Iceland: Part Two
Day two begins bright and early with a trip into downtown Reykjavík, on what was a gorgeous winter day. Iceland mostly has two seasons – winter and summer. My visit coincided with the seasonal change from winter to summer and whilst it was still cold, it wasn’t too difficult for someone from the southern hemisphere (like myself) to adapt. It was the most amount of sunshine I had seen in months and gave a stunning glow to the surrounding landscapes.
It was still incredible to wake up to views like this each morning, as I’m still not used to seeing snowcapped peaks so frequently. The above scene of Mount Esja sits directly across from my accommodation and stretched across the bay for a significant portion of my walk into town.
I walked into the city centre rather early for the tour that I was doing that morning so it gave me the chance to explore new areas I hadn’t seen yet. I came across beautiful nordic architecture and crisp painted colours across the buildings. Below you can see the whooper swans (native to Europe) basking in the sunshine and gliding across Tjörnin (the pond). Up until a few weeks prior, the lake was frozen over during the winter.
I had booked a walking tour of the city on recommendation from a friend, as I wanted to hear about the history of Iceland, it’s people and the culture. City Walk is a guided tour from a history graduate which runs pretty much every day of the year. It’s free with the option to pay a tip at the end. It was a brilliant way to see the city and hear from someone who wants to share their culture. So if you’re ever visiting the city don’t hesitate to do it! You’ll even be finished in time to grab lunch from one of local spots, where you’re spoilt for choice.
The walking tour focused on much of Iceland’s history and the Oldtown area of the city, which is beautiful to wander through. I made a friend on the tour and at the end we headed over to the famous Reykjavík hotdog stand. If you ever go, order ‘one with everything’, it’s delicious! Whilst there is usually a queue, it moves fast so don’t let that put you off. After this we decided to walk over to the Harpa building, the city’s famous music and conference hall. With stunning architecture it was amazing to walk through with all of the mid morning sun shining through. The panels represent fish scales and each coloured one represents the northern lights. It’s free to walk around inside and is well worth just spending the time to take in the views.
After spending time at Harpa, we headed in an almost straight line to see The Sun Voyager (Sólfar), which is an iconic spot in Reykjavík. The sculpture was designed by Jón Gunnar Árnason depicting a dream boat and an ode to the sun. Sitting right on the water, it’s a beautiful spot to visit no matter what time of day. (Though my personal preference is sunset!)
Next we visited a few of the shops in the main shopping district, before deciding to visit Hallgrímskirkja, the famous church within Reykjavík. Another very iconic spot in the city and worth the visit for the interior architecture alone. We purchased a ticket and took the elevator to the top to explore the surrounds of the city and the countryside from a new vantage point.
Once we finished visiting the church we decided it was time for a coffee. I was incredibly excited when I found that the city had coffee on par with what I am used to at home. I really have been missing the food and produce of Australia, although I’m still a bit unsure as to why my hot coffee was served with a straw. Still it tasted wonderful, whilst we were enjoying our drinks we watched a small hail storm pass by which resulted in an impressive rainbow.
It was a beautiful day spent in Reykjavík with gorgeous sunny weather as well, I really loved the overall feel of the city. I’m looking forward to retuning again one day to explore more of it, particularly the culinary trends which I’ve heard much about. Keep an eye out for some further posts of the city coming soon!
Kathleen Freeman is a graphic designer and freelance writer; she is currently undertaking a Media and Communications degree. In her spare time she continues the search to find the book/coffee shop combination store throughout the globe.
All images, unless otherwise stated, are copyright of Kathleen Freeman, and may not be reproduced without express written permission of the author.