August 22,2024 Reykjavik, Iceland
It was raining when we woke, I made us cappuccinos and we worked our puzzles.
After a while I headed to the gym…the treadmill was fantastic. Although it didn’t have Mahjong, I throughly enjoyed the simulated “hikes”.
We set out across the open tundra for a visit to Harpa. When we last visited Reykjavik in 2021, Harpa was still closed due to Covid.
The Edition hotel is situated in a prime location …right on the waterfront, ten minutes from the Rainbow street and directly across from Harpa.
Despite the freezing cold and biting wind, we paused long enough for a selfie …because that’s what we do 😊
The Harpa is a concert hall and convention center. The first concert was held in 2011. It is an amazing piece of architecture. The steel structure is covered with geometric glass panels in different colors. It is magnificent in bright sunshine and still pretty spectacular on cloudy days.
We spent some time exploring the building.
Although there were two cruise ships in port…there were few visitors and we were able to really enjoy the space.
The highlight of our visit was participating in the Circuleight Experience. Circuleight is an immersive art installation and performance experience. It combines visual arts, music, and technology. I can’t really describe it, other than to say, it was a very, very cool experience.
You enter a room and you are immediately immersed in sound and colors. At first we just sat and listened and watched…
…then we got up and interacted with the projections, thus changing the art and becoming part of it…truly a wild experience.
Our original intent was to walk along the harbor, but the wind was just too much… so we headed back to Tides for lunch.
North Atlantic lobster rolls …really yummy.
As I took Timmy’s photo, the manager offered to take this one.
After lunch, I layered up and set out to explore. Central Reykjavik is quite compact and I remembered from our last visit that once you move away from the harbor area, the wind becomes less ferocious.
There are some cities that you just fall in love with and Reykjavik is definitely one of them…it is cool and quirky and the people have a laid back vibe…
Here we have the iconic “Rainbow Street”. The Icelandic street name is “Skólavörðustígur.” The street was originally created in 2015 as a symbol of support and celebration for the LGBTQ+ community in Iceland. It was first painted for the Reykjavik Pride festival, which is one of the largest LGBTQ+ events in Iceland. The idea behind painting the street in rainbow colors was to create a statement of inclusivity and love. The rainbow has been repainted and maintained over the years. I love it.
I walked up the slight incline, snapping pics along the way…although less windy, it was still pretty darn cold.
The store fronts are off beat and very cool.
At the top of the Rainbow street we have Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran church. It is for sure a towering presence. I love the architecture.
As many times as we have passed by this church on previous visits, we’ve never entered it …because it’s usually mobbed with tourists. And although the Norwegian Star and RCI Jewel of the Seas are both in port, there were hardly any visitors present.
I stayed long enough to warm up, then continued my exploration of Reykjavik.
Every local that we spoke with said this has been a cold rainy summer. One cab driver said it’s the worst he can remember in years.
Most folks were well prepared for the weather
This is a speakeasy type bar
I continued my walk outside of the main shopping district and headed towards the neighborhood surrounding the Hotel Borg…we stayed at the Borg in 2021, as part of Crystal’s pre-cruise program. It is charming, old school luxury in the Art Deco style. The neighborhood is quiet, has a sweet park and lots of really good restaurants.
I also hunted down the most famous Hot Dog stand in all of Iceland. We ate here on our night time “Foodie Tour” in 2021.
After my expedition around Reykjavik, I returned to our hotel, took a nap and then we layered up and left for dinner.
So I have on a base layer, a wool sweater, fleece vest, scarf, my puffy and I added my wrap because I was an ice cube when I returned from my afternoon walk. Tim’s wearing a sweater and his windbreaker.
Back on Rainbow street I found a storefront that I failed to photograph in the afternoon.
We’ve had several memorable meals in Reykjavik during our previous visits and I especially wanted to return to the Swordfish Grill. Our dinner was fabulous…the cuisine was expertly prepared, visually beautiful and so delicious.
My drink, the “Smooth Operator” had tequila, vanilla syrup and grapefruit juice , Tim’s was called the “Woodflower” it included Woodford bourbon and elderflower liqueur. Both were delicious.
Oh that bread…
We shared the langoustine tacos. Beyond delicious.
Almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
My grilled salmon with sweet potato.
Tim’s shellfish pasta and a side of French fries.
So much yumminess…hot chocolate cake♥️
When we left the restaurant, the wind had died down, so we walked for awhile.
For the second day in a row…a cloudy day gave way to a magnificent sun set.
What a way to end such a fun day.
We almost couldn’t believe the sun set…because there was not a single smidge of sun during the entire day.
On the way back to the hotel, we took a shortcut through this food hall…so warm and cozy.
Back in our room, the sunset continued to delight us…reflecting off the Harpa.
I took a bunch of photos…here are my favorites. Did I mention how much I love our hotel? Especially our room location.
When I checked my newsfeed, I found that the volcano had once again erupted, and the Blue Lagoon’s guests had to be evacuated. The eruption was so sudden and the evacuation so urgent that guests in the Blue Lagoon were not able to change or shower. It must have been terrifying. Lots of social media posts from frantic folks.
Here’s a screenshot from the Blue Lagoon website. All I can say is that I’m glad we decided not to stay at the Retreat at the Blue Lagoon. Yikes.
We had a fun day … loved the wild art installation at the Harpa, dinner was super, as was the sunset and we feel like we totally dodged a bullet when we changed hotels. Thanks for following along ♥️
