Sour Grapes & Stuff: Issue 1, 2015

Say your piece, voice your opinion, send your letters to: letters@grapevine.is

Most Awesome Letter of the Issue!

A big thank you

Dear Reykjavic Grapevine,

My wife and I stopped over last week and wish to share with Iceland’s public and your readers several wonderful incidents in which we were helped immensely and left with a full appreciation of the kind people who live in your country. Our Icelandair flight from London landed late in very strong winds. Our hotel was the Hotel Smari only 100 meters from the airport – a very short walk which we were unable to complete on our own. Trying to walk at 3:30 AM the very very strong winds pushed us back and we could only complete about 40 meters when the wind blew my glasses off my face onto the road. It was completely dark and we were on our knees searching for my glasses when a car stopped and the driver and a passenger got out to ask if we were OK……… this was the first random act of kindness we encountered. They offered to drive us the rest of the distance to the hotel and only when we got in the car did we realize there was also a baby and mother. In order to fit us in, the kind lady stood in the car over her baby’s car seat. Her husband entered the car, unbelievably, with my glasses which he found quite a few meters further back than where we were looking!

We thanked them with all our heart and we do so again now if they ever read this. We never could have negotiated the distance without their help.

The man working in the Hotel Smari reception at close to 4AM was also most kind, making us a cup of tea and offering to waive the normal check out deadline so we could have a decent sleep. Thanks again very much to him as well.

The next day was supposed to be in a rental car driving to the Blue Lagoon and the Lucky bridge that spans the gap between the North American and European tectonic plates but the weather again prevented that and, as well, we wanted to be sure we sorted out our luggage which had been left behind at Heathrow. This is where we were again blessed with the kindness and extra effort of Ms Drofn Palmberg who was working at the Icelandair luggage services desk. She immediately appreciated that we couldn’t leave for Canada that night without our luggage because all our grandchildren’s Christmas presents were inside. She suggested how I could check in without our luggage and I could meet that day’s incoming flight from London which was carrying our four suitcases and she would be there with me to tag the suitcases so they could be loaded onto our flight to Toronto. She sensed our concern and made sure to give us complete comfort that this plan would work. She also made sure the check in staff were willing to go along with this plan. And it did work perfectly. Another big hug from my wife and me to Drofn, who did so much to help our five grandchildren have their presents to open this Christmas.

My wife and I missed out on seeing Iceland sights that day last week but we saw so much that was absolutely wonderful – the people living there. We certainly will return to rent that car and now intend to spend much longer in your country. (As a further bonus, my wife did see the glow of the Northern lights from her seat aboard the London to Iceland Icelandair flight.)

Thank you for letting me share our experience with you and your readers. I hope those people who were so kind to us somehow manage to read what their kindness meant to us. If that happens our miracle visit will be perfectly completed.

Merry Christmas

James and Sybile Scott

—

Dear James and Sybile,

wow. Thank you guys for writing that. Seriously. As you might have noticed, we spend a lot of time ragging on Icelanders and complaining about shit in these pages (and on our website!). In a way, it’s kind of our job, you know, being “a critical media entity” and all, but we’re not gonna lie: it gets tiring. Perhaps especially lately, when there’s all sorts of bullshit going down in Iceland (seriously, so much fucking bullshit!), it gets a little too easy to lose perspective and forget that most of us humans can be really goddamn decent kind and well-meaning when given the chance.

So thanks for the reminder, James and Sybile, thanks for taking the time to write (a lot of the time, folks only bother writing in when they’re super upset about something, like being overcharged at some shitty restaurant or whatever). Honestly, you just made our day.

Hope you can come back to enjoy all your AWESOME LETTER swag (drop us a line to collect it by the way)!

Love,

Your Friends At The Reykjavík Grapevine