Destination: Reykjavik, Iceland (Part 1)

Iceland had been high on my bucket list for a long time; I’d especially been planning to go since my first year in France. However, I knew that I had to save some serious money– being an assistante, I made less than minimum wage, so it wasn’t ideal. This year as a lectrice, though, I made more money, and so I made the decision to *finally* book my flight to Reykjavik. After all, if I didn’t go now, when would I ever?

Upon returning from Prague in late January, I wasted no time looking up and booking a round-trip to Reykjavik from Paris and back– I chose Wow Air, and it came out to just under 190€, which wasn’t bad at all. Granted, I would have to get to Paris first, but a cheap, Flixbus ride for 20€ was reasonable. That said, I secured my flights for mid-May after my semester as a lectrice ended– there was no turning back!

Next thing to consider was finding accommodation. I would be traveling solo, so hostels or Couchsurfing would be best. I tried finding hosts on the latter, which proved challenging, as many either didn’t respond or already had guests at the same time. I did get lucky, though, and found someone who could host for the last three nights (out of the six), so it was just a matter of me to book a hostel for the first three nights. The hostel wasn’t in the center, but easy to reach with a 15-20 minute walk; the host’s flat was just 5 minutes from the Hallgrimskirkja, so I stayed pretty much in the city proper.

Finally, I had to look into getting around to see Iceland (not just staying in Reykjavik). Renting cars was the popular option, but again, I was traveling solo and, even then, I wouldn’t be comfortable driving, as I’m unfamiliar with a manual car (and automatics were way out of budget). I eventually decided to book organized day tours to three destinations– the Southern coast, Golden Circle, and Snaefellsnes peninsula– even if they weren’t cheap (ranging between 60 to 120€), but at least gave me a peace of mind. I wouldn’t have to worry about driving, and I would still be able to see the beautiful country!

That said and done, I headed out early in the morning to take my seven-hour Flixbus ride to Paris. We encountered traffic as we neared the capital, which set arrival back by 45 minutes. Along with the pain-in-the-ass metro/RER strikes in town, it took a while to reach Charles de Gaulle airport, but I still managed to arrive early to go through security and board my 3-1/2 hour flight to Reykjavik. Being a budget airline, Wow Air is minimal in its works; I’d even say that service was a hit-or-miss, but at the end of the day, it got me to Reykjavik and back. Worth the ride, but be prepared to expect the bare necessities.

I landed in Keflavik Airport around 20:00. Nearing the summer, it was still bright outside, and I purchased my 45€ round-trip airport shuttle (pricey, but more direct way to get to and from the city) and soon enough boarded the 45-minute ride to Reykjavik. Along the way, I passed through plenty of moss-covered volcanic fields which made it appear like a different world– so far, first impressions of Iceland were impressive!

The shuttle arrived at the BSI (bus station) terminal, and I set out on foot to my hostel, about a 15-minute walk. It felt longer, though, as the weather was absolutely crazy: not only as it raining, but also so windy that I couldn’t even keep my hood over my head! Eventually, I reached the hostel where I checked in and got settled into my 10-person dorm room where I met plenty of college-aged American and Canadian girls who were on a layover back to North America. Being around 21:00 when I arrived, I was much too tired to do anything besides shower, have a drink at the hostel’s bar, and turn in for the day.

Following morning was my first full day in Reykjavik. After having breakfast, I headed out around 8:30 to start my day. I went to the Hallgrimskirkja, the city’s iconic church modeled after the layered rock reliefs found along the Icelandic coast and the highest point in the heart of town– if you ever get lost, just refer to the church to reorient yourself! The church wasn’t open when I arrived, so I dropped by the Einar Jónsson Sculpture Garden just adjacent to it. Basically, it was a small courtyard with a few sculptures made by the eponymous artist, but it was free!

While waiting for the church to open, I also passed by Loki Café, a *rather touristy* joint serving flatbreads and other small dishes, before heading down to the Tjörnin, a lake within the city right next to the Tourism office. Saw plenty of ducks and other birds chilling out by the water, all the while checking out some cool street art on my way over.

I returned to Hallgrimskirkja upon opening, and I checked out its interior. While I would say that inside isn’t very impressive (austere and minimalist design, as it’s Protestant-style), it was worth taking the elevator to the top for views of the city. It requires an admission of 1000 ISK (about 9-10€), but I was lucky that the ticket office wasn’t open yet, so I was able to not pay and still take the elevator up to the top (shh!). Views at the top were charming, as the small, colorful roofs of the buildings resembled that of a toy town. I wouldn’t have mind paying for the view, as it’s definitely the best from the others I’ve seen in Reykjavik.

Following my visit, I headed towards the city’s coast, just a 10-minute walk. I passed by Laugevegur, the main street for restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops, before reaching the ocean. The air was absolutely refreshing as I reached the Sólfarid, aka “Sun Voyager.” A gleaming statue of a seemingly deconstructed boat, it was made to honor the sun, all the while symbolize hope and freedom for new discoveries.

Strolling along the coast, I soon reached the Harpa Concert Hall, whose all-glass architecture was made to represent the basalt landscape of the country. Just as distinctive the exterior was, the interior was just as mesmerizing, with its geometric-patterned walls bending light at every angle possible. It was a pleasure just wandering the floors to view the walls, let alone being transfixed by them.

Not too far from Harpa was Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, a small outdoor stand that sold the famous Icelandic hot dog. Besides being good budget food at 5€, the Icelandic hot dog is apparently distinctive in that it’s made from lamb, beef, and pork, also topped off with crunchy fried onions, which was an absolute life-changer. It was delicious, albeit small, so it was more of a mid-day snack than an actual meal. Worth getting at least once while in Iceland!

More exploring was done later on that day, but I’ll save the rest for the next post. Until then!

 

— Rebecca