Reykjavik, Iceland

23h30, we landed in Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital!

Verena travelled from Netherlands to London to meet me, so we got the same flight. We haven’t got much planned yet and we only know where we are going to sleep the first 2 nights, out of 10.

Still at

the airport, several companies provide transport to city center and prices are about 2400ISK (no idea how much is it in €/£…). But we found a return ticket for only 4000ISK and we head to the coach. They asked us which hostel we are going to stay and dropped us right at the hostel! Nice!

It’s already after 1am when we check-in! The night is still so bright outside, it doesn’t look that late! Sunset was at 23h50 and the receptionist told us “this is probably as dark as it will get!” wow! It’s like there is no night at all!

In the morning after getting ready, we sit in the common room of the hostel with other travelers. What to do? Where to go? We have no idea! Some of the travelers have been here for 2 weeks, some just arrived like us. So we all share our plans, they give us some tips of where to go and share their experiences. In the kitchen there are 3 guys from Netherlands (that we named the Dutchies ;P … ): they are going to rent a car today and will drive through the Golden Circle tomorrow. The Golden Circle should be in every traveller’s “Iceland to do list” and it is much easier to go there if we have car and well, we don’t! Verena then invited ourselves to join the Dutchies in their car for the Golden Circle tomorrow! Hahaha They looked a bit reluctant at first… probably thinking we are crazy, but in the end they accepted our “invitation” and now we have plans for tomorrow! So excited!

Today seems just right to walk around Reykjavik!

Reykjavik is the first city I visit in Europe that has plenty green spaces in between buildings, they don’t build on top of next door neighbor.

Most houses have straight lines and have 2, 3 floors.

We stop to take a few pictures of Hallgrímur Church, the tallest building of the city, with 74 meters, equivalent to 9 floors building. Opened only in 1986, this church was designed to imitate the movement of lava from a volcano. We pay 700 ISK to go to the top and get this amazing view of the city:

The weather changes every 5 minutes, there are even touristic shops with t-shirts written: “In Iceland, if you don’t like the weather, check again in 5 minutes”. In one minute it’s raining and cold, next minute it’s warm, well 12ºC and it’s summer!

The main street of Reykjavik is Laugavegur: plenty shops and restaurants. The shops have nice and stylish clothes, plenty are handmade and very stylish. I can see how Icelandic woman are into fashion in their way of dressing. I like it!

Between museums and shopping, there isn’t that much to see in the city. Ah, but of course, the public swimming pools with hot water… very famous among icelandic people. It was strongly recommended to us, but unfortunately we didn’t get the chance to try.

Ear

ly evening we stop in a bar called Kaldi Bar, with happy hour till 19h00: 2 drinks for the price of one for 1000 ISK = around 5,50£. When happy hour is finished, people disappear! Some go home or to restaurants, and the bar is practically empty again. Our icelandic friend tell us that people will come back after midnight, when the real party starts in Reykjavik, and the city goes crazy!

But well, for us it’s time to go to the hostel and rest.. tomorrow it’s going to be a great day! A little road trip through Golden Circle!

Sweet Dreams everybody! xx