5°
23 June 200615 days in June
- Day: Friday, June 23
- Weather: Sunny, slightly cloudy, 14 °C
- Distance in kilometers: 0 km
We arrived in Keflavik at 03:45 PM local time and transferred to the Alba Guesthouse.
Getting to Reykjavík from the airport: the Flybus takes about 45 minutes. It leaves from just outside the arrivals hall, in connection with flights (your seat is guaranteed even if the flight is late), and stops at the BSÍ bus terminal. Fares start from 3999 ISK one way, and for an extra fee you can be dropped off at selected hotels.
A very friendly hostess welcomed us in perfect French (rather rare in Iceland!). At 6 pm, we went for a walk in the streets of the capital. We started in Hallgrímskirkja and enjoyed the view from the top of the tower for 350 ISK at the time (today an adult ticket costs 1,500 ISK, about €10). You can see the whole capital from the top of this monument.
Next we walked to Lake Tjörnin, a rather peaceful spot in the heart of the capital with active birdlife: arctic terns, geese, ducks, and more. Here the birds are not wild but quite used to humans, so you can approach them up close.
The Perlan
We continued our walk through the lively city streets where we met many young Icelanders warming up for a great weekend. Friday evening is usually when the wilder parties happen in Iceland.
At 9PM we decided to stop and eat at a small restaurant on “Laugavegur”, the main shopping street in Reykjavík with salmon fillet and Viking beer on the menu, all for 2380 ISK per person (about €25...).
The restaurant has great atmosphere and fast service. After this break we continued our walk, noticing the wind and the temperature dropping a few degrees. We stopped near the famous Viking ship of Reykjavík (the Sólfar, or “Sun Voyager”, a dream boat by Jón Gunnar Árnason rather than a real Viking ship) to capture this strange metal sculpture in a few photos and to admire the view. At 11PM we were still out and it felt like mid-afternoon.
This can be a bit disorienting because despite the fatigue of the trip, we don't feel tired enough to go to bed. On the other hand, it seems that Icelanders like to take advantage of the endless day offered by the midnight sun, we even met some mowing their lawns around midnight...
On the way back, we passed “the Perlan”, located very close to our Guesthouse. This 5-storey, dome-shaped establishment now houses the “Wonders of Iceland” nature museum (ice cave, northern lights show, 360° panoramic observation deck), as well as a restaurant, a café and a shop, and is popular with locals and visitors alike. It was almost midnight (and the sun was still shining!) by the time we returned to the Guesthouse for a well-deserved night's rest.
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