Iceland: Land of the Midnight Sun

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Shane and I arrived in Iceland after our short 5 hour overnight flight to Keflavik airport just outside of Reykjavik. Thanks to the time change, we arrived just at the crack of dawn- or what would have been the crack of dawn if the sun actually set at night. Yes, we were in the land of the midnight sun, just a few days shy of 24 hour daylight. Instead, we were trreated to about 22 hours of daylight and a sun that barely sets, but just skims across the horizon.

After figuring out the airport shuttle buses, we were on our way to the Centrehotel Klopp just off Reykjavik's main drag, a hotel we picked thanks to it's location and great price. Arriving there long before check-in, we were told to leave our bags and check back at noon for a room since there were travelers leaving for early morning flights.

Slepp-deprived after being awake for more than 24 hours, we decided heading out into the cool crisp air and exploring the city would be our best bet and likely keep us awake. Reykjavik is much smaller than it appears on a map and we were able to cross what we thought were going to be great distances in mere minutes. After locating the Solar Boat sculpture on Reykjavik Bay, we heading back up the hill that the city is perched on to the Hallgrimska church.

Callign Reykjavik a "city" is a bit misleading as well. Although it is the capital of Iceland, it is nothing like the major metropolis' we are used to encountering on our travels. Reykjavik's population is just 120,000 within the "downtown" core. Unfortunately the church was closed for repairs and covered in scaffolding, so our picturesque photo opportunity was lost. Wandering through the streets looking at houses, pettin random cats, led us to Tjorin pond I the centre of the city. Here is where there Reykjavik's city hall is and the downtown core and its major streets seem to branch off from here. Lots of tourists and locals alike were gathering to feed ducks and other birds in the pond.

By this point we were getting cold and hungry, so we popped into the Paris Cafe for some breakfast. While filling and delicious, the warm cafe was putting us to sleep. After a fwe quick shopping stops, we made our way back to the hotel where we were given a temporary room, just to get some sleep in. After a 6 hour rest stop, we were ready to hit the town again.

After walking the high street, we opted for an Italian restaurant and some Icelandic beer before attempting some bar hopping. it is really jarring to be out so late at night while the sky is still a brilliant blue. Even though the sun is out, it's still pretty cool at night. After hearing a cool sounding rock band from the street, we wandered into a pub and sat down to catch the rest of their set and have a few drinks with the locals.

Our next stop was the famed Kaffibarrin owned by Blur frontman Damon Albarn. The front part of the bar was more like a cafe (and packed with people) so we opted for the darker, lounge in the back, had a few drinks and took in the Reykjavik nightlife before moving on to our next stop.

We ventured into the downtown off of Austrovillur Square and went to an Irish pub where a local duo were performing cover tunes to the dancing crowd. We kept samplign the various Icelandic beers and people watching, which is a full-time spectator sport in Reykjavik.

On our way back to the hotel, we discovered that early morning street snacks included freshly made Belgian waffles. They were warm and fluffy and absolutely delicious...a perfect way to cap off our first night in Iceland.

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