Hello, welcome to my blog. Travel is a big part of my life, as is exploring my local surroundings. I look forward to sharing stories, reflections, photos and information about my time spent exploring, both near and far. Unlike most travel blogs, I don’t plan to focus on “bargains” or “luxuries” but rather on quality of experience. I also hope to infuse my reflections with a strong dose of “being there”.
THallgrímskirkja (which is pronounced nothing like it sounds) is a Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church. It is the largest church in Iceland, can be seen from most of Rekyavick and is one of the tallest structures in all of Iceland.
The church is named after an Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674)
The church is a short walk up a hill from the Old Town. It was designed to resemble the trap rocks, mountains and glaciers of Iceland’s landscape. And indeed it does.
Looks like the “trap rocks” of Iceland.
Building from crypt to steeple took 41 years and started in 1945. At the time, the building was criticized as both too old-fashioned and too eclectic. The church was originally less high, but the leaders of the Church of Iceland could not resist the urge to scrape the heavens just a wee bit closer then the now second largest Church Landakotskirkja (Catholic).
The front of the Church could not look more different than the back of the church, The Church is comprised of one giant open space, with lots of natural light and incredible acoustics.
Such cool geometry in the design of the ceilings.
I enjoyed this Church with its simple vast spaces, soft interior lines, peaked ceilings and grandiose use of space. I enjoyed the simple ways the building used natural light and liked experiencing alternate viewpoints of the same shared space by moving about. The stained glass in this church is also quite striking, colorful with narrative motifs. It seemed, “down to earth” and not so other worldly. The church is in use for both regular services and weddings and special events.
Stained Glass was simple and colorful. And I dare say, the guy on the right seems slightly “vikingish”
The church houses a massive, quite spectacular pipe organ and two smaller ones. The large organ has electronic action and the pipes are remote from the four manuals and pedal console. There are 102 ranks, 72 stops and 5275 pipes.
This organ is massive. It ‘s 49 ft tall and weighs 55,000 pounds.
It is quite truly a work of art. I only wish I could have heard it played. They also have an amazing choir. Here is a performance made their in 2012 by the artist Bjork and the choir. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scvy-JclyDE
This is the back of a much smaller organ.
Front of the smaller organ, yes, I was tempted, very tempted.
This Church seemed to pick up everyones spirits including my travel buds, Willie and Britta.
The steeple of the church has an observation tower accessed by a lift. We did not go up it. There was no shortage of view from the church site itself.
You can see the observation deck, where you can get a piece of Leif’s view.
The general area around the church is very nice with lots of sweeping views.
The statue of explorer Leif Erikson (c.970 – c.1020) by the American Sculptur Alexander Stirling Calder in front of the church is older than the church. It was a gift from the United States in honor of the 1930 Althing Millennial Festival, commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the convening of Iceland’s parliament at Þingvellir in 930 AD. A truly remarkable story unto itself.
Leif Ericson, the legendary Norse explorer from Iceland is thought to have been the first European to have set foot on continental North America, half a millennium before Christopher Columbus
We arrived in Reykjavik by air, as most people do. It’s an odd little airport, sluggishly chaotic, but it serves its purpose. It’s a simple affair to catch a bus to the city center. You purchase a ticket from the ticket booth and they point you to a big bus in the parking lot. They’ll ask where your hotel or final destination is when they take your ticket. Then they’ll drive the bus to a transfer station, where you board a smaller bus to get to your destination. They are very service-minded, speak great English, and will get you where you need to go. If you’re confused, they’ll help, and they seem to make an effort to ensure that no one is on the wrong bus. I mostly say that because I was on the wrong bus and they got me on the right one.
The Harbor meshes seamlessly into the old town. Behold the midnight sun.
Our driver mentioned that sometimes if you tell them your street address they’ll take you right to your front door (instead of the nearest official stop).
Around the corner from our house I could hear lots of singing coming out of this cafe. This was the late night 20 guys singing at the top of their lungs type affair.
Icelandic teenagers skateboarding under the mid-night sun.
Not sure what is going on with these gals –
Reykjavik is a small manageable city by foot; we stayed in the old part, which was perfect. A short walk in any direction led to many fun adventures.
Colorful old town. Lots of little shops and restaurants.
There are numerous hip restaurants, markets, music venues, and cool things to see. There’s a working shipyard area, a port, Viking museums, several art galleries, a world-class opera house, a spectacular church, a thriving live music scene, great shopping, endless scenic spots, good food, and even great ice cream. There are lots of outdoor and indoor gathering areas to enjoy your time in Reykjavik.
Kids at a Hot Dog Stand at about 1AM This shot is a bit blurry, but this is a typical group of locals enjoying one of their many public spaces.
Some prefer to be upside down.
The Icelandic sense of style and design incorporates both traditional and modern motifs in unique ways. Simple, clean lines are an ongoing theme, from fashion to interior design to architecture. Arty graffiti and a keen sense of bold patterns and color spices up the scenery.
Even the industrial buildings got “art-ed” up with positive and romantic images. Close up of a very large nautical mural. This was at 11:30PM and the light was strong enough to cast a shadow as you can see. The colors were quite magical in person. Even the utility boxes were “artified”.
And to top if off, the streets are full of friendly domestic cats guarding front doors (who need pets) and a buzzing youthful energy. In general the population is fit, engaged and “arty”.
Feel Free to NOT pet my belly.
Boat excursions, bike rentals, and longer hikes are fun and plentiful. You can also ferry to nearby islands and see Puffins. Everyone likes Puffins!
Guess what the Icelandic Word is for Puffin ?
We visited in July, when days are 20 hours long and night never fully falls. Daytime weather ranged between 60 – 70 degrees, with sunny, clear skies, and nights were in the low 50’s. We rented an apartment through Airbnb, which had a kitchen, and we had great fun exploring and cooking with local ingredients and baked goods. Smoked Salmon was a great deal, as were many other types of fish and seafood. The dairies there produce great cheeses, and some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had can be found at a place near the water front called Valdis http://www.valdis.is
We also enjoyed several meals out. One super-fun, casual place was called the Laundromat Café, and it actually did have a Laundromat in the basement. http://www.thelaundromatcafe.com/en/home
One of my friends is vegan, and we had no trouble finding her a variety of tasty selections.
Had some seriously good vegan food at this place which is up by the big Church. Nice view of the Church from inside the Cafe Loki
Reykjavik is extremely safe for walking or biking. The whole country is in fact, almost entirely crime free, clean and socially benevolent.
If you don’t mind huge winds, brutal temperature swings and massive distance between towns with few resources, then an unsupported solo bike tour may be for you. Just make sure to stake down your tent with big rocks, even if you are in it.
We stayed for four days, but you could easily stay longer – especially if you pick up a car for excursions to the Golden Circle, Vik or Skogafoss waterfall.
Walking these big hills on the water reminded me a bit of San Francisco, Ca. That’s my travel buddy Willie on the left in his Barcelona T shirt. He is a man of many, many T shirts.
Reykjavik could easily serve as a nice home base for those who want a big taste of Iceland without having to re-pack their bags. I’d even consider stopping there for a few days on the way somewhere else just to eat the incredible fish, drink the local beer, maybe catch some music, and absorb the Icelandic vibe.
Even this tiny little window in our apartment was decorated with unique Icelandic art that seems to so perfectly capture the seductive slow unfolding of time, light, sky and space.
