Iceland Day 1- Reykjavik

Iceland Day 1- Reykjavik

Large boat found in City with sun behind

This is going to be the first post of 3 in a series about our visit to Iceland. Here we will cover what the city offered us, some basics about how we budgeted for the stay, and interesting notes we made to help travelers cope with differences in culture.

First off, free layovers are a perfect way to break up an extended trip while also giving oneself the opportunity to see more of the world we live in. Getting a chance to explore this country was a dream come true, especially considering the fact that it was not our target destination for the trip.

We found ourselves in a place teeming with both natural and man-made beauty, a brisk eye opener that we savored as long as we could. Reykjavik is awe inspiring. The architecture ranges from medieval to ultra modern, with quaint residences in between that serve as a pleasant backdrop to the more notable locations. For example, we stayed at this Airbnb that was a stone’s throw away from the Hallgrimskirkja church pictured below.

View of Hallgrimskirkja Church in city
Hallgrimskirkja

The church was difficult to take in at first. This was partly due to the fact that we had just stepped off of a 7 hour flight into a country wholly new to us, and were still attempting to shake out of our heads the incessant droning of the passenger behind us. Seriously, it is one thing to teach children not to talk to strangers, but in recent times we have noted that it is equally important to teach adults to take cues from their audience as a sign to either continue sharing stories, or spare us all your mindless banter/detailed retrospective about your unremarkable life.

Luckily, the serenity of this space was a salve to our minds. We were greeted by an organ, resonating sweet melody in this grand interior. Our eyes panned from wall to ceiling, contemplating the message of its modest decor. Beautiful.

View of inside Hallgrimskirkja Church

organ found inside church

I wont say I embarrassed myself, but I did stare slack jawed trying to pair pipes with notes for what could have been deemed far too long. Blame it on the jet lag.

view of windows and architecture inside Hallgrimskirkja church

Our room was sufficiently sized for the two of us, one room of a 2 bedroom apartment we shared with a local. We were given free rein of the kitchen appliances so that we could cook (or in our case, store) food in an effort to save money during our trip. Here is the thing: Iceland can and most likely will be expensive for travelers. I am not an economist, but our investigation into the reasons why it was so pricey led us to articles about the Krona (Iceland’s currency) vs the Euro, a volatile economy, and cultural beliefs/practices about who goes out and spends money on food, activities, and drink.

colorful houses in Reykjavik

Fortunately, all of the food we ate was well made and delicious. Even gas station sandwiches ($17) and soup ($20) were tasty. One of the only items we found that was “reasonably” priced was a local ice cream/gelato shop. So, there is always the option to gorge oneself on ice cream. Call it a sweet tip for saving money. Icelandic cuisine focuses on ingredients that are the easiest to cultivate in its harsh landscape. Root vegetables, meat (lamb and fish), and bread are staples.

Another staple is Skyr. Skyr is to yogurt what great white sharks are to apex predators. It is perfect. It has been around forever (over 1000 years) and it is a marvel to behold. It is creamy, mild, and the consistency is…silky. It has a whisper of bitterness that makes greek yogurt taste like a lemonhead in comparison. After having Skyr, regular yogurt will taste like skim milk. With ice cubes. On a hot day. If you were wearing a polyester suit. The only thing I do not like about Skyr is that I do not have one right now. Did I mention it comes in flavors of vanilla (with real bits of vanilla) chocolate, berry mix, and banana? Those are but a few offerings.

candles lit inside church                                                 I yearn for you, I burn for you…Skyr…

Adam having coffee inside cafe in Reykjavik

It would be a crime not to mention the coffee. The coffee here is fantastic. The portions are smaller (and pricier) than what we were used to, but it is quickly forgotten when one settles down into a comfortable shop with a sweet treat and a warm drink. Add to that the views outside of these cafes which further enrich the experience. Our first coffee stop had views of the aforementioned church, our second overlooked a large pond shown below. The water was teeming with ducks, geese, and other avian visitors. As a bonus, there was a primary school play going on in the room next to us, so we saw more than one blonde haired toddling actor/actress cross our view adorned with traditional Icelandic dress.

