Sometimes you can’t control things that happen and fortunately, sometimes that’s a good thing. My son and I were having coffee at a cafe in Santiago, Chile, when a man approaches and begins asking questions about my motorcycle. He was knowledgeable, but did not own one himself. We discussed several things, I told him about my journey around the world and that my son is joining me for two weeks. After, we say goodbye and he disappears. A few minutes later, as we finish our coffee, he returned and asked if we had plans for the following day; if not, he would love to have us for lunch at his house.
The following day we met Juan Fontaine, his wife Delia, their sons, Tomás, Nicolás, Max, Juan and his girlfriend Antonia at their home. All told Juan and his wife have eight kids. During my travels, I have found some people that know a bit about Icelandic musicians or soccer players, but I’ve never encountered an entire family that has so much knowledge about my country. Not only that, but an Icelandic composer, Ólafur Arnalds, is Juan’s favorite; he plays his music often in the house and watches his performances on the big screen. Juan and his family also knew of other Icelandic artists, like Björk and Monsters of Men. He had also read about Iceland’s economy and its dip in 2008, admiring how the public refused to save the local banks.
After spending the afternoon with the Fontaines, we found that we had many things in common and share the same basic values. To meet people like Juan and his family makes this trip so much more than just a journey.