and they would have used the same covered lot I was using. $35 difference in cost (before a tip I would have given a valet) was worth me walking across the street!
Our hotel was part of the Hilton family, but is the only one of it’s kind - Canopy by Hilton. They are opening a second one soon in Washington DC!!! I thought that was pretty funny - the next one will be in our backyard. The hotel had a quirky, urban vibe that I really loved.
Each night they do free tastings of Icelandic food and drink. I was able to try Icelandic beer, and we also had local cheese. It looked like a Brie, but tasted so much better - smoother and sweeter, no bitterness. It had a little honey and pinenuts (I think) over the top.
After putting our luggage in our room and stopping for the snack, we went out to explore the area around our hotel.
Since it was all pedestrian streets, it was easy to wander around. Many of the shops were closed (it was after 6 pm), but we wandered in and out of a few souvenir shops, which seemed to have mostly tacky souvenir junk, or really expensive Icelandic woolen goods. I would have loved a sweater, but I had an idea in my head of what I wanted it to look like and nothing lived up to that! (Does that happen to anyone else, or is it just me? It drives Mike crazy!). The other fact is that I live somewhere that doesn’t have what I consider to be “real” winter so I wasn’t sure how much use I’d get from it. Plus, I’m at that time in my life where I seem to be in my own perpetual summer, if you know what I mean, so again, probably not a practical purchase. Nice to look at though! We also came across a Chuck Norris Cafe. Who knew Chuck Norris was so popular in Iceland?! The windows were so funny - hope you can read them…
Mike began fading FAST, so I knew we needed to get back to the hotel ASAP. We hadn’t eaten yet, and when we came across a little market that sold hot dogs, we decided to get some to go, and head back to the hotel to eat. All the guide books had said you had to try the hotdogs, and after our expensive lunch, we liked the idea of a bargain dinner. Well, the guide books did NOT lie - Icelandic hotdogs are delicious! They are long and thin, and have a very snappy casing. They serve them with brown mustard, ketchup, and what they refer to as remoulade. That looked like mayo, but had a taste all its own - yummy. The market cashier even found a box to put them in making it easier for us to carry them back to the hotel. We also got some drinks, and I got another Skyr yogurt for dessert!
Mike was in bed by 8:15, wiped out. I was pretty amazed he’d made it that long, given how much the Blue Lagoon had taken out of him. That’s when I did my hair conditioner treatment, and wrote up my notes from the trip so far. Not surprisingly, I was getting pretty tired too. Given I probably only slept 2 or 3 hours the night before, I relished the idea of an early night. However, I worried about getting to sleep with the noise. This was another hotel with a transom window and having learned our lesson last night, we kept it open. But there was a fair amount of street traffic. It did finally quiet down around 10:30 or so. I’m not sure I’d want to stay there (at least not in a street-facing room) on a weekend night.
Tomorrow: OK, that took a little longer than I thought - we really need to get to the airport!
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Nice day on the trip. Thought you would have dined at the eatery at the Blue Lagoon like Cheryl and Mark did but you chose elsewhere, which seemed to be good except for the radiator! Room looks nice and spacious. Too funny with the Chuck Norris restaurant as not the country I would have thought of him having a restaurant! Prices seem high with the Fish and Chips but then again it's a rsort area near the Blue Lagoon and Iceland is an island!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Nice day on the trip. Thought you would have dined at the eatery at the Blue Lagoon like Cheryl and Mark did but you chose elsewhere, which seemed to be good except for the radiator! Room looks nice and spacious. Too funny with the Chuck Norris restaurant as not the country I would have thought of him having a restaurant! Prices seem high with the Fish and Chips but then again it's a rsort area near the Blue Lagoon and Iceland is an island!
We had reservations for Lava, but worried that would end up. Cutting short time to see other things. Next time I’ll skip the masssage, and go for the lunch.
We found most things were quite expensive, but we’d been warned so did expect the high prices.
