Nine days in Europe

Some events have been intentionally omitted. Timestamps may not be totally accurate.

Day 1 — Reykjavík

0930 — I arrive at Keflavik International Airport after a red-eye with no sleep. It’s technically 5:30 a.m. for me, but I’m not tired.
1000 — I step out of the airport; the air is cold and fresh. The sun is extremely bright. The airport is far from Reykjavik, so I take a $50 bus into town.
1100 — Secondary bus drops me near my hotel. I check in on a large screen. My capsule is nice, modern, and cozy—the cheapest I could find.
1200 — Explore the city. Breakfast at a nice café — food mid, coffee better. Tourists skew quadragenarian+. This may have been a mistake.
1300 — Scooter to the Sun Voyager, Hallgrímskirkja, and Harpa Concert Hall. Intriguing architecture, powerful wind. I send it down a hill.
1400 — With swimsuit and backpack, I scooter to Sky Lagoon (≈40 min). Stop for photos; favorite is a statue of a little boy with a fish.
1500 — Shower, then into the warm lagoon. The air/water contrast is great. Poolside bar.
1700 — Hit the three-beer lagoon limit. A British girl flirts by “mistaking” me for her friend. Cold plunge → too cold → sauna → too hot → plunge again → sauna with ocean views. I stay too long.
1800 — Shower and scooter back by vibes. Get lost; end up at the beach by the airport.
1900 — Dinner: one Icelandic hot dog. Björk’s bar, five beers, conversation with no one.
2300 — Back to hotel. Sleep.

Day 2 — Golden Circle

1000 — Barely make it to BSI Bus Station. Tuna sandwich + latte that both slap.
1100 — Almannagjá Gorge: Iceland straddles a divergent boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates; I walk between them.
1300 — Geysers go off; sulfur smell is real. Lunch at the truck stop: lamb soup with bread and butter. Elite.
1500 — Gullfoss Falls: mist → refraction → rainbows; light splits into its constituent colors. My brain releases dopamine reminiscent of non-nutritive psychoactives.
1600 — The guide’s English vocab flex (“multiplicity”) exceeds mine.
1730 — Youngest tourist by decades, again. Grab swimsuit and scooter to the geothermal beach by the airport.
1830 — Hot tub neighbor (Icelandic) sea-dips. I plan an eye-contact + smile play; she never looks back. Plan foiled. She returns; I leave.
2000 — Shower. Lobster soup + fish skewer. Decent and expensive. Sleep.

Day 3 — To Munich

0330 — Bus to the airport; flight at 0730.
0515 — Burger + two beers. Carry-on gets checked because Europeans are fragile little communists.
1300 — Munich time. Spot Air Drake; guess private airports can’t fit it.
1400 — Meet the homie; head to the hostel. Mild safety concerns.
1600 — Lobby beers while waiting for a friend from Eastern Europe. Befriend an Australian. Friend arrives; another beer.
1900 — Acquire lederhosen for tomorrow (€100 each). Don’t fit in luggage. Sick though.
2000 — Bratwurst + German beer. Change into pants at the hotel.
2200 — Fancy cocktail bar. Two Negronis too fast.
2300 — Club plan via scooters (I persuade by offering a tandem ride). Almost wipe out; don’t tell him. German kids find this hilarious; one hops on my friend’s scooter.
0000 — Denied entry.
0030 — Second club: one drink, then out. Strangers offer drugs after learning we’re Mexican. We decline.

Day 4 — Oktoberfest (I)

0630 — Opening day. Early start.
0800 — In line. Packed.
0900 — Doors open. Sprint to Hofbräu tent—too late. We partially occupy a “reserved” table anyway. Waitress asks our order; beer service starts at noon.
1000 — Awkward small talk with our unwilling tablemates; meet a couple recently relocated to Fresno.
1200 — Brewery don taps the first barrel. Crowd erupts. One-liter “normal-sized” beers arrive. Tables become standing room. Electric atmosphere. One frat boy chugs his liter.
1300 — Another liter.
1400 — Another liter.
1500 — Still no food; friend forces a few bites into me. Good friend.
1600 — Shower + food run.
1800 — Pizza + German beer.
2100 — Hostel bar scene.
2300 — New friends, more beers.
0100 — …

Day 5 — Oktoberfest (II)

0800 — Wake up confused.
0900 — I spring for a hotel. Sorry, hostel.
1200 — Schnitzel + German beer. Superb.
1400 — Check-in. Surprisingly nice.
1500 — Saltwater pool laughs; sauna is scorching. Chug water.
1700 — Suited in lederhosen; back to the Wiesn.
1900 — Offer seats to locals (moms outside; teens inside). Pleasant chat; meet a pharma-CEO dad.
1930 — A normal-sized beer.
2100 — Inside for energy. Standing on benches; I topple one but stick the landing.
0000 — Food stop, then a bar. Irishman vs. U2 debate. Uber home.
0100 — Friend orders Uber Eats and immediately sleeps. We eat his food.

Day 6 — Oktoberfest (III) → Barcelona

1000 — We brief our confused friend on last night’s events.
1200 — Bakery croissants + coffee; hotel reset.
1300 — Friend 1 departs for Barcelona. We do one last Oktoberfest lap.
1500 — Good chats on the fairgrounds.
1600 — One more liter in a tent.
1800 — “Last beer” at a spot that only sells half-liters. A German tells a very dark Holocaust joke; we don’t get it after three explanations; he regrets it.
1900 — Sprint to the airport.
2000 — Security, then schnitzel + German beer.
0000 — Land in Barcelona. Airbnb.

Day 7 — Barcelona Sights

1000 — Sagrada Família exterior.
1100 — We skip going in.
1200 — Casa Batlló + Casa Milà. Gaudí was probably on drugs. Rooftop beer with views (including the illegal W Hotel).
1400 — La Boqueria: sandwiches, octopus, chistorra, tapas.
1500 — La Barceloneta stroll. Yachts for days; the biggest allegedly belongs to the Qatari PM. So much for “poor Europe.”
1600 — Half-sized beach beer.
1700 — Another bar, chosen with more intention.
1800 — Ask Russian neighbors for a photo.
1900 — We befriend them; they tag along.
2100 — Dinner + shisha. The check finds me. They bounce.
2300 — Drinks, then Opium.
0100 — Tuesday 1 a.m.; packed. Table, many friends, check finds me again.

Day 8 — Beach Day

1100 — Possibly still inebriated. Lost sunglasses. Friends nearly vomit in the Uber.
1200 — Restaurant stop: paella, croquetas, etc., plus half-sized beers. Great. Waitress code-switches Spanish/English.
1300 — Corner-store beers → beach. Ocean is surprisingly warm. I forgot a towel.
1700 — Return to the “illegal W” bar for more half-sized beers. Head home.
2100 — Decide to go out again.
2300 — Club + table (unused). Dance floor > table.
0200 — …
0400 — Home.

Day 9 — Homeward

1200 — Checkout clock; no time to shower.
1300 — Friend’s flight at 3, mine at 5. Airport time.
1330 — Europe vs. “efficiency,” round ∞. Online check-in eventually works.
1400 — Lounge: final drinks and laughs.
1730 — Brutal flight back to the homeland.

Gullfoss Falls
Gullfoss Falls
· travel, friends