Tuesday 20 June 2017

Return of the Native 2 - Iceland 3


We realised the Sorento had a sat nav right about the time we left Þingvellir for Reykjavik which was handy but we still had trouble finding the hotel because the travel agent anglicised the spelling of the street name and it could have been and one of three or none at all. Björk (as we called her) did her very best though and took us to each in turn until we finally located the Centerhotel Klopp.

Downtown Reykjavik isn't busy, which is rather fortunate. We scored a park right near the hotel and fed the meter for a day and a bit since there are no restriction on how long you can stay just as long as you pay.

Reykjavik Tucker Tip #1

Go to Gló. There are four of them to choose from in Reykjavik and they specialise in vegan, vegetarian and raw food with one token meat dish for carnivores. It was so good we went to the one on Laugavegur not once but two nights in a row. It's in the heart of the tourist area, just one short block from our hotel and the food is wonderful. It's also very reasonably priced and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

You can get around the tourist and cultural heart of Reykjavik on foot without any trouble and unlike London, people tend to keep to one side of the footpaths rather than bouncing back and forth all over the place. Do, however, be wary of daredevil young men on bicycles and terribly drunk youths who take a shine to you because you're wearing shorts or you remind them of their grandfather. I attracted one such inebriated young chap whilst we were minding our own business on the tourist strip one evening. He was a big hulking Viking type but otherwise seemingly harmless and I did wonder how anyone in Iceland could afford to get as staggeringly drunk as he was.

Iceland Alcohol Tip #1

Use your time in Iceland to detox because grog is ridiculously expensive. It is only available in bars and restaurants at exorbitant prices, especially the wine, or at state owned liquor stores of which there are only 12 in the entire capital. It can be an extremely long drive to get a takeaway once you’re outside Reykjavik and I didn't see a single one during our travels.

If detoxing is not on your agenda then take in some duty free, they have a quite generous allowance but don't buy it inbound at Keflavik International Airport. The duty free there is literally double the outbound price in Manchester.

We commenced our Reykjavik experience with a visit to church. No, I haven’t recovered from being recovered, it's a church with a view. The Hallgrímskirkja is one of the tallest structures in Iceland with an elevator to the top of its spire which functions as a viewing platform. The cathedral sized church was designed in the 1930s and construction went on in stages until the 1960s with restorations being undertaken as I write. It's a fine building both inside and out with a facade that is evocative of the basalt columns you see in many places around Iceland.

Interestingly enough, the architect responsible for Hallgrímskirkja, Guðjón Samúelsson, also designed the Roman Catholic Cathedral a decade earlier and the similarities are striking, particularly the particular style of vaulted ceiling and the faux granite columns. The cathedral is smaller and being Roman Catholic it’s more elaborate than the Lutheran church but they are undeniably two peas from the same pod.

Our final destination in Iceland was the Blue Lagoon which is a flash thermal spa. We began with lunch in their smart restaurant where you can dine in your Premium Package terry towelling dressing gown and thongs but we remained clothed. Then it was off to the “You must shower naked before you enter the Blue Lagoon” highly complicated and convoluted change rooms. Some 20 minutes later we finally made it into the warm, mineral-rich water that I can still feel on my thick grey chest hair which even I must admit is past its best-by date and due for a serious clip.

We thoroughly enjoyed our final night in Iceland staying at the Northern Light Inn near the Blue Lagoon. It was spacious and friendly and it has the best beds in all of Iceland which was a crying shame because we had to get out of them at 4.00am to catch our flight back to Manchester.

We had a wonderful time but I wasn't sad to leave Iceland’s 24 hour summer light behind. It is extremely disorienting if you come from a place like Sydney where there is distinct day and night. Lin lives in the north-east of England where the summer sun finally sets at around 11.00pm so was good with Iceland but I'm ready for a 15 minute Australian twilight then darkness - with stars!

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