Reykjavik, Iceland (pronounced RAYK-yah-veek)
Reykjavik, which means “Smokey Bay”, is the capital of Iceland, and the northern most capital city in the world! It has a population of approximately 150,000, with another 100,000 living in its MSA. Upon docking in Reykjavik, I am immediately struck by how many people there are here! We have gone 10 days exploring Greenland, seeing mostly vacant land masses, icebergs and glaciers, the occasional bird, a sea lion and a scattering of humans. What a difference and each interesting and exciting in its own rite. It is an absolutely beautiful weather day, with full sun and gorgeous blue skies. A fabulous day for a walking tour to learn more about the city of Reykjavik. We meet up with our guide for the afternoon and commence our tour.
The architecture of Reykjavik is so interesting – from ultra modern to colorful colonial, vibrant Victorian-like mansions and sassy street art. Each neighborhood has its own story to tell and its own treasures to offer, as we soon find out.
We begin our walk at the Harpa Concert Hall and conference center. This building is a stunning display of modern architecture. Its glass reflects the city and its surroundings back to you as you stand in wonder at its beauty. It is a concert venue as well as a place to shop or enjoy an over the top meal. I was enchanted by the view of the city looking back at me as I admired the large glass structure and the interior is a stunning as the exterior. I imagine that if you are here during the Northern Lights display, seeing it through “Harpa’s eyes” would be breathtaking. Harpa was opened in 2011 and is considered one of the top attractions in the city, with its very own tour schedule. We spent only a few minutes admiring its beauty and I would highly recommend a visit to see the Harpa Concert Hall should you find yourself in Reykjavik.
Another major, and equally majestic, landmark on our tour is the Hallgrimskirkja Church, one of the most iconic landmarks in Iceland. It took more than 40 years to build and is the tallest building in Reykjavik. It is designed to mimic the volcanic rock columns in Iceland’s natural landscape, specifically, Svartifoss Waterfall and comes complete with a church tower that we are told offers fantastic panoramic views of the area. We did not venture up into the tower, as we plan on seeing these sites in person. While it is free to visit the church (and well worth the time), there is a fee to take the elevator up to the top of the church tower. I cannot translate the Icelandic money into the US dollar so I can only tell you that it costs hundreds of Icelandic dollars to get to the top of the tower, which could mean $1 US for all I know. That said, I am sure it is worth the Google Translate exercise!
The inside of the church is a study in minimalism; a complete 180 from the opulence of the Roman Catholic churches we have visited in Europe; both beautiful in their own right. This church is home to one of the most impressive pipe organs we have ever seen. The organ has more than 5,200 pipes and is fully functional, used in concerts and church services regularly.
Right outside the church is a statue of a pretty famous guy, Mr. Leif Erickson, who beat C. Columbus to North America by almost 500 years. I think children in the US are still learning about Leif, right? Anyway, the statue of Mr. Erickson was a gift to Iceland from the US. Fun fact, we gave it to them to mark the millennial celebration of their legislative government, founded in the 900’s. It is said to be the first democratically elected parliament in the world and it still survives and functions today. So, democracy really can work. Very cool…
As we leave the church grounds, we meander into the Einar Jonsson sculpture garden which sits right behind the church. He was a local sculptor of international fame who lived in Iceland for the later part of his life. When he returned to Iceland, the Parliament agreed to build a house for he and his family in exchange for his agreeing to donate his sculptures to Iceland. The sculptures are quite beautiful and very unique. The grounds also contain a museum, which we did not have time to visit. Another fun fact, the city’s cats love to hang out in the sculpture garden and can be seen wandering to their heart’s content but do not bother the visiting humans!
The church faces a beautiful rainbow-painted street which I cannot even begin to spell or pronounce. I looked up “rainbow street in Reykjavik” and found the street of 16 LETTERS! ok, here goes: Skolavordustigur. Yep, that’s the street! It is filled with fun shops, cafes and restaurants and lots of colorful “street art”. During our stay in Reykjavik, we visited the rainbow street several times and saw something new and different each time. Highly recommend a visit to the rainbow street if you find yourself in this beautiful city.
Another famous street in Reykjavik is the main street in town. It has only 10 letters in its name and it begins with an “L”. That’s all I got. Except, the shopping is to die for as is the variety of places to eat and drink. It is a shopaholic’s/foodies’/clubbing enthusiast Nirvana. There is a “world famous” hotdog stand (we did not sample its fare) and a bakery that came straight from heaven, Baka Baka. I had a croissant that only the angels can make, I promise (sorry, France, you ain’t got nothin on Baca Baca!). AND, at night, they serve pizza which they say is as good as anything you’d get in NYC. Just sayin… Check out the croissant!
Quite by accident, while looking for Baka Baka, we came upon the “Punk Museum”. That morning, some grunge was wailing up the dank stairway (yes, it is underground. Classic, man!)
We did not venture down. Nothing could tear me away from my pursuit of the heavenly croissant!
If you are into the shopping, you will find most everything on one of these 2 streets (Rainbow Street and L Street); from high-end Rodeo Drive stores to high-end Goth. We found a store specializing in very high-end raincoats (Reykjavik Raincoats) and very, very high-end camping, hiking and winter wear. The operative word here is “high-end”, even if it’s not high-end. Reykjavik is very expensive, so buyer beware!
I realize I should be writing more about the historical aspects of Reykjavik but honestly, you can use Wiki or AI engine of choice and get that stuff. Who is going to educate you about punk museums, famous goth stores and where to buy an $80 t-shirt that you would never wear???
Ok, back to the beautiful city of Reykjavik…
I mentioned earlier that the architecture runs from modern to colonial and the street art is amazing. During our walking tour, we witnessed the many beauties that this diverse and fun city have to offer. Some of these buildings have historical significance, but most I just loved the study in contrast, color, function and/or design and wanted to commit them to memory. Say “hi” to Bill!
The murals were really up there with my top 3 favorite things about Reykjavik. In some European cities, you turn a corner and you are left speechless by the site of THE Fountain. In this town, the murals are worth the price of admission!
Wow! On that note, I will bring the walking tour to the end of its road.
Our first night, we celebrated my birthday with our dear friends, Bill and Fay. All I wanted was pizza and an ice cold beer. Well, we found both at a local place recommended by the front desk of our hotel – aptly named Grazie Trattoria. The pizza was GREAT! Skip the multiple Michelin starred restaurants in this town and go straight to Grazie. It was really delicious and a perfect birthday celebration!
Speaking of hotels, we stayed at the 101 Hotel, a Marriott Bonvoy property. It was really perfect. Great location, good value, comfortable, clean and a great bar with a top notch wine list. When we come back to Reykjavik, we will stop first at this hotel to drop off our bags before heading to Grazie for pizza followed by some head-banging at the Punk Museum and an early morning visit to the croissant heaven on earth bakery, Baka Baka. What a fab itinerary!
We are off to see some of the natural wonders of Iceland the next 2 days. So, stay tuned for tales from the Blue Lagoon!