A Walking Tour of Reykjavik--Iceland's Capital

March 7, Wednesday:

A Walking Tour of Reykjavik, Iceland’s Capital

         We arrived at Reykjavik at 5.00 am. The very modern airport was very quiet at that hour with just essential personnel at their desks. We did not want to reach our accommodation too early in the morning as we had booked an Air B and B in Reykjavik and our landlord Gretar Jónsson had informed us that check-in time was 4.00 pm.  We could, however, leave our baggage in his home and return later that day. To kill time at the airport, we had a coffee and then at 7.00am, made our way to the counter to take the Airport Direct coach that cost $30 per head one way. An hour later, we were at Hlemmur Bus Station where we had been instructed to alight. Asking around, we found our way to our lodgings on Skipholt Street at 8.30 am.  We stashed our bags as instructed and left to discover the city by 8.45 am.

         Our Band B was really conveniently located, only 5 minutes’ walk from Hlemmur Square which is well-marked by a grand sculpture of a horse and her foal. We soon discovered that Reykjavik is punctuated with sculpture of various worthies as well as art works. Before we began our discovery of the city, we stepped into a coffee shop called Te + Kaffi for a croissant and a decaff coffee (which is very difficult to find in the city—but thankfully, we had carried some travel sachets). Hlemmur Square lies at the end of Laugavegur which is the main shopping artery of the capital city of Reykjavik and it was with great pleasure that we began our exploration of it by walking down it. We took in upscale art galleries filled with paintings and sculpture, one-of-a-kind designer jewelry shops, fashion boutiques, restaurants to suit multiple budgets and, in the midst of it all, a tourist office offering brochures, maps, etc. Of course, we stopped in there and about 10 minutes later, found ourselves on the city’s main four-way intersection from where our self-guided walking tour began.

Exploring Harpa:

         On the right we spied Harpa, the Conference Center and Concert Hall that is one of the city’s architectural landmarks and the handiwork of Danish-Icelandic architect, Olafur Eliasson. It was completed in 2011 and opened for business. Harpa is a confection of hexagonal-shaped glass panes that glitter in varied hues when the sun’s rays fall on them. There are staircases leading up to the top floors to form a striking double cube. Classical music concerts, ballet performances, etc. take place here. It’s location on the edge of the city with views out to the sea overlooking the ice-encrusted island (Eysa) just in front of it, make it quite intriguing.

         But today, the place came alive with an international chess tournament that occupied a huge part of the ground floor. Named the Bobby Fisher Memorial Open Tournament, it had attracted chess enthusiasts from around the world. They sat at very organized tables with the flags of their countries and their names indicating their places. Silence reigned supreme.  There was minimal sound and movement as the players, young and old, concentrated on the game at hand. We walked around for a while to take in the unusual sight. While tours of the building are available, there are offered at specific times and days. We were unable to find a suitable one. But we were quite pleased with our own wandering through a most unusual venue.  Afterwards, we walked to the waterfront behind the building to take pictures of the island just off downtown Reykjavik.

Tjörnin or the City Lake and Radhus or City Hall:

         Tjörnin is the name given to the lake in the south of the city and we reached it, ten minutes later. Reykjavik is a very walkable city with most downtown locations easily reached on foot. The lake was frozen, for the most part, but bird life was very active at the corner from which we had approached.  I have never seen so many white swans together in one place—not even in a zoo! The lake was simply teeming with birds, large and small, in a variety of colors and shapes. Feeding time is constant as passers-by bring bread to hurl at them.  This causes a repetitive furor of wings, tails, feathers, beaks. We stood around and watched with interest for a bit, then crossed a foot bridge above the frozen lake and entered the Radhus or City Hall—twin modern buildings that house shops, restaurants, a tourist office and a meeting hall for statesmen to gather. We actually sat and dozed there for a while before we hit the self-guided walking tour again.

Alpingi and Austurvollour Square:

         Next stop was Alpingi (pronounced ‘Althingi’), the Icelandic Parliament Building, that was built in the early 1800s. It is a squat, double-storied black basalt building that was built to replace the ancient Alpingi that was located in Pingvellir (pronounced ‘Thingvellir’) National Park (that we would visit a couple of days later). This building sits in a beautiful little garden square called Austurvollour Square adorned with a sculpture of Jon Sigurdsson, who led Iceland’s Independence Movement from Denmark and who died in 1879. The sculpture and its pedestal were snow-sprinkled. We sat there for a just a bit and then continued with our walking tour.

The Old Harbor:

         Reykjavik’s Old Harbor is a picturesque little area dotted with red-bottomed boats and, on the pier, small kiosks that offer whale-watching tours and Northern Lights’ Boat Rides. Most businesses were closed for the winter season (they are scheduled to reopen in a month or so). This made the area appear rather desolate despite the raucous presence of seagulls and Arctic terns. We did not stay there long but returned to a far more bustling square where more tourists were in evidence.

