Another Big City

 It’s no secret that Iceland is one of the most volcanically active places on Earth. The country makes great use of all that energy just below the surface. Geothermal energy meets the needs of almost 90% of the nation’s hot water and heating requirements. It’s the same energy that creates the popular hot pools of the Blue Lagoon.

Today's forecast

Reykjavik remains one of the cloudiest and coolest capital cities in the world. In fact, the record temperature in Reykjavik is just 78.3 degrees Fahrenheit, recorded in July 2008.

There is not a single McDonald’s anywhere in Iceland. Fast-food fans shouldn’t worry though. Visitors to Reykjavik can enjoy Taco Bell, KFC, Dominos and Pizza Hut alongside the local offerings.

No fast food breakfast for us though. We enjoyed the typical continental-style breakfast of cold cuts, fruit, cereals and breads. The croissant looks a bit better with Kim's yogurt today than the salami yesterday. They actually had gluten free bread too. Yay!

We left the window open last night because there is no air conditioning here and the room was hot. It didn’t cool it down any but let in plenty of road noise as we are in the capital city of Iceland, Reykjavik, home to 233,000 people.

With almost two-thirds of Iceland’ residents living in the capital region, Reykjavik is one of the biggest small cities in the world. It means ‘Smoky Bay’. Said to be inspired by the steam rising from hot springs, early settlers named the bay Reykjavik, which means Smoky Bay in Old Norse. The suffix -vik, meaning bay, is a common feature in place names throughout the Nordic region.

Reykjavik is the world’s only capital city with a major puffin breeding colony. More than half the world’s puffins nest in Iceland each year, so it’s perhaps no surprise that many make their way to the capital. West of the old harbour, the tiny Akurey island is home to more than 20,000 breeding pairs.

morning coffee break

Hallgrims Kirkja (pronounced hatl-krims-kirk-ya) The Church of Hallgrimur.

It took 41 years to build. Construction started in 1945 and was completed in 1986, just in time for the 200-year anniversary of Reykjavík. The architect based his design of the church on elements found in Icelandic nature, like basalt columns, mountains, and glaciers. During construction, the design was criticized for being too old-fashioned and eclectic.

Hallgrimskirkja is both a national monument, dedicated to the most renowned sacred poet of Iceland, Hallgrimur Petursson, and a mid-town parish church with a vibrant parochial life. The namesake of the church is Iceland’s most celebrated religious poet. He is known for his Passíusálmar (Passion Hymns), a collection of hymns reflecting the Passion of Christ. Hallgrimskirkja is the largest church in Iceland and towers over the centre of Reykjavik.

It also houses the largest organ in the country. The church has two organs. The concert organ is world renowned for it's quality of tone. It was constructed by Johannes Klais Organworks in Bonn, Germany. It has 4 manuals and a pedal bord, 72 stops and 5,275 pipes. It is 15 meters high and weighs 25 tons. The largest pipes are 10 meters long.

We took a lift up to the viewing deck in the bell tower, then it was 32 stairs to view Reykjavík and the surrounding mountains.

the back of the clock from inside the tower

the high arched windows

The many bells that ring every 15 minutes are quite loud. We were up there when they rang and my watch gave me a noise warning saying it had reached 100 decibels. There are three big bells and a carillon of 29 bells in the steeple of the church. The big bells are named Hallgrímur, Guðrún, and Steinunn, after the Reverend Hallgrímur, his wife, and daughter. The church is one of three churches in Reykjavík that chime on the hour, every hour. In 2016, the bells were sent to the Netherlands for repairs. Not only were the bells repaired, but also modernized, and are now controlled by an app.

Situated outside Hallgrimskirkja church is the well-known statue of Norse explorer Leif Erikson, gifted by the U.S. for the 1930 Althing (assembly) Millennial Festival. The event commemorated the 1,000th anniversary of the first meeting of the Icelandic parliament. Leifur Eiriksson (Icelandic spelling) is one of the best known Vikings of the Viking age and the first European to arrive in America in the year 1000, preceding Christopher Columbus' voyage by roughly half a millennia.

I found it fascinating that there have been Christians in Iceland from the very earliest days, even before the Age of Settlement in the 9th century. The earliest settlers were Celts - Christian monks seeking solitude, but they disappeared as the Norse settlers arrived in 830. Among the Norse settlers were Christians also. In the Althing of 1000, Christianity was declared the national religion - a decision that prevented a civil war. The Icelandic church was part of the Roman Catholic Church until the mid-1500s, when the teachings of Martin Luther were introduced by royal decree of the King of Denmark, who ruled Iceland at that time. The Church of Iceland is Evangelical-Lutheran and about two thirds of Icelanders belong to it.

Grótta is a nature reserve on the tip of the Seltjarnarnes Peninsula, in the north-westernmost part of the Greater Reykjavík Area. It has been a nature reserve since 1974 due to its abundant birdlife.

There has been a lighthouse at