The Journey There
Little Viking got to ride on his very first plane! From the Richardson International Airport to Pearson International Airport. An OK flight, he didn’t really have any complaints.
That is until it came over the loudspeaker at Pearson that the next flight, the five-hour flight to Iceland, was going to be long delayed. Apparently, the pilots were unable to get out of Montreal, so everyone had to wait for them… and wait everyone did.
Several hours later, Little Viking was able to board the Boing 737 Max 8 to Iceland. And man, he did miss the legroom of the Airbus that had taken them from Winnipeg to Toronto!
Arrive in Iceland
A little over five hours later, and a few hours late, Little Viking landed at Keflavik International Airport. Going through security was a breeze and everyone was already super friendly. With he bags gotten, Little Viking and crew headed to the exit to get the pre-booked taxi… which was not there.
There were a few groups of people stranded with no cabs. This was a great way to start the trip! Speaking with taxi drivers who were there, this seems to have happened a couple of times with larger groups. Unfortunately, none of the cabs there could accommodate Little Viking and his crew, and the drivers spoken with did try to find a large carrier to take them. Then it was suggested by one of them to call the car rental company that the group had booked to see if they can help. Originally, Little Viking and his group were going to pick up the car later. They wanted to take the cab so that there would be room for all the people and bags.
But, with no taxi to take them, they had to make the call. A phone call to Zero Rentals (a sister company to Blue Car Rentals) was made. The person on the other end of the line was sympathetic, but unable to do anything for sure, but he did say to go to the Blue Car Rental location at the airport and they will find a way to help.
The Drive to Reykjavik
The trip was interesting. We are pretty sure the car given the crew was not really in service anymore, as it was older and worn, but it was all they had. By the third roundabout from the airport Little Viking saw a piece of the car fly off on go past the rear right window… Chaos ensued as they navigated the two-lane round-about, with limited visibility thanks to all the luggage, only to see someone quickly stop and pick up the piece and drive away. Ended up the cover for the driver’s side mirror came off.
Little Viking headed that way, and Blue Car Rental came to the rescue with an older Renault hatchback. Little Viking and his crew loaded all the bags and people into the tiny car and made their way to their accommodations.
Getting back on track, they made their way to the Harbor Apartments with a Mountain View in Reykjavik, where Little Viking and his crew settled in after the long trip.
For a few minutes anyways. Little Viking had to take a trip to Blue Car Rental in Reykjavik to show them the mirror. Again, they were great. They offered another car if we wanted but said we can keep this one as well. Since we were already settled, we just kept the Renault and headed back to the apartment.
A Walk with a Viking
There were only a few minutes until the very first scheduled tour in Iceland: A Walk with a Viking, a fantastic walking tour courtesy of Your Friend In Reykjavik.
Bardi, the amazing tour guide, took us around downtown Reykjavik and was full of great stories and information. He showed the group the archaeological site of the First Viking house, parliament buildings, the “Reykjavik Pond” and more, ending the tour at the famous Hallgrimskirkja Church.
Café Loki
After the tour, the gang headed over to Café Loki for some homemade, traditional Icelandic food. It was all fantastic! Especially the fermented shark that Svanna tested! Little Viking was so proud of her, but he couldn’t bring himself to try it… not just yet…
After supper, it was back to the apartment for some much-needed rest. And that was going to be interesting, as the sun doesn’t really set at this time of year in Iceland!!!
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