Iceland day 9: Reykjavik

Sun 02 Sep, 2012

We saved the last day to see Reykjavik, a town combining Iceland’s culture with a modern European metropolis. With a population of 200 thousand, it is small but full of life, traditional but trendy and certainly full of surprises.

Colorful Downtown

Reykjavik draws many influences from Scandinavian architecture and the lack of trees on the island. Colorful 2-storey buildings and contemporary designs create a pleasant and interesting setup.

Reykjavik center
Reykjavik center
Reykjavik building
Reykjavik building
Reykjavik down town
Reykjavik down town
Bicycle gate, Reykjavik
Bicycle gate, Reykjavik
Reykjavik center
Reykjavik center

Reykjavik by night

On Saturday evening, after a good dinner in a restaurant, where Spanish tapas was mixed with Icelandic delicacies, we stopped by an Irish pub to have a drink. The place was almost empty, the music low and the mood typically Irish, except a discovball hanging on the ceiling that was definitely out of place. I did not give it a second thought and focused on my Irish whiskey until the first notes of “Staying Alive” filled the air. The otherwise quiet crowed jumped on the dance floor and the whole place – which was half full by the time – came to life. Within the next half hour the place was packed, the dj was playing “born to be alive” and I was disco-dancing with a 250-pound girl who insisted on stealing me from my girlfriend. It went like this for the next three hours, dancing and talking to a large number of interesting, weird and completely drunk people who made our night.

American car in Reykjavik
American car in Reykjavik
Irish pub, Reykjavik
Irish pub, Reykjavik

Sunday morning walk

We woke up on Sunday with the sun shining, for the first time after a freezing week. A walk to the small and picturesque port and the center before we drove back to Kefalvik.

Tjörnin lake, Reykjavik
Tjörnin lake, Reykjavik
The Reykjavik Cathedral
The Reykjavik Cathedral
Three masted beauty, Reykjavik
Three masted beauty, Reykjavik
Reykjavik port
Reykjavik port

We drove back to Keflavik to catch the afternoon flight back to Athens. A truly great week came to an end. I definitely need to return to this great country.

Reykjavík