If there's a drizzle, don't let the vacation fizzle

So this being Iceland, there's bound to be some rain. And that's what we encountered this afternoon.

Luckily, the day ended with us safely ensconced in a spectacular and warm hotel perched on a cliff overlooking the very dramatic North Atlantic. As we write this, we're overlooking said ocean, wind howling and rain pelting the windows ... just like a Hollywood murder mystery.

And even though it's going on midnight, it's still light outside. That still is freaks us out.

First, some photos from the day, followed by some commentary.

This is our cabin in Geysir before taking off this morning.

 The vastness of Iceland. It's mesmerizing.

The town of Borganes. You can tell it's starting to get a little chilly.

Uh oh. Wrong turn. Karen blames Brad, and Brad blames the Icelandic map makers. But hey, they don't call it Iceland for nothing.

We are always humbled by the kindness of others when we travel. Like Inga at the Hotel Geysir, who gave us free breakfasts this morning because she doesn't want to see anyone leave hungry, to the angel working the cafeteria at a gas station who showed us how to use the pay phone and -- in the soaking rain -- how to retrieve the receipt from the self-serve gas pump.

And then there were the kind folks, Dominic and Marious, at Hotel Helner (www.helner.is), who extended us every courtesy. Their restaurant has been open only one week, and it was absolutely wonderful. We had the local black cod and fish soup, complemented by a '96 Turnbull cabernet that we lugged all the way from the duty free shop in Boston (wine is prohibitively expensive in Iceland).

The Lonely Planet guide on Iceland advises travelers to not let a little drizzle make the vacation fizzle ... and that's exactly our attitude. We may not know precisely what we're doing tomorrow if the rain and wind are still doing their thing, but we know it will be a blast.