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ICELAND
University assignment blog for Reykjavik, Iceland.
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Goodbye Iceland!
So now my trip has sadly come to an end. My time in Iceland has been amazing and i loved every bit of it - apart from the hotel of course. Would I reccomend this destination to anyone? the answer would be ‘YES!’ Would I visit Iceland again? I don't think I would as it is now crossed off my bucket list but if i do ever have spare cash just lying around, then just maybe, i would. I am definitely going to miss this place along with all the great friends I have made. It has truly been a once in a life time experience.. Goodbye Iceland!
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Night life
As our journey was coming to an end, theres just one thing left to enjoy, The night life!!
Reykjavík is known for its vibrant nightlife that starts late and carries on long into the early morning hours. The clubs start filling up around midnight, the party starts bouncing around one in the morning. It's hard not to run into a familiar face during a night out. Serendipity keeps things exciting. We spent at least 2 nights exploring the night life and to be honest, it was my most favourite part!!!
The 2 main clubs we visited was Austur and Kofinn. Here they played a mixture of genres, all of which I enjoyed.
Austur Night Club
Kofinn Cafe Bar
We made good friends with a few of the locals during our night out including the DJ and singers which performed in both clubs. They also managed to get us in for free as well as get us a free VIP booth which was a bonus!
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FOOD!
At this point i was absolutely starving so we headed back towards Downtown. The harbor is a nice place to walk around in the evening and is also a great spot to find some wonderful food! Here are some of the places I ate at during my stay in Iceland:
Sægreifinn (The Sea Baron)
Here you can order fresh fish, caught that day, cut up and placed on skewers with veggies, and grilled up when ordered. Of course, you can’t go to Sægreifinn without trying the world famous lobster soup! Mmm Mmm!
Fresh Fish
Lobster Soup
Icelandic Fish and Chips
Located just across the street from Sægreifinn is Icelandic Fish and Chips. The fish and potato wedges are served with a variety of flavoured dipping sauces (additional cost) made from skyr yogurt. My favourites were the traditional tartar and basil garlic sauces.
Freshly caught fish is battered up in an egg-less spelt batter making for a wonderfully delicious meal that was virtually gluten-free.
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand
No trip to Reykjavik would be complete without a stop at the famous Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand, which has been open since 1937! I tried a famous ‘dog and wasn’t a huge fan, but I’m not a huge meat eater. Others rave about it, so I thought I’d try it out for myself.
Cafe Paris
Another place to consider stopping by for a bite to eat while in downtown is Cafe Paris. I loved it! I had already eaten dinner, so we stopped by for coffee and desert. The freshly baked twisted Icelandic donut was a tasty treat!
Laundromat Cafe
Another cafe we visited was the Laundromat Cafe earlier and enjoyed every aspect of our visit! Not only can you literally do your laundry while hanging out, there are hundreds of books, magazines, and games to keep you entertained.
I wasn’t expecting much, but the food was delicious. The veggieburger was surprisingly flavorful!
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The Húsavík Whale Museum
The final place we visited before grabbing something to eat is the The Húsavík Whale Museum. It is one of the few museums in the world solely dedicated to whales, inside lies a fantastic cross-section of the marine mammals that inhabit the Icelandic coastlines. There are 10 different whale skeletons to admire, a range of documentaries to watch and a special area for kids. Highlights at the museum include the Narwhal with its rare unicorn-like horn, a Sperm Whale jaw bone the size of a car and a cabinet exposing the intricate details of whale ear bones. To the side is a cosy library room with a wide selection of books and coffee for a donation. The souvenirs shop inside also forms the base for the Húsavík tourist information centre, offering free wi-fi and a small seating area. The building itself was decorated with brightly painted murals of whales and friendly hand painted signage so it was very difficult to miss.
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A must-do while visiting the church is to pay the small fee to take the elevator to the top of the bell tower. We then climb a few small flights of stairs and got rewarded with incredible panoramic views of downtown Reykjavik, the sea, and the mountains in the background!
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Hallgrimskirkja Church
Another iconic structure we came accross in downtown is the Hallgrímskirkja church.
Hallgrimskirkja - the Church of Hallgrimur, is a national monument, dedicated to the most renowned religious poet of Iceland, Hallgrímur Pétursson. The parish is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Iceland. Hallgrimskirkja towers over the center of Reykjavik, and its 73-meter high tower provides a wonderful view over the entire city. We spent around 15-20 minutes here. The architecture was very detailed and beautiful, I literally couldn’t stop taking pictures!
