We left Siena Saturday lunchtime and after a succession of train trips arrived at the Airport Hilton in Rome around 5. It’s a fairly boring business hotel but it meant that we could be at check in for our flight at 5am (😳) the next day after a 15 minute walk rather than a really early transfer from the city.

And so, after that early check in and after a flight of around 4 1/2 hours we arrived in Iceland. After the most casual immigration check (two police checked documents – no booths, no stamp, no e-gate) we picked up our bags, found our transport and were whisked across a snowy landscape to Reykjavik. It was a bit like the Desert Road with heavy snow and no tussock. The light was amazing – black, almost green low clouds on one side, little bursts of sun through lighter clouds on the other. And it light made it feel for all the world like 4:30pm rather than lunchtime.

Our hotel is very comfortable and very central. It’s more like a small apartment with a kitchenette/lounge and separate bedroom. We had a quick meet, greet and orientation with a young guy from the firm we have organised the trip through and then we had a bit of a wander in town. The city is small (only around 200,000 people) and the centre of town is quite compact. Good thing we had snow practice in Siena though – it’s been snowing since we arrived – so after a quick walk around we retreated home. It’s supposed to stop when we go out for dinner tonight.

Tomorrow we have a long day trip out of the city. Weather is supposed to improve a bit – we’ll see!

So here are a few quick snow shots – Allister: can see already that a cloth for cleaning snow flakes off the lens will need to be handy at all times!