Sounds like a great day and I think you both did amazingly, given you were still jetlagged and coming this way is way worse than going to the States for that.
I love the bridge between continents - very neat. I thought that was going to be elsewhere and something we'd done, but apparently not. Glad you enjoyed your hotel - I loved the fact they had tastings at the hotel. What a great idea!
What an amazing day!! That is too funny about the Penguin Memorial and the Chuck Norris Cafe! Interesting culture. All of your food looks yummy and sounds delicious and you guys sure got a lot accomplished!! I the photos of the two of you!!
Wow that really is an expensive lunch. I really like the landscape quite beautiful. Funny your comment about the sweater, having an idea of what you want in your head, my daughter is like that when she shops and it drives me nuts. Great hotel room, I like the style.
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Sounds like a great day and I think you both did amazingly, given you were still jetlagged and coming this way is way worse than going to the States for that.
I love the bridge between continents - very neat. I thought that was going to be elsewhere and something we'd done, but apparently not. Glad you enjoyed your hotel - I loved the fact they had tastings at the hotel. What a great idea!
It was a great day.
I thought the tastings were a nice touch - and great for showcasing local items.
What an amazing day!! That is too funny about the Penguin Memorial and the Chuck Norris Cafe! Interesting culture. All of your food looks yummy and sounds delicious and you guys sure got a lot accomplished!! I the photos of the two of you!!
The Chuck Norris thing had us both laughing, and scratching our heads a bit.
All things considered, we did accomplish a lot. And it was nice to have the afternoon less structured as we loved all we did that wasn’t initially planned!
Wow that really is an expensive lunch. I really like the landscape quite beautiful. Funny your comment about the sweater, having an idea of what you want in your head, my daughter is like that when she shops and it drives me nuts. Great hotel room, I like the style.
So I’m not the only one who does that then!? Believe me, I drive MYSELF nuts with it!
I loved the hotel. Sorry I didn’t get pictures of the lobby area. They had an enormous collection of records (yes, the wax kind!) and you could check out a record player to use! See what I mean about it being a hip, urban kind of place?
Great day! Your lunch looked delicious, although certainly pricey! Your snacks at the bakery looked wonderful too! Too funny about the Chuck Norris Café!
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Great day! Your lunch looked delicious, although certainly pricey! Your snacks at the bakery looked wonderful too! Too funny about the Chuck Norris Café!
We are talking about a return to Iceland, for more like a week, but that’s one thing we'll have to consider - how pricey things are.
Those Chuck Norris ‘facts’ cracked me up, and I’m not really a fan of his. They were just so funny, and unexpected.
I am in with this yogurt! You can find it at my grocery store, but it’s expensive. It may be something I treat myself to every once in a while. I ate quite a bit in our two days in Iceland.
Colleen...check Harris Teeter...we get skyr there.
ETA...ooopss I read that to mean you COULDN'T find skyr! I guess that's what I get trying to read fast!
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. I also opened the window I was sitting next to. Much better!
The view was fantastic, but the wind was brutally cold so we didn’t stay out there too long.
When I bit into it, the Nutella was oozing out like a lava flow! Perfect afternoon snack. 
(Does that happen to anyone else, or is it just me? It drives Mike crazy!). The other fact is that I live somewhere that doesn’t have what I consider to be “real” winter so I wasn’t sure how much use I’d get from it. Plus, I’m at that time in my life where I seem to be in my own perpetual summer, if you know what I mean, so again, probably not a practical purchase. Nice to look at though! We also came across a Chuck Norris Cafe. Who knew Chuck Norris was so popular in Iceland?! The windows were so funny - hope you can read them…
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Room looks nice and spacious. Too funny with the Chuck Norris restaurant as not the country I would have thought of him having a restaurant! 
Prices seem high with the Fish and Chips but then again it's a rsort area near the Blue Lagoon and Iceland is an island! 
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All of your food looks yummy and sounds delicious and you guys sure got a lot accomplished!! I 
the photos of the two of you!!
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