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Solfar Sun Voyager Sculpture
There are many beautiful places to stop and admire the scenery on these coastal paths, which are very popular with joggers and cyclists, however there is one well-photographed spot which has the added charm of being home to the striking Sun Voyager (Icelandic: Sólfar) which is not far from the Harpa Concert Hall - A massive steel sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason which may resemble a Viking ship, but is in fact a dream boat and ode to the sun.
The epic view of Mount Esja, especially when it's framed by the fiery edges of dawn and dusk, make this a favourite romantic destination for travellers and those with an appreciation of natural beauty.
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Harpa Concert Hall & Conference Centre
Next we went to Harpa Concert Hall. Located by the old harbor between Reykjavík city center and the North Atlantic, the new Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre, stands out as a unique landmark in continuous interplay with its surroundings. The design was influenced by Iceland‘s exceptional and dramatic nature. Situated on the boundary between land and sea, the building is a gleaming sculpture reflecting both sky and harbor, as well as the vibrant life of the city.
Harpa offers outstanding facilities for events whether they be concerts, conferences, exhibitions, meetings or other cultural events. In Harpa you receive personal service and expert advice to guarantee a successful event. Harpa Catering Service completes the experience with traditional but innovative Icelandic cuisine.
The glass facade, which covers the entire building, was designed by renowned visual artist Olafur Eliasson. Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre, the new home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera, has four halls, the largest one accommodating up to 1,800 seated patrons. Smaller meeting rooms are located throughout the building and a spacious exhibition area is nearby. Harpa also offers state-of–the-art equipment for corporate meetings, in addition to catering services and parking spaces.
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12 Tónar
Whilst we were in Downtown, we went to visit a record shop known as 12 Tónar.
The 12 Tónar shop is known as a friendly place where I was able to sit down, listen to a wide selection of music on two floors, enjoy free espresso, read magazines or browse their juicy collection of rock literature. I found out that they sometimes have concerts in their shops. Especially on Fridays during the summer when their garden becomes the venue for all kinds of music.12 Tónar is also an important independent record label. After speaking to a store assistant, I heard that their position as a label is very unique as they regularly meet with many musicians in their shop. Therefore enabling them to be in good contact with emerging talent.
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EXPLORING FURTHER..
During our time here in Iceland, we was able to spend a whole day on our own to do what ever we wanted but of course, we had to do a bit of research as well as exploring and enjoying ourselves. We started our day off with a nice big breakfast and then off we went, out in the open with a nice clear mind.
Our first stop.. Downtown Reykjavik
Downtown Reykjavík is the nucleus of Iceland's rich culture and arts scene. By day, café-culture rules supreme. A steady hum of conversation keeps the city's several cafés lively. With free wifi and refills on drip coffee being fairly common, Reykjavík's café-goers like to linger until they're sufficiently buzzed on the strong, dark elixir. As day turns into night, people start filing into many of the cities excellent restaurants. I found that there are many clothing shops, but none of which are branded like here in the UK for example Topshop, Newlook etc. They were all Icelandic brands. There were also many souvenir shops for people like myself. The way i saw it was during the day, downtown was filled with a lot of tourists and not so much of locals however, during the night more of the locals came out for a drink or to go to the night clubs to enjoy some traditional music. Another thing I noticed is that the streets were VERY clean almost no rubbish what so ever and most of the buildings had graffiti on them and to me, some of them looked amazing.
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Reynisfjara - Black Sand Beach
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Reynisfjara - Black Sand Beach
The world-famous Reynisfjara shore, near the village Vik in Myrdalur on Iceland's South Coast, is widely regarded as the most impressive black-sand beach in Iceland.
Reynisfjara is a black pebble beach and features an amazing cliff of regular basalt columns resembling a rocky step pyramid, which is called Hálsanef. Out in the sea are the spectacularly shaped basalt sea stacks Reynisdrangar. The area has a rich birdlife, including puffins, fulmars and guillemots.
The waves at Reynisfjara are especially strong and unpredictable, and fatal accidents have occurred at this beach, so people are advised to take extra care when visiting the area.
This beach was by far my most favourite place that I visitied so far in Iceland. It made me feel a lot of peace and the views were just absolutely stunning. I could listen to the sound of the waves all day. The air was crisp and the views of the cliffs were spectacular.
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