Day 4

I have planned an early rise but I don't expect to be woken at 03:00 by someone going about their morning ritual. If you do have to get up at that ridiculous hour of the day, you should be aware that you are very much in a minority and not be crashing around doing whatever it is you are doing. Fortunately I do nod off again quite quickly and, before I know it, it is 05:15 and time for me to get up and start crashing around.  That's if I was a selfish arsehole, of course, which I'm not. I shower, dress and do my final bits of packing and I am out the door by 05:45.

Although it is only 2°C (that's around36°F for those of you who speak English funny) it is a beautiful morning and I'm more than happy to take my second of two taxi avoidance walks with just a t-shirt. The last thing I want is to turn up at the airport dripping in sweat because I've worn all my warm kit

All mornings should be like this

It takes a mere 50 minutes of leisurely strolling to make it to the airport, passing a peculiar sculpture on my way to departures. I pause inside the entrance to make myself security ready and head in that direction. Another curio does a little more than catch my eye on the way.

The things you see on the way to your plane

I pass through security without incident and think to myself that this is the first trip for a while where my bag hasn't been nudged onto the 'extra search' carousel. 

Next up is what has become a bit of a tradition, and that is to get cigarettes for my friend's good lady wife. I head for duty free thinking that, in line with everything else here, these will be a ridiculous price. Not so, just over £50 for 200. Buoyed by this financial revelation, I chance my arm and got to check out the spirits. Sadly, there is no Louis XIII at a rock bottom price, but there is Bacardi Grand Reserva Diez. This is a stunningly lovely rum, and one of which I am just about to run out of at home. Fortune favours the drunk and I add the bottle to the carton of ciggies before setting off for something to eat.

I am very aware that I have had little to eat on this trip. This is partly due to the effects of the outward voyage to Grimsey but mainly because I've been too mean to part with lots of Krone for not a lot of grub. I am peckish though so I bite the bullet, free a couple of moths from my wallet and purchase a chicken club wrap with a bottle of vitamin juice to wash it down with. 

It is finally time to head for the gate and, again I have Speedy Boarding and still can't remember why! The rest of the journey is standard so I won't bore you with the details of that. Instead here's a very quick precis of Iceland. Remarkably beautiful, with so many things I probably would have seen if my motive for coming here wasn't so random and time consuming. The people I met were all indeed very happy, friendly and very welcoming. The roads were great for driving and probably deserved better than my Dacia; the Dodge Lancer, pictured above, would have far better. The one thing I couldn't get past is the price of everything (except duty free). I now everything has to be imported and they're not doing it to rip off tourists (except for Grimsey fridge magnet lady) but I just wasn't prepared for it! I like to do my trips on a shoestring , so I can do more of them. Upshot is, I had a wonderful time in a wonderful country and have many great memories. However, it is very unlikely that I will return. Don't let me stop you though, everyone should experience the place!