Random Reykjavik

Oh Iceland, cold Iceland… What a ride you were!

I traveled to Iceland in March 2017. I absolutely loved every part of my trip there, well almost every part since the weather was not always on my side. The cold and the rain were very intense on some days, but overall I was lucky enough to enjoy some luminous sunny days as well. Apart from the grey and the wind, Iceland was a fabulous, unique country to explore. Nature is quite powerful over there. Everywhere you go, you are surrounded by water and mountains, the air is cold, but it is pure. I was extremely happy to visit a country where I could just… breathe. In our day and age, a whole country with very little pollution is sadly hard to find. Iceland is one of those rare ones. I traveled across the country and saw magnificent sights; geysers, falls, fjords, lagoons, volcanoes, northern lights… I hiked, I rested and I walked. It was a beautiful little trip, and I will never forget it.

With a little under 340 000 inhabitants, Iceland is a very small country, where everyone seems to know everyone. This Scandinavian land is safe, crime is almost nonexistent!, so for travelers embarking on a first solo-trip, that could be a great start. I have traveled a lot in my life, and I can say that Iceland was the place where I felt the most at ease, where I never got scared or suspicious of anyone. It felt good being that comfortable and confident, walking freely, even in the middle of the night. The local currency is the Icelandic crown, and 100 ISK is equivalent to 0.75 euros. Unfortunately, since Iceland is a cold and isolated island, they have to import most of their food, which means that everything is madly expensive! I never ate in a restaurant during my stay there; I would rather go to a grocery store, mainly the yellow ones because they were the cheapest. (Why is it that, in every country, yellow grocery stores are always less expensive than the other ones? Am I the only one who thinks that?) Anyway, I would go to these stores and buy all of the basic necessities I needed. Let’s just say that I ate a lot of granola bars and pasta!

My first stop in the country was its capital, Reykjavik, where most of the population is located. I spent three or four days there, and had a good time. Here’s what I did in the city.

First, I have to mention that I called this post Random Reykjavik, because that’s exactly how the city felt to me, random! There’s a factory next to a bar next to the sea next to a weird art installation. A traditional Nordic house then a cabin then a modern building… But I liked that! Nothing seemed to go together in terms of architecture, yet somehow, that worked. There’s a lot to do in the capital. There are tons of art galleries and hip pubs, often with live musicians playing. The cafes are all cool and hipster, the streets are clean, and the cold wind is always present. I particularly enjoyed walking around the city and photographing all of the odd, quirky things I saw.

Another thing that I absolutely loved doing was going to the old port to see the Opera House/Congress Palace called Harpa. Its architecture is unusual and the view you get from the inside is breathtaking. Other original things I saw were the Hallgrimskirkja, a (very!) modern cathedral, and all of the traditional (including Viking) shops on Laugavegur street. I also loved relaxing in the green parks and going near the municipal pond in the center of the city to admire the gorgeous white swans swimming tranquilly. Overall, the most stunning thing I saw were the Northern Lights! Cruises depart every night in Reykjavik to go chase and admire this spectacle. But if you are lucky enough like me, there is a chance that if you stay outside late at night on a cloudless evening, you may be able to witness those big lights in the sky, although photographing them is almost impossible and can never look like the real thing, just like taking a picture of the moon or the sun. It simply does not compare. So just enjoy the lights and that special moment. Your memory is worth more than any photograph.

Furthermore, I must say that as a modern art fan, I was thrilled! Reykjavik is known to be an artistic city. I visited many small galleries, saw countless crazy sculptures, murals and installations around the capital, and visited three contemporary art museums. If you love museums, you will be happy in Reykjavik because apart from the art ones, there is a wide array of others to visit, all tackling different topics: nature, history, even penises! So if you have time (and money), I would suggest visiting the Reykjavik Art Museum (it’s actually a circuit comprised of three different museums spread across the city), the National Museum of Iceland, the Maritime Museum, Viking World, the Saga Museum, and yes, the infamous Phallological Museum!

Reykjavik is a must-see for sure, but Iceland is much more than that. If you truly want to experience Iceland, then you should establish a budget and an itinerary. I recommend visiting Gullfoss, Akranes and its lighthouse, Jökulsarlon, and the beautiful blue lagoon. You can easily reach all of these spots by bus or, if you are traveling with a small group of people, you can rent a car at the Keflavik airport. You can also stay in small hotels, airbnbs and hostels, or you can choose to camp instead. Anyway, I will probably get into all of the details of these incredible spots and how to reach them in a future blog post. If not, Google is your friend. 🙂