Hot property. Or not.

So the other day I sat browsing the property ads in the newspaper, you know, as you do, when my eye alighted on an ad for a condo downtown. In the most glowing terms it described the property, gorgeous this, stunning that, bla bla bla, and the the final pièce de résistance, which was its excellent location right above the American Embassy.

Now, with all due respect to my American friends and readers, I cannot possibly comprehend why anyone would want to live above the American Embassy. Personally I cannot envision a more high-risk zone in this or any other city [well, unless you count living on the edge of the airport, don't get me started] because, I mean, where are you going to be more vulnerable to a terrorist attack than above the American Embassy? Or any other attack, for that matter?

Besides, they're reputed to be superannoying neighbours. Just a few years ago the residents next door complained that they weren't allowed to use the back door of their building because the Embassy suddenly considered it a security threat [granted it was after 9/11, but still]. Consequently they had to store all their garbage inside their building between garbage pickups, ew! Also, the Embassy closes off the street willy-nilly and turns it into a one-way street when they feel like it and take up all the parking spaces out front and generally act like they own the neighbourhood. And in the last few months they've clearly been struggling to find staff [the locally-engaged kind] because the same ads for the same positions have appeared in the employment sections over and over and sometimes over again. Because I reckon the second-most risky thing to living above the American Embassy is actually working in it.

Nah. Sadly I think that living above the American Embassy would drive your property value down, if anything. In fact, when I sat down to write this post a few minutes ago I decided to do a quick search for the property in question online, and found two that resemble the description on that street - but with no mention of the Embassy. Guess they got wise.

IT WAS ANOTHER GORGEOUS DAY
As I have said before, the weather here in Iceland is always gorgeous when there is no wind. And today there was no wind. Well, none to speak of. I don't think it's possible to have no wind in the West End of Reykjavík. In any case, it becomes more spring-like by the day, the crocuses are pushing up out of the soil, and the daffodils are blooming. Spring! Temps right now 5°C [41F], sunrise was at 6:58 and sunset at 20.09.

[Actually - come to think of it, the Chinese are reputed to be a right pain as well, building tennis courts in their backyards without permits and whathaveyou. And don't even get me started on the Russians, with their espionage devices everywhere. Putin light.]