Ducks and geese in Tjornin Pond in Reykjavik

Another admirable trait were their views on equality. In fact, Iceland has for the seventh year running, as of 2017,  ranked number one in both political empowerment amongst women and closing the gender income gap. It felt, safe. People were short with us, but they were also helpful and cordial. Whether we were being served in a restaurant, or asking strangers for directions, everyone we interacted with had an ease about them. Basically, it was a nice place for foreigners to visit, especially when they bring the right attitude.

Duck looking at camera in front of Tjornin Pond

The ducks, however, felt entitled to your snacks, demanding them with cold stares from their soulless eyes. Just like in America.

Some things never change.

Nicole standing next to Sun Voyager in Reykjavik

The city center was bursting with sights to take in. There was a boardwalk with art installations. A breathtaking concert hall, its construction yet another marvel to ponder. We found more eateries than we could reasonably frequent in our short time there. We ended up going with a food truck that was well known for offering up top tier fish and chips. It delivered handily. This was also the area that we found the ice cream shack that made us kick ourselves for not finding sooner.

Later in the evening, we set out to find two spots we had heard about.

The first was a small shack offering what is rumored to be the best hotdog in the world. Known as pylsur, these delectable offerings of meat and condiments are quite the experience. Packed into a tight little bun with only a few ingredients, one gets to experience the perfection of a pork, beef, and lamb sausage whose flavor is offset by: a mustard that is slightly spicy, a remoulade with a distinct sweet sour balance, and…wait for it…two types of onion. Specifically, the crispy string thin variety that rides atop their raw, powerful (in an admirable way, not an intrusive palate crushing) brethren.

All of this costs under $3 dollars.

On the opposite end of the flavor per currency ratio was Lebowski Bar. It is a must see. If you are not into the whole brevity thing, read on for a more detailed account. An ode to “The Dude,” this watering hole is nestled in the city center, and adorned from floor to ceiling with memorabilia honoring his Dudeness. The menu offers more variations of the white russian drink than I could have imagined existed (over 20), at Mr. Lebowski prices. We were hesitant to indulge at first, but we eventually abided to the suggestion of others before us. We went on a night where they were hosting a movie trivia contest with prizes that ranged from more beer than your table COULD drink to more beer than your table SHOULD drink. A lot is what I am saying. Gratuitous. Milking (ha, get it, dairy reference to the drink, woo) our expensive drinks while watching movie clips and competing for comped inebriation, we whiled away the hours.  Needless to say, it was a lot of fun. Plus, the patrons here were being considerably more social than at some of the other places we frequented. All of this really tied the room together for a unique and enjoyable time. Man.

View of mountain range from the city
Mount Esja

 

Glass windows of the Harpa in Reykjavik
The Harpa

Adam standing in front of windows from inside the Harpa

City streets in downtown reykjavik

We saw and accomplished so much in a single day. We had over a week to go. Countries to see. Many, MANY miles to cover.

Nothing more to do other than strap into our boots and get motoring.

view of buildings in downtown reykjavik with people walking

9 thoughts on “Iceland Day 1- Reykjavik

  1. These photos look incredible!! Love, love, love that you guys started a blog!! Can’t wait to follow along on all your travels 😉

  2. הקונכיות החמות שימשו בטרםהפכו לכלי מושלם ליצירת עיסוי
    , בית לצדפת הנמר , ויש להן תכונות רפואיות ראשונות במעלה.
    העיסוי משלב מגע עדין של ידי המעסה וטפטוף שמנים ריחניים ליצירת רגיעה.

    הקונכיות עברו תהליך של מיון ניקוי ושיוף, ליצירת כלי מושלם המתאים לעבודה והחלקה על הגוף ,
    ומשתלב בדיוק בכף ידו של המטפל.
    השלב הראשון הוא להסתכל על התמונות של הבחורות ולראות איזו מעסה אירוטית מגרה אותך וממריצה את הדמיון שלך.
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    אז אל תוותרו על כל היתרונות
    הללו, והזמינו כבר היום
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