Tikkabik

My opinion of Iceland changed last night after we got driving rain and 50 mph gusts of wind; it's a harsh climate, every bit as bad as New England in the midst of a Nor'easter.

Having said that, I'm having a great time at EVE Online's Fanfest. For one thing, Jason Sims from Inside Mac Games is here. It's been probably five years since we saw each other and it's just like old times. I love him, he's a great guy.

For another thing, CCP Games is a terrific company. They really know how to throw a party, so I'm having no shortage of meeting new people -- everyone from developers who are working on the game to hardcore players who have been with EVE Online since its first Alpha release in 2002. That's invaluable information, and everyone I've spoken to seems genuinely jazzed about the Mac implementation that's coming in the next couple of weeks.

One thing I've discovered the hard way is that Iceland is expensive as hell. I expected as much at the hotel -- prices are always jacked up for travelers. But even at a bar, you can spend as much as $10 for a beer. I guess that's the downside of living in an island country where everything is imported. We certainly suffer a bit of that on Cape Cod, but not nearly as bad.

The weather is supposed to subside a bit over the next day or so. Already, tonight is not nearly as bad as Thursday night is, and for that I'm grateful (no icy rain tonight, nor are there the driving winds that made going out last night a physically painful experience).

I've filed a few stories for Macworld already and plan to file more as well, so stay tuned for details. Suffice it to say at the moment that I've gotten a tremendous amount out of this trip just on networking with CCP Games and TransGaming alone, and don't expect that to subside for the rest of the weekend. Tomorrow is expected to be the really "busy day" for the show, so I'm going to have my hands full. I'm hoping to sit down with developers and producers to pick their brains about the Mac version, so I'm counting on getting more done before I leave on Sunday.

If you do come to Iceland this time of year, pack warm clothes and don't be afraid to wear them -- even the natives know better, and dress in layers of polar fleece, heavy jackets, gloves and hats when the temp dips below 30 degrees F. Fortunately, Bonnie is smart and packed me a knit hat (My BLS hat, Monique, pass it along to Jim) and a pair of ski gloves, so I'm well-protected against the elements.

My flight doesn't leave Keflavik (the international airport that services Iceland) until 5 PM, and the events at the fanfest wrap up on Saturday night. So I'm really hoping to have time to do some "touristy" stuff on Sunday, and perhaps take some pictures, weather permitting. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'm very grateful to be here.