Our final day in Reykjavík was suitably lazy; until the evening, that is.
At 19:30, we were picked up for from the hotel and driven to another bus for the start of our [Northern Lights](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy)) tour. We did vaguely get to see the lights, but they were so faint that our driver said he didn’t really count it as a sighting.
That was a real pisser. The driver, a really nice expatriate Englishmen, drove us half the way to Þingvellir to get us away from the city lights of Reykjavík and improve the conditions for viewing. Up there in the hills, it was bloody freezing, about -16°C with wind chill factored in. A thick Icelandic jumper, thick jacket, scarf, hat and gloves left me feeling as good as naked up there. I was chilled to the marrow of my bones, all for naught.
Eloïse, on the other hand, tramped around happily in the snow, snug and warm in her new jumpsuit and balaclava, both of which had been purchased just a couple of days before. She looked entirely suited to the conditions.
Speaking of the conditions, they were actually perfect for viewing, we were told: freezing cold, clear skies (no moon, but starlit so clearly that I can’t remember seeing a night sky like that before) and a place far from the city lights. Such conditions give one a 90% chance of significant activity, but we were fated to fall into the other 10%. Oh well. There’ll be a next time.
With no Northern Lights to view, there wasn’t much else to do, except chat to the driver and gain his perspective of Iceland as a foreigner living there. It was very interesting to hear what he had to say, and he answered many of our questions about the society, its politics and the language.
We didn’t get back to the hotel until after midnight, which, after packing, allowed us about three hours of sleep before we had to get up again for the bus ride to the airport at Keflavík. Getting up at 04:30 is no fun at all, especially when one has to lug big, heavy bags back and forth, soothe a cofused baby, change buses, etc.
Our flight took off on time at 07:50 GMT and got us back to Amsterdam at 11:50 CET. We were outside our front door by 13:00, so we made very good time.
The weather here is strange. It was 13.2°C today, a full 23°C (or 41°F, if you’re still in the dark ages) warmer than in Reykjavík. Whereas my thickest layers of clothing weren’t enough to keep me warm last night, I’m removing layers here to stop myself sweating. Coming straight after Iceland, it feels like spring here.