Destination: Reykjavik, Iceland (Part 2)

After having a mid-morning snack (or “lunch,” however you see it) of an Icelandic hot dog, I continued my first full day of visiting Reykjavik. That morning, I’d already seen the highlights of the city center, including the Hallgrimskirkja, the Tjörnin, the Sólfarið, and the Harpa Concert Hall. It was then a matter of venturing a bit out of the center and seeing what the greater Reykjavik area had to offer.

Prior to going to Iceland, I’d looked up places to visit in Reykjavik aside from the usual tourist draws. I came across Seltjarnarnes, a township northwest of the city. It’s essentially a peninsula, notable for its Grótta, a lighthouse situated near a wildlife conservation. Aside from that, it’s right beside the ocean, with incredible views of the nearby islands and their snow-capped mountain peaks.

From Reykjavik, it would’ve been a 40-50 minute walk, so I opted for the bus. Tickets cost about 4€ each, and I bought a few at the convenience store near the Hlemmur bus station. You could also buy tickets directly from the bus driver, although you’d have to have exact change. The bus ride took no longer than 20 minutes, and I soon arrived at Seltjarnarnes. From the bus stop, I headed towards the lighthouse. The stroll was calm and peaceful, as the place is pretty much devoid of tourists, situated in more of a residential part of the greater Reykjavik area.

Aside from the Grótta, another attraction to see is the Kvika foot bath. I would go as far to say that it’s an “off-the-beaten-path” site, as even the hostel receptionist didn’t know what I was talking about when I’d inquired about it. I’d only seen a couple of blog posts mention it, and upon reaching it I was completely alone. The foot bath is a small bed of hot water powered by geothermal energy, located right next to a shark-curing shack (I could smell the pungent, fishy flavor as I made my way down to the rocks). I kicked off my shoes and socks before slowly easing myself into the soothing water, all the while enjoying the gorgeous landscape in the distance. Eventually, a couple came by to also see the Kvika foot bath, and we took photos of each other with it and the views. Definitely recommend this semi-hidden gem of a place, although I hope that it doesn’t become touristy anytime soon!

I dried off my feet and continued my walk towards the lighthouse. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get right in front of it, as the area was closed off due to conservation season– it wouldn’t be until the summer that it would open to the public. Any case, I backtracked to the bus stop, where I took the bus to the other side of town. Known as Elliðaárdalur valley, this natural area happens to be right in Reykjavik city center, not too far from the Mjódd bus station. It’s a small natural park that contains the Elliðaá river, along with a myriad of lush trees (planted by the community) and small waterfalls. You wouldn’t imagine a city to contain such nature, but if you’re short on time and can’t make it to the rest of Iceland’s great waterfalls (Gullfoss, Seljanlandsfoss), then the ones in Elliðaárdalur work just as well! I also read that there are some wild rabbits roaming around the park, although I didn’t get to see them during my visit. All the same, it was a tranquil getaway from the touristy section of town, even refreshing me upon returning to the center.

Arriving back at Hlemmur Square, I strolled along Laugavegur, popping into Bonus, which is considered Iceland’s budget supermarket, for some groceries. If you’re planning to save money by cooking, getting groceries at Bonus is the way to go. I got a few cup of noodles for 0,80€, as well as a few Skyr (pronounced “skeer”) yogurts, which were pretty tasty, a bit like Greek yogurt. If there’s one thing that you should try while in Iceland, it’s Skyr!

Feeling a bit low on energy, I headed back to my hostel, where I dropped off my groceries and rested for a bit before venturing out to the last stop of the day, which was the Perlan. Situated on a hill in southern Reykjavik, it houses a few museums and exhibitions, including an Ice Cave; I’d wanted to check out the Ice Cave, as it looked pretty cool, but it was too expensive. Instead, I just opted for the observation deck at around 4€. There was a bit of construction going on at part of the deck, but the views of Reykjavik from there weren’t bad. Also saw some of the volcanic mountains looming behind the city, and it made for a calming end to my first full day in the capital.

Unbelievable as it sounds, it happened to be a sunny, relatively-warm day in Reykjavik…to the point that I even got sunburned! Usually, the weather is on-and-off with sun one minute and rain the other. True, weather is unpredictable in Iceland, but at least it was consistently good that day. I returned to my hostel after my Perlan visit, and I rested for the remainder of the day.

The following three days were spent doing day tours to other parts of Iceland (which I’ll write about later). I had one full day in Reykjavik the day before I left, and I kept it pretty relaxed. For one thing, I had to visit an electronics store to purchase a new smartphone (long story short, but I’d lost my phone during one of my day tours, and I needed a new phone to get me through the next two weeks of travel), then activate it. Other than that, I checked out Loki Café– touristy as it was, I got to try the notorious fermented shark and Brennevin (an Icelandic spirit very similar to vodka), both which I wouldn’t choose to get again, but it was quite the experience.

I wandered town afterwards, strolling along Laugevegur and popping into a few of its shops to see the souvenirs. There were a few cheeky gifts, including “canned Icelandic air,” which cracked me up. I hung around until 17:00, when I headed to a restaurant for an early dinner. Besides fermented shark and Icelandic hot dogs, the country is also known for producing good lamb, and I didn’t mind spending a bit extra on a nice meal (in Iceland, of all places). The meal ended up being over 50€ for a plate and glass of wine, but the lamb was cooked medium-rare and absolutely melted in my mouth– certainly was the stunner of my day!

Happy Hour was just about starting once I finished dinner, so I decided to spend the last of my Icelandic krona on some drinks. I stuck around on Laugevegur, first popping into the Lebowski Bar, which had a retro feel and served up some strong White Russians. Never seen the film, but I was digging it! I also met a few Couchsurfers there, a guy from central California on a 19-hour layover, and a Nepalese-American who would be renting a car to visit the country. We had a good time, as we eventually bounced to four other bars for the night. I was also leaving at 3:00 for the airport, so my original plan was just to stay awake as much as possible.

Eventually, I had to return to my Couchsurfing host’s flat to grab my luggage and head to the airport, as my flight was at 6:00. On my way to the airport, I looked outside the window and found it surreal that, despite being in the dead of the night, the skies never quite got pitch black– goes to show that the “midnight sun” was approaching! Made it to the airport, where I got through security and took the flight back to Paris both sleep-deprived and hungover. Not the most pleasant way to end the trip, but also no regrets!

Will be recapping my organized day tours to other parts of Iceland in due course, so until later!

 

— Rebecca