Despite being in Iceland twice before, we’ve never actually set foot in Reykjavík. It was time for that to change, so we booked a 10am free walking tour with City Walks. Nanna, our guide, was delightful. She walked us around the harbor and older parts of the city, explaining the history, politics, architecture, education, religion, healthcare, language, and customs of Iceland.
Reykjavík leverages their ready access to geothermal energy in the most brilliant ways – they run hot water under the streets and sidewalks, keeping them heated and thus free of snow and ice!
We wrapped up the tour around noon and then headed off for lunch – fish and chips at a shop that faced the ocean. I felt rather confident that the fish was quite fresh. 🎣🎣
We meandered through a flea market after lunch. Flea markets are a mixed bag. The one in Amsterdam was amazing; this was more like a mixture of some antique/old stuff stalls and vendors selling jewelry of various Icelandic themes (all of which was quite similar).
I had read about Valdi’s ice cream, so we stopped when we passed it. Anna-Sophia had raspberry sorbet, Luke had chocolate licorice (like most of their Scandinavian counterparts, the Icelandic people love licorice), and I had a flavor called rye bread. It was a sweet cream style base with flecks of grain (rye, I suspect), and a tiny bit of caramel. It was delicious!!!
Several hours of the afternoon passed as we wandered the shops of downtown area, buying some souvenirs. A beer company that we liked had a bar so we stopped and sat outside while we had a drink. We spent a happy hour there as we reminisced about all the amazing travels we’ve had as a family.
And so this trip comes to a close, but I know that we will be back. Iceland has so many wonders to share, and I feel that we’ve only just started to explore this beautiful and exciting country.
Vacation Days 