Arrival and a full day!

After a smooth flight on Icelandair - lights dimmed even before take off and I was asleep before the drink cart came down the aisle - we landed in a cloudy Reykjavik.   I had set my watch ahead so i didn't mind that it said 8:30 am in the dark until I turned on my Tablet where I had NOT reset the time and it said 3:30 am Boston time.

Upon delivery to our studio apartment we fell into bed and slept until noon.   At which point we were ready to go.   We made a grocery stop and then took a walk up the main street on our way to meet our new friend with whom we have been emailing for weeks.

Yellow building is where we are staying

View down our street.  Yellow building on right is our

 "Home" 

Water and mountains in the distance

Note the one way street on this main drag With cars limited by posts - no curbs.

Interesting church

Hallgrimskirkja  Church is on a high hill and is seen from all over Reykjavik

A new organ being installed

Simple  pulpit and baptismal font

This Sunday is confirmation Sunday throughout Iceland.  This group is preparing.

Views from the spire of the church

Public bathroom - like a permanent port-o-potty - push a button and you're in!

Meeting our new friend finally!!

Carina is a friend we met through couchsurfing.com  She is a pediatric nurse at the Children's Hospital here.  Her  husband is an engineer.   We will be staying with her for  4 days later this week.  She met us at the church above and spent hours driving us around Reykjavik including, the waterfront with all the fishing boats, oriented us to the locations of many museums, the hospital where she works, different housing areas, old and new, historical landmarks etc..  We had a personal tour and great conversation ending with dinner at a local restaurant.- I had a delicious seafood soupthat was just right for me as my body seemed still confused about the time.

One of the places she took us was Perlan - a striking building which contains a fine restaurant and more.

The building made use of 5 water tanks no longer needed.

Every few minutes this pressure causes this geyser on the main floor of the building to erupt

Janis and Carina on the roof of the Perlan (Norbert is trip photographer!)

Staircase at Perlan to rooftop restaurant and outdoor walk

Janis and Carina helping musicians without instruments outside Perlan

Carina explained that this frame near the sea used to be the way they dried fish

Iceland has no Army or Navy. This is a Coast Guard Ship

Catholic Church

We arrived here just before 6 pm.   and discovered a Mass was scheduled for 6.   there was an order of traditional nuns setting up and leading Rosary.   Corina explained to me that there has been an influx of Poles, and South Americans and others so there are language issues with the Masses.  Catholics are about 5% of the population and growing.   We stayed in the back and listened for a bit.  We heard Latin, Polish,   Icelandic, etc.  It must be difficult as with the Muslims in Boston from so many countries trying to share one Mosque.