I was extremely tired when I arrived at the Hilton hotel in Reykjavik. My wife had suggested I spend the last night at a hotel, and she booked one in Reykjavik using points. I wasn’t about to argue. After 4 days of sleeping in a rental van, a proper bed and a hot shower as a final goodbye to Iceland sounded just right.

Earlier, I’d enjoyed a meal at Café Loki, conveniently located across from Hallgrímskirkja – the famous church of Iceland. The church draws its name from the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson. With a height of 74.5 metres (244 feet), it stands as the tallest church in the country. Perched atop the hilltop of Skólavörðuholt near Reykjavík's central area, its visibility throughout the city renders it an extraordinary landmark that can serve as a reference landmark for those runners exploring the city. The design of the church takes inspiration from Iceland's natural beauty, mirroring features such as the basalt columnar formations reminiscent of an organ pipe structure, similar to those found at Svartifoss, Reynisfjara and Stuðlagil canyon, as well as reflecting the overarching presence of the Iceland’s mountains and glaciers.

**Basalt “organ-like” rock formations at Reynisfjara black sand beach**

The meal at Café Loki delightful—I had lamb soup and rye bread that might have been the best I’d ever tasted. Fueled by this comforting dinner, I drove to the hotel at 11 PM.

I mustered my leftover energy to tidy up the rental van and organize my luggage, ensuring that upon waking at 5 AM, I would be ready to head directly to the airport. The young assistant at the front desk seemed new and was struggling with my reservation. My patience, already thin due to exhaustion, was wearing even thinner.

Struggling for 15 minutes, he finally summoned the manager, who stepped in. My frustration was growing—who knew check-in could be so complex? The manager clarified that a Microsoft update had recently triggered IT problems everywhere. A problematic update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused chaos worldwide, affecting everything from banks to airports, initiating a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), and taking numerous systems down, hotel systems included. It took close to 45 minutes, but they eventually secured my room, and the manager, regretful for the wait, upgraded me to a 7th-floor room with an ocean view. I didn’t need an ocean view right now. I desperately needed sleep. I managed a thank you with a half-hearted smile and made my way to my room, focused on catching five hours of sleep before my flight and maybe fitting in a brief morning run.

When I reached room 783, I used the keycard, and to my surprise, as the door opened, I saw bags on the floor and the room was all lit up. My heart sank as I saw a couple on the bed in a compromising position. I was horrified and, in a panic, dashed back to the lobby. I had no energy to explain what I had just seen. I simply told the staff I had been given a key to an occupied room. The manager, turning as pale as the Microsoft Update Blue Screen of Death itself, apologized profusely. They quickly found me another room and walked me there to ensure it wasn’t occupied. Thankfully, this room was indeed vacant.

At last, I put my bags down and collapsed onto the bed at 12:15 AM. Just as I was about to drift off, I received a notification from Delta: my flight back home from Iceland had been canceled. Damn you, Microsoft update!

Microsoft Update | Iceland

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Kirkjufell | Iceland