Sagaland-Reykjavik

21.10.19-22.10.10

Saga means a story. And this is mine.

The day had finally arrived! Off to Iceland!

Extra leg room without even asking for it. I loved Icelandic airlines immediately!

It was goodbye, temporarily, to London.

First sight of Iceland from the plane was…..disappointing (AND I know I’ll regret saying that!) A barren volcanic wasteland. No trees! Didn’t I know that?

Downtown Reykavik Apartments didn’t do justice to the web photos, but had interesting features! The toaster took pride of place on the wall,

and this rather alarming notice was a bit disconcerting!

But it was clean and warm and that’s all that mattered. We set off to buy a few provisions.

This little lot cost $50! Yes, Iceland is expensive!

But enough of domestic bliss! Time to explore!

It was absolutely freezing when we ventured out.

But this was a scene I’d been wanting to see ever since we decided to come here. It features in pretty much every tourism site on Reykjavik.

The rainbow street was first seen 17 years ago, and is now a permanent feature of the city, celebrating diversity and pride.

Oh, and this one too.

Hallsgrimskirkja, Reykjavik’s immense white Lutheran church, dominates the skyline. We hope to go up the tower tomorrow. The church’s size and design caused controversy when it was built, and in a story very similar to the Sydney Opera House, it’s architect never saw it’s completion. Supposed to symbolise a geyser erupting, the locals took a while to get used to it. Now it symbolises and dominates the city.

We started the next day with a walking tour, mainly of old Reykjavik. Our guide Thomas was a star, and kept us entertained and attentive even in the absolutely fiercest of winds. (I don’t think I’ve ever felt so cold!)

This is warm Thomas.

This is cold Judi.

Thomas kept emphasising the fact that Iceland’s isolation has made the culture unique and so different from the rest of the world. His opinion was that basically the rest of the world didn’t particularly care what happened in Iceland, and that when they decided to become independent from Denmark in 1944 (without actually telling Denmark!), the response was like, uh, really? Ok then!

From then on, Iceland did it ‘their way’.

This is the modern day parliament.

No flag flying, because, as Thomas explained, flag flying is not part of their culture!

Thomas showed us so much, told us so much. The new mixed with the old. This sculpture is called the Unknown Bureaucrat, representing all those blokes who slog away at work, unappreciated, anonymous.

This gorgeous little square, built on space which was once a cemetery, honours Skuli Magnussen who is credited with turning Reykjavik from what was virtually a village farm into a business centre, way back in 1750.

Big shoulders, big responsibilities!

This is the Prime Minister’s Lodge, note no security, no flag flying!

In fact, the only building in Reykjavik that does have security, is the American Embassy!

The stunning concert hall on the edge of the harbour is called Harpa. With it’s multi-faceted glass panels shimmering in the changing light, it looked pretty amazing!

Iceland has no issues with conserving energy. They have natural geothermal power all day, everyday. These vents prove it!

The roads in Reykjavik never ice or snow over either, as they put pipes pumping geothermal water under the road surface.

Christmas in Iceland is also different. They have 13 Santa’s, not one! For the 13 days before Christmas, kids leave out a shoe, and each of the Santa’s visit leaving a gift. The Christmas shop is open all year!

It was time to farewell Thomas and find the most famous hotdog stand in Reykjavik for a snack- Baejarins Beztu Pylsur. Famous because Bill Clinton went there and said it was the best hotdog he’d ever had. And Bill Clinton doesn’t lie does he?

It was a Marrickville Pork Roll experience!

They even had hotdog holders on the tables.

John and I agreed they were the best hotdogs we’d ever had too- crunchy onions and a secret sauce. One of us had seconds!

We’d asked Thomas to recommend a museum of choice as there were so many to choose from. We gave this one a wide berth as there were no stamps.

But the Settlement museum came up trumps with great interpretive displays about the original Reykjavikians and how they lived. The museum was underground, built around an original Longhouse.

Hallsgrimskirkja was beckoning.

A lift quickly took us to the top for a magnificent view in all directions.

It was time for us to challenge our inhibitions and get with the geothermal swimming regime. The local pool called Sundhollin was just around the corner. Strict protocols require you to thoroughly shower without your swimmers before entering the pool, in a communal shower. I for one, have never showered naked in public before, so it was quite an experience. And guess what? Nobody cared! How liberating! Took a bit of getting used to, but I loved it! So normal!