World Cup Action in Iceland

Even though Iceland doesn’t have a team competing for the World Cup, the residents are just as crazy about soccer as most of the rest of the world. Last night we caught the end of the Brazil-Columbia game at a local English bar with huge TV screens all around. And the place was packed with yelling and screaming fans. When Columbia scored their one goal, a woman standing next to us started crying!

The fans in the bar were the lucky ones. On our way to the bar, we passed by an open public square where a huge TV screen had been installed outdoors just for the World Cup. This all sounds very festive and fun until you realize that the outside temperature was only  in the 40s! The few people huddled in front of the screen were all wrapped up in jackets and blankets. And this is July!

I discovered that I’m going to have to work harder at learning how to navigate the main lab and corridors on the ship. I got a little frustrated today because I kept bashing into protrusions from the walls, like fire extinguishers and who knows what else. My white cane doesn’t really find those hazards. So I’m going to try a combination of the cane and wall trailing with my other hand. I’m also needing to spend more time memorizing regular routes. For example, now I know that I need to turn right out of my cabin door, find the hand-rail on the right, follow that to the end, take a few more steps and the stairway up to the next deck will be on the right. The mess deck (where I try not to make a mess while I’m fetching and eating my meals!) is a real obstacle course. Walls and tables jutting out everywhere. I’m still trying to find the best way through the maze.

We are scheduled to sail at 0900 tomorrow (Sunday). The winds are forecast to diminish…I hope so because they have been around 25 mph for days, whipping up some pretty nasty swells. I’ll take my Dramamine before I go to bed tonight.