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Published: June 26th 2009
Day 2: Tuesday, June 23, 2009
KEFLAVIK, ICELAND Landed in Keflavik, Iceland around 6:15am to light rain and heavy overcast. I was worn out. Starting my third day without sleep. Keflavik is about 30 minutes south of the capital city of Reykjavik. So after exchanging Dollars for Icelandic Kronur, I caught the FlyBus to Reykjavik. The FlyBus costs 1700 Kronur (13.29 USD) one-way and is really the best way to go.
NOTE: The króna (plural krónur) (sign: kr; code: ISK) is the currency of Iceland. The word króna, meaning "crown", is related to that of other Nordic currencies (such as the Danish krone, Swedish krona and Norwegian krone. The exchange rate at time of my visit was roughly 0.00781291 ISK (Krona) = 1 USD (United States Dollar).
TIP: You can save some money by purchasing both the airport to Reykjavik and the return trip at the same time. Refer to the Reykjavik Excursions website for FlyBus pricing (http://www.re.is/Flybus).
My first impression of Iceland was desolation. The area around the airport is vast nothingness. Of course now I know that's because what you see there is the aftermath of old lava fields. One guide said there
is a 1500 year rule when dating lava fields. Nothing will grow in a lava field for 1500 years afterwards except moss. Not sure about that one, but I do know it looks glib at 6 something in the morning, in the rain, when I've had no sleep.
REYKJAVIK, ICELAND Don't recall much of the bus ride to Reykjavik as I kept nodding off. Unless you work something else out, the FlyBus will drop you at the BSI Bus station on the southeast edge of Reykjavik. I took a taxi from the bus station to my hotel (cost 500 Kronur; 3.91 USD). Had I been more on the ball, I probably could have had bus company take me to the hotel. Cab driver didn't know the hotel name, but knew the address. This is only natural as the hotel recently changed names.
One upside to my plane delay yesterday is I already had a room waiting for me. So I was able to check-in and immediately took a desperately needed nap.
Sometime later, maybe 11am or 12 noon, consciousness returned. Was still a bit groggy, but didn't want to waste the day. Decided to
investigate Reykjavik. My hotel was located on the southeastern edge of Reykjavik near "The Pearl", so I decided to sart there.
"The Pearl" (or Perlan) consists of a large glass dome atop six geothermal hot water tanks and is one of Reykjavik's most recognisable landmarks. Situated on the summit of Öskjuhlíð, it has a commanding view of the surrounding area. With in the structure are a restaurant, cafe, Viking museum, souvenir and gormet shop. On top is an observation deck that is open to the public.
TIP: Visit the observation deck for the best views of Reykjavik and the surrounding area. Best of all, it's free! 😱
The area surrounding "The Pearl" is forrested and crossed by several walking paths. Near the parking lot can be found the Danslekur (Dance) sculpture by Porbjorg Palsdottir and a full sized Geyser simulation. If you walk the grounds, you'll likely encounter Nootka Lupine (or Alaskan Lupine) which is a pretty blue/purple flowered plant which is growing out of control in Iceland.
After the "The Pearl", I walked to downtown Reykjavik. It's a long walk, but after sitting around all day yesterday, I needed to stretch my legs. One of
Alaskan Lupine
Nootka Lupine (or Alaskan Lupine) looks pretty, but is growing out of control.the first things I encountered was the top of Hallgrimskirkja (or Hallgrimur's Church) which is located atop Skolavorduholt hill. From far away it was difficult what to make of the structure, but as I got near, it was clear that it was a church undergoing renovations. Portions of the church were enclosed in scafolding, obscuring what must be an impressive structure. The sign says after 41 years of construction, the church was inaugurated on October 26, 1986. Seems odd to me that such a new structure would be undergoing such renovation.
In front of the church is a statue of Leif Eiriksson which was donated by the United States Government on the occasion of the Parliamentary Anniversary in 1930.
Proceeded to make my way towards the water front. There is a little sliver of park land along the water front with a bike trail and Viking boat sculpture. Reykjavik is fairly flat, but across the water from the city rises large hills rising from two islands. Some very low clowds were practically scraping the tops of the hills. It almost reminded me of San Francisco when the fog rolls in.
Another pair of steeples that stand out
along the Reykjavik skyline belong to Hateigskirkja, which is a white church in the middle of town not far from the bus station. Nothing particulary special about this church other than it has a pair of very tall steeples.
After reversing myself, I worked my way over to Laugavegur, which proclaims itself "The Main Shopping Street". Naturally, there are many shops and restaurants for several blocks of this road. Here I decided to take a break for a late lunch. After checking the menus of several restaurants along the way, I decided on Restaurante Caruso. Had the fish of the day with a beer. The restaurant was nice and the food excellent. Not cheap, though.
The remainder of my walk took me counter clockwise through the downtown area, working my way past government buildings and eventually past the main park which contains a large pond where ducks and other water birds congregate. Continuing in this direction was working me back towards the airport, BSI Bus Station, and eventually my hotel.
8:14 pm - Billboard on side of road had temperature at 8 C (46.4 F). I'm guessing temperatures ranged from a low of 6 C (42.8 F)
Statue of Leif Eiriksson
Statue donated by the United States Government on the occasion of the Parliamentary Anniversary in 1930.
to a high of 17 C (62.6 F). Though Iceland was cool, it wasn't cold. This is partly attributed to the Atlantic Current which brings warm water up from the south, keeping the island's temperature fairly constant.
Other Info:
Sunrise: 2:57 am*
Sunset: 12:04 am*
*Though technically there was sunrise/sunset, it didn't seem like it because it was always light when I was there.
Sources:
(1) Portions from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_kr%C3%B3na).
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Diane
non-member comment
Iceland
Is it cold in Iceland this time of year? It doesn't look very populated in Iceland?? Are most people employed as fishermen?? Hope you get some much needed rest.