Well my trip started off with a 17.5 hour excursion to get to Reykjavik from Florida…I say this because it is only a 5 hour flight from NYC and slightly longer from DC & Boston…After only 2 days in Reykjavik, I can say that this would be a fabulous adventure for anyone, especially since it is so easy to get here…that is if you live in the NE. Reykjavik is a wonderful city with a “Village” feel. Easy…walkable and very friendly.

My flight arrived an hour earlier than expected…when does that ever happen? It was a drizzily start but not too cold(upper 40’s). I will admit that I was exhausted…seems my body couldn’t sleep more than 4 hours on the 2 previous nights before my departure…and then I had a doctor’s appointment at 7am the day of! So I was a bit slap happy upon arrival. It took 2 Fly Buses from the airport to get me close to my Guest house, “Our House”. After walking the 5 minute walk(that took me 10 since, as those who know me will attest, I get lost on a dime!). I suspected I packed too heavy while lugging just my back pack around JFK for 8 hours…but Robert Green, who kindly took me to the airport, commented as we loaded the car that I packed light…but now that I was sleep deprived… jet lagged…cold…and lost I was sure I packed too heavily…or at least my shoulders and back thought that!

Once I arrived at the guest house, I was greeted by  Bedda, the woman who runs it…she is as wonderful and lively as her website would imply. I chose this place soley based on her humor on the site. She wrote that if she were impressed by the music you listened to, then there may be a discount..if not there may be additional charges…that won me over…and I began to ponder what music that might be so as not to get stung (-:  …well upon arrival I saw a stack of old 60’s & 70’s rock LPs sitting atop a Stereo and the top one was one of my favorites, Jim Croce. I mentioned that I loved him and Voila she put a “Jim Croce Discount” on my bill!

The House was hers & her family’s and then she decided to turn it into a Hostile and now it is a Guest House. While she lives somewhere else she or her manager, Ernesto, take care of us…although sometimes as she says, there is no one tending to the Chaos! But they are always a phone call away if need be..It is so comfortable and inviting. It feels like you are just visiting a friend’s house. There are 2 indoor sitting rooms, a great kitchen with anything you would need to cook or in my case shoot straight caffeine into me…I am not a coffee drinker but on my arrival, I decided since I was having lunch with Rafner, a friend and fellow production person, I needed to be actually conscious. There are several private rooms and 3 baths(one on each floor with a sauna in the basement) that are shared. There are also 2 outdoor porches to enjoy the fresh air…and for my part, thicken my blood in the cold a bit before my hikes…The rooms are quite comfortable and you really can’t beat the location.It is walking distance to everywhere. Now, having said that…it is in the heart of downtown. Reykjavik is a relatively  quiet city UNTIL after midnight and then, it seems the party begins…I hear Friday and Saturday are the loudest(joy joy…I am here those nights)…but Thursday seemed to have had the spirit too…I woke up at 2am to the very loud blaring of all things…Opera! yes Opera…then after an hour became Techno…they were having a party across the street in one of the flats…and the purple lights were going strong at a beat to the music…loud but creative.

I have met a great cross section of people already…There was a couple from Scotland…another from Boston…3 people from Denver…4 from Taiwan…An Indian couple and then there was Richard from NJ…He comes several times a year for a couple of weeks…and he was a font of great information and advice on my road trip…as were the 3 from Denver who warned me about the very very cold wind on the coast…scared me into almost spending my life’s savings on an Icelandic Wool Sweater here in Reykjavik…but Bedda relaxed me with her great advice about checking out the Saturday Flea Market or buying one in a small village where they may be cheaper…or I may discover, I actually did come prepared…considering my heavy packs.

Bottom line, “Our House” in Reykjavik is a huge thumbs up if you ever come here. I am posting some pics of the house and the neighborhood…and, of course, the Jim Croce Album that got me the discount! Believe me when I say…any money you can save here is a gold find!