Iceland Air and Hilton Stand Ups...

As I write I will note that the 'hilton' in Reykjavik believes in dissuading the riff raff who don´t bring their own computer to the hotel, from using the free computers for any length of time, by putting the terminals on a high shelf, one that I, as a very short person can barely reach, and then refusing to provide a chair so that one can sit while typing. I even went to the front desk and asked. 'We don´t provide chairs´was the curt reply. We are not ´hilton´ types, but in a city where the average price for a shared bathroom hotel room is $120-$140 per night if you get a hilton room for less than that, take it. This morning completely jet lagged we were subject to the political musings of an American who had apparently won the Oscar for ´best film score´ back, oh in 1984, for 'Out of Africa'... Now if that´s not resting on old laurel leaves, I don´t know what is. Now onto Air Iceland, a very weird airline. First off, they just didn´t bother with the 'important safety instructions' tutorial one always gets, but ignores. I felt kind of cheated. Yes, I know that should the plane go down in the North Atlantic the life preserver and whistle won´t do me a wit of good, but somehow I at least wanted them to make the effort: maintain the fiction if you will. Next up, another Canadian on our plane noted the selection of films available on a highly rated airline. For example, she watched 'Speed'. She asked Catherine, remember 'Speed'...Catherine puzzled and suddenly said 'You mean the bus film with Keanu Reeves'. 'Yes' the Canadian replied 'that film from like 20 years ago'. Given the movie choices on Air Iceland, we all came to the conclusion that staff had gone to an old Rogers video store in Oshawa and bought out the bargain bin of movies to feature as their 'on flight entertainment system' on a August 2012 flight. You also have to pay for any food, but somehow all the alcohol is free. But the airline made up for its faults with what I have to say were really outstanding pill box hats and quite Christmassy 'jabots' that resemble a ribbon on a communion present. Brilliant! What about Reykjavik. I would use a question mark but there isn´t one on the keyboard. So far very chilly in terms of temperature but a very artistic community. These are a tough people the Icelanders, they endure no end of sunlight during the mid-summer followed by a winter where the sun rises at 11 am and starts setting at 1:30 pm. Plus there is no vegetation and lava fields abound. Catherine calls the landscape eerie. And in the cafe we finally decided to have coffee in, they were playing Bjork...and not for the tourists. To the Viking Museum tomorrow where I just might go beserk.