Icelandic Sub Sandwiches at Mannabotti:

         It was time to get ourselves a bite of lunch as walking had whetted our appetite, plus we needed to rest our feet a bit. A place called Mannabotti seemed to offer just what we were seeking—Icelandic lamb, as we had been told by friends that lamb is grilled quite uniquely in Iceland. We also discovered, pretty soon, that the cost of living in Iceland is far higher than anything to which we are accustomed in the US. We ordered a foot-long Lamb Sub that we split with a Diet Pepsi and were quite delighted with our choice. The lamb was grilled to perfection and served with a spicy sauce, lettuce and tomato and crunchy, fried onions that gave the sandwich superb taste and great texture.  Feeling quite sated, we were ready to take on more exploration of the city and this time we headed to its biggest (pun intended) highlight, the Hallgrimskirkja or Church that is a true landmark.

Hallgrimskirkja:

         Hallgrimskirkja’s towering church steeple can be seen from most parts of the city.  It is a Modernist structure, designed by Guojon Samuelsson and completed in 1940. We entered the church after a twenty-minute stroll past downtown shops and eateries. No visitor to Reykjavik ever leaves the city without making the mandatory visit to this church which has a massive clock face that tolls the hours loudly. Right in front of the church is a sculpture of Leif Ericsson, considered the first white ‘discoverer’ of America (long before Columbus). We entered its stark interior with its plain walls, tall windows that let in ample light and pews whose ends had a design that echoed the curvature of the steeple. We loved its minimalist look as we knelt at a pew and paid a prayerful visit.

         Then, because it was an extraordinarily clear day with not a cloud in the sky, we decided to pay the $10 (1000 kroner) that took us in an elevator to the very top. A wraparound protected balcony provided us with stunning views of the city that was bathed in golden sunlight. From the top, Reykjavik appeared like a toy town, its roofs in vivid scarlet, its sides a pristine white. We spied the harbor, the new port, the dome-topped building called Perlan, perched on the city’s hot water tanks, the neatness of the waterfront and the sculpture called the Sun Voyager (that we would walk to tomorrow).

Back Home for a Nap:

         By this time, we were both feeling the strain of so much walking and decided to take a bus to Hlemmur Square (just a six-minute ride away) from where we easily found our Air B and B. Most conveniently, a supermarket called Bonus was located right opposite the entrance and it was there that we stocked up for breakfast for the next few days.  We bought muesli, Icelandic yogurt called Skyr--that is eaten for breakfast and as a dessert--as well as snacks such as crisps, nuts, cheese and Tuc’s bacon-flavored crackers—you get Tuc’s in many flavors in Iceland.

         In our B and B, we found our room and were pleased that the shared bathroom and kitchen were right outside.  We made friends with our roomies, Walter and Lara from London, who gave us a lot of tourist tips.  Then we lay down for a bit and took a nap and our showers and finished the wraps we had carried for the flight from Trader Joe’s (as WOW Airlines does not provide meals). We poured ourselves some wine and nibbled on our snacks and then set out for Perlan.

Northern Lights-Scouring at Perlan:

         Since it had been such a clear and cloudless day, we hoped we could catch the Northern Lights on our very first night in Iceland. Sightings require very cold nights, complete darkness (city lights can take away from the possibility of seeing them) and cloudless skies. My tourist guidebook Lonely Planet had recommended that if we wished to stay in the city to see them, our best chances were from Perlan, which, being located in a park outside the city, offered good conditions. Being situated on the hill called Oshuhulio, it provides a good spot for scanning the heavens.

         Accordingly, we took the bus from Hlemmur Square and three stops later, we were dropped off at the venue from where we needed to find a path that would lead uphill to the entrance. Unfortunately, the path was unlit and since it was almost pitch dark, we had a very hard time trying to find our way there although we followed two young guys who were ahead of us. When we made our way eventually to the entrance, we discovered that the building would be closing in the next hour—but we were welcome to take the elevator to the revolving coffee-shop (also closed) for bird’s eye views of the illuminated city.

         Perlan (literally, The Pearl) is another gem of Icelandic architecture.  The work of Ingimundur Sveinsson, it was built to disguise the large round thermal tanks that provide the city’s water. Like a lot of modern domes (such as the one deigned by Sir Normal Foster on the rooftop of the Parliament Building in Berlin), it is a glass bowl with interesting interior details. We found a spot by a window in the coffee shop where we hoped the Aurora gods would oblige.  But although we stayed for about an hour, there was not a glimmer of a sighting. We were disappointed, but at least we got to see the city by night from a great height.

         We took the next bus out from the bus stop across the street and about a half hour later, we were back in our room and ready to hit the sack after what had been an incredibly productive first day in Iceland.

         Until tomorrow...goodnight.