Iceland Adventure: Day 3

Monday 9/5: Reykjavik Exploration + Food Tour

This morning, we were able to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast at our apartment before heading off to explore Reykjavik on foot.

We had perfect weather today! Sunny, clear skies, a bit cool in the 50s. We started out by going to the iconic Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran church with a very modern design to take the elevator to the top of the tower for a panoramic view over the city and rather loud bells that chime every 15 minutes (cover your ears if you're up in the tower!!!).

Then we headed north towards the harbor, stopping along the way at a bakery for a snack. We strolled along the wonderful pedestrian pathway along the oceanfront to Harpa, the concert hall and conference center. We were quite surprised to see all of the jellyfish in the water near the shoreline!

In the Harpa cafe, we paused for a coffee and to enjoy the amazing architecture of the building from the inside.

Then we continued along to the old harbor and turned south towards the lake in the center of the city known as The Pond. We meandered around the lake, including through the City Hall that straddles the northern edge, and wandered back towards our apartment.  

During our circuit, we of course did some browsing (and made a few purchases!) at several of the local stores. Before returning to the apartment, we made a stop at the cat cafe to visit the resident felines.

In the midafternoon, Mr. E went for a short run while I rested and read, and then we met up with our tour guide from Your Friend in Reykjavik for our small group walking food tour of downtown Reykjavik. We visited four different spots to try some of the typical and well known Icelandic cuisine, learning about the history and culture as well along the way. Some of the dishes included a fish cake, lamb soup, lamb-based hot dog, minke whale, hákarl (fermented Greenland shark), and skyr cake with berry comopte.

Mr. E was able to enjoy all of the offerings, and I had a few special items to accommodate my dietary restrictions. My favorite item was probably the Brennivin, Iceland’s iconic spirit. Very tasty! We ended the tour at the old harbor, right near the Alliance Française of Reykjavik -- how coincidental!

Our evening walk included a few stops for provisions, and then we settled into our apartment to prepare for our day tour tomorrow and watch another amazing sunset. Mr. E even got to see the Northern Lights from our balcony!