Reykjavik Day 2

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Again in Reykjavik, the first priority was to take a Covid-19 test. The USA required a negative COVID-19 test to enter until June 12. The motorcoach took us directly to the Harpa concert hall where Iceland had set up a very efficient testing site. A queue formed, but moved quickly. The test result was delivered to my smartphone within 30 minutes. (A smartphone is an indispensable travel necessity today.) Part of the group was going to the Blue Lagoon for an afternoon dip while the coach let the rest of us off at the Hilton Reykjavik Nodica. Luckily, our room was ready this time. The afternoon was available for sightseeing around the city.

Susan and I took a taxi to the Hallgrímskirkja. A wedding was scheduled for 4:30 p.m., but it was still open to visit. The Lutheran church was built in 1945 to 1986 and is Reykjavik’s most noted landmark. Inside, the church looks like a Gothic cathedral with pillars and a vaulted ceiling. It is spare in its decoration but the nave feels light and airy. The windows admit an abundance of natural light. The church sits on a hill with a view down Skólavörðustígur towards the harbor. In front of the church is a statue of Lief Eriksson. It was a gift from the United States in 1930 to commemorate the 1,000 year anniversary of Iceland's representative Allþingi. The sculptor was Alexander S. Calder, father of Alexander Calder known for his modernist mobiles.

Across the street was Cafe Loki which we selected for lunch. I had Lamb Soup (which I would characterize as a lamb stew). Very tasty. After lunch we took a walk down Skólavörðustígur, Reykjavik's main shopping street. The street began to be developed during the 1920s. A number of older houses and mixed-use commercial and residential buildings are still here alongside newer constructions. Reykjavik's old stone jail is in about the middle of the street. When built in 1872 it was on the outskirts of town. Souvenir shops, restaurants, the Handknitting Association of Iceland shop, and a large bookstore are all here. At the intersection with Bergstaðastræti Skólavörðustígur becomes Rainbow Street, a pedestrian precinct. The street pavement is painted in rainbow colors to demonstrate Reykjavik's support of diversity.

After this Susan and I returned to the hotel to relax before the Farewell Dinner. The dinner was held at Hereford Steakhùs on another thoroughfare. It was something of a surprising dinner theme for Iceland, but I was happy to tuck in to my Beef Tenderloin and baked potato.

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Photos

Hallgrímskirkja
Hallgrímskirkja. Built between 1945 and 1986. Skólavörðuholt.
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Harpa
Harpa concert hall. Completed in 2011. Austurbakki 2.
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Whale Watchers
Whale watching vessel entering Reykjavik harbor.
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Sólfar
Sólfar - Sun Voyager. Steel sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason. It is based on a Viking ship. Installed in 1990.
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Höfði
Höfði. Built as a private home in 1909 for the French Consul. It was prefabricated in Norway and shipped to Iceland. Used as the British Embassy in the 1940s and 1950s. In used as an official reception venue since 1958 Reagan and Gorbachov held their Icelandic summit here in 1986. Borgartún 105.
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United States Embassy
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Hallgrímskirkja
Hallgrímskirkja. Built between 1945 and 1986. Skólavörðuholt.
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Hallgrímskirkja Nave
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Hallgrímskirkja Altar
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Hallgrímskirkja Pulpit
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Stained Glass
Hallgrímskirkja. Stained glass in side chapel.
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Hallgrímskirkja Organ
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Leifur Eiríksson Monument
Leifur Eiríksson - Leif Eriksson Monument. The statue by Alexander S. Calder was a gift of the United States to Iceland in commemoration of the 1,0000 anniversary of the founding of the Alþingi. The pedestal represents the bow of a Viking ship. Installed in 1932. Skólavörðuholt.
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Bjarg
Bjarg. Multi-use commercial and residential building built in 1920. Skólavörðustígur 38.
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House in Skólavörðustígur
House built in 1910. Designed by Samúel Jónsson. The house is a mixed-use building with an apartment. Skólavörðustígur 35.
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Traditional House
Traditional Icelandic house built in 1903. Skólavörðustígur 31.
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Icelandic Townhouse
Villa built in 1923. Skólavörðustígur 30.
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Skólavörðustígur
Skólavörðustígur, Reykjvavik's shopping street. The street leads from the harbor to Skólavörðuholt hill. The name means School Cairn Hill Street.
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Hegningarhúsið
Hegningarhúsið. Stone building in the Danish colonial style. Used as a prison and jail from 1872 to 2016. Skólavörðustígur 9.
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Rainbow Street
The lower portion of Skólavörðustígur is a pedestrian precinct and had been painted in rainbow color to show Reykjavik's support of diversity.
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Café Loki
Café Loki. Lokastígur 28.
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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Architecture
It is amazing architecture and iconic Iceland. I think architects are cool people creating amazing things. Very creative.

[AndrewHL]

Icelandic Architecture
Icelandic architecture is an interesting subject. Iceland had something of an architectural revolution in the 1930s with the adoption of concrete construction and the popularity of the "Functionalism" style. A sort of eclectic borrowing from Art Deco and the Bauhaus style. It can be seen in the Akureyrarkirkja in Akureyri, the boarding school at Laugar, in homes in Reykjavik and culminates in the Hallgrímskirkja. The latter appears very modern to us, almost in the Brutalism style, yet was called "old fashioned" when completed. It is very beautiful, the tower representing a glacier or waterfall and the apse a Viking helmet. The traditional Icelandic style was the sod roofed and walled church and house. This gave way in the 19th century to the Danish stone style in the city and the rise of the many Carpenter Gothic wooden churches in the countryside. Wood frame and then corrugated iron took over as building materials at the same time.