Our trip was finally here! Carolanne and I had been planning for our trip to Iceland and Ireland for almost a year. It felt unreal (even to my parents) that I was going to actually go on the trip now. I had been panicking the whole week prior because I realized that I had run out of visa pages (countries require you to have a certain amount of blank visa pages), but I had a few endorsement pages so it was going to have to be good enough. My flight left at 10, so I ended up going to the airport at 7 to make use of my United Club pass (free alcohol and food heyohhhh).
Soon enough, it was boarding time. I was the only person on my side of the row and the seats were surprisingly incredibly spacious! However, I had realized I had forgotten my extra jacket at my sister's place and my scarf at work, so I was shit out of luck for a blanket and pillow. Ten or so hours of dismal sleep and we were finally there! I didn't really see the flight attendants the whole trip, but it's budget so if they catch you breathing they charge you.
The airport was small, but I still somehow ended up getting lost on my way to baggage claim. The border patrol took extra time looking through my passport for a page to stamp, but I ended up getting through without a hitch! I was quickly on the 45 minute bus ride to Reykjavik. All around were volcanic rocks covered in moss. The autumn colors were enchanting.
The church front doors were beautiful and bright.
Here's one of cool houses near the church.
Once I got to the hostel, I showered, bundled up for the 50° weather, and made my way out to explore. I walked down the main shopping street and mostly just window shopped. I couldn't help but notice how incredibly expensive everything was (an Icelandic sweater was around $180)! So much for wanting to buy my whole family sweaters! I turned down another busy street and eventually found myself at a café advertising lamb stew. I enjoyed some tasty lamb stew (and wifi) before heading back out towards the church at the end of the road. The church was already closed, but it was definitely a place I wanted to revisit with Carolanne. I set off again wandering up and down the main streets. I happened to find a long line for a hot dog stand, so I ended up getting in line to try it out. Hot dogs are surprisingly popular in Iceland -probably because everything else is so expensive. It turns out that Bill Clinton also had visited this stand, contributing to its popularity. It was delicious so I could see why it got all the hype.
More downtown views!
Bundled for the weather and feeling cute!
Soon after dusk, I made my way back to the hostel to relax and sleep. I met two women in my dorm. One was a huge knitter, like me, and the other lives in Sacramento! I became fast friends with both of them and made plans for the following day.
The next day, I woke up early, took a shower, and set off to explore the town until Carolanne was to come in (around 4). I decided I wanted to have an idea of where the rental car place was, so I set out for a nice scenic walk along the water that would take me to the rental district. Across from our hostel was a sculpture called Solflarid (the Sun Voyager). It was a steel outline of a viking ship and looked like it were almost crafted by whale bones. Few people were out in the cool, misty weather and I was surprised to see the amount of morning joggers -it had made me wish that I had brought my workout clothes so I could enjoy the unique morning beauty you experience during a run in a foreign country.
And now a first hand encounter with the universal graffiti of Reykjavik.
I ambled along the path that next led me to Reykjavik's entertainment hall. It has stunning panels that are lit up in vibrant blues and purples to resemble fish scales. After admiring the hall, I strolled along to the small peninsula where our car rental was located. I ended up finding a beautiful path along the water and enjoyed the cool air and peaceful solitude. At one point, I got really excited because I thought I had seen a whale's tail, but once I whipped out my camera, I realized it was just a wave from afar. One thing I noticed as I was wandering around the city is that there is beautiful street art everywhere. Street art is often found on sides of buildings, walls, and anywhere else possible. It was really fun to turn the corner to find a new artistic surprise.
Following the art, I made my way back to downtown and settled in a coffee shop where I enjoyed the wifi and cozy atmosphere. My next hour was spent people watching as I waited for Carolanne's text that she had touched down. Once I heard from her, I made my way back to the hostel and spent the next hour talking to my knitting friend, Elina, who was waiting for her flight back to Israel. She showed me the traditional Nordic needles she had bought on this trip. It made this beautiful knotted pattern that was invented far before knitting was made. Next post -Carolanne arrives and things get wilder!
And now a first hand encounter with the universal graffiti of Reykjavik.
I ambled along the path that next led me to Reykjavik's entertainment hall. It has stunning panels that are lit up in vibrant blues and purples to resemble fish scales. After admiring the hall, I strolled along to the small peninsula where our car rental was located. I ended up finding a beautiful path along the water and enjoyed the cool air and peaceful solitude. At one point, I got really excited because I thought I had seen a whale's tail, but once I whipped out my camera, I realized it was just a wave from afar. One thing I noticed as I was wandering around the city is that there is beautiful street art everywhere. Street art is often found on sides of buildings, walls, and anywhere else possible. It was really fun to turn the corner to find a new artistic surprise.
Following the art, I made my way back to downtown and settled in a coffee shop where I enjoyed the wifi and cozy atmosphere. My next hour was spent people watching as I waited for Carolanne's text that she had touched down. Once I heard from her, I made my way back to the hostel and spent the next hour talking to my knitting friend, Elina, who was waiting for her flight back to Israel. She showed me the traditional Nordic needles she had bought on this trip. It made this beautiful knotted pattern that was invented far before knitting was made. Next post -Carolanne arrives and things get wilder!
Here are the Nordic needles and the knots. Made from reindeer bones.
