We arrived in Iceland on schedule at 8:30 a.m. yesterday. We were expecting cloudy with showers, so it was a bit of a surprise to actually see anything of the ground before we landed:
The airport for Reykjavik is in Keflavik, which was formerly an American Air Force base, used extensively during WW II. They used to share the airport facility, but now it is used entirely as the main airport for Iceland, and is a 45 minute drive away from Reykjavik. We had arranged a shared van transfer with Gray Line, but we ended up having the van to ourselves, so we had a nice conversation with the driver on the way.
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| There were a few of these sculptures around near the highway. Icelandic version of the inukshuk? |
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| This is what much of the terrain looks like; volcanoes in the distance and lava fields. It looks just like Lanzarotte, but with more moss on the lava. |
We were staying one night at the Hotel Borg, in the city centre near the Town Hall and the original church. The hotel is decorated in Art Deco style and is quite comfortable. Unfortunately the hotel restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday evenings, so we had to find somewhere else to eat. It seems that downtown Reykjavik is rather quiet at the beginning of the week. Even the restaurant that was suggested to us only had a smaller bar menu available, but after the lunch we had, it was just enough.
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| The City Hall, dating from 1881, and, behind it, the church. |
Monday was a holiday in Iceland, being the 2nd day of Pentecost, so there were more people around than just the tourists, so the main streets were more crowded than usual. We found the cathedral, which we had visited on our previous stop in Reykjavik in September 2012, but couldn't go in as there was a service underway.
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| The statue in front of the cathedral is to Lief Eriksen, who discovered Iceland |
We had decided we'd like some local fish for lunch, and there's no shortage of fish and chips restaurants here. We went into Bistro101 and had a fantastic, if expensive, meal. Iceland doesn't grow very much of its own food, being primarily a volcanic island, so it is very expensive to eat here, and you are loath to waste the smallest morsel.
After having only maybe 2 hours of sleep on the plane, we started to fade after lunch and went back to the hotel for a rest. On the way we stopped by one of the Ice Wear shops that sells all kinds of Icelandic knitwear and activewear. They also sell knitting wools and yarns, and I was looking for a particular type to add to some that I had at home to make a cardigan. I found it right away, and the expected purchases for this trip have now been made.
Once refreshed, and, believe it or not, with growling stomachs, we asked the reception staff for a recommendation for dinner. They sent us to Brut, the restaurant in the Radisson Blu Hotel a (very small) block away, where we found only the bar area and bar menu available for the same reason our hotel restaurant was closed.
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| I had the cured salmon, which was delicious. It came with horseradish cream and some diced beetroot. |
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| Larry opted for the fish sandwich, which was so large he took off the top bun and ate with a knife and fork! |
Again, everything was delicious. The food may be expensive, but we have discovered that the portions are quite generous. We spoke to one lady at the restaurant who will be on the ship with us, and some of the other diners looked like they might also be boarding Ovation.
This morning, we decided to go to The Laundromat Cafe for breakfast. I had done some research online and this place came up high on the recommended list in Google. It was no more than a 5 minute walk from the hotel, and we were there not long after they opened.
The meal didn't disappoint. We'll be adding a recommendation to the list. After breakfast we walked up toward the cathedral again to get a few more photos with less of a crowd than yesterday. It was cold, windy and drizzly so we didn't stay out for long.
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| This is a Bakery/Cafe that has the most amazing pastries in the window. It was really busy yesterday afternoon. |
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| This section of the road is called Rainbow Street on the map. It probably started out as an installation for Pride celebrations, but has become permanent. |
Now we're back at the hotel until we check out and leave for the ship. We have a 1:20 boarding time, and have been advised that we will be turned away if we arrive too early, so our taxi will pick us up at 1:00. The trip to port should only take about 10 minutes, so we'll be right on time. It would be nice if the wind would let up a bit and the off-and-on drizzle would stop, but the weather is supposed to improve in the next day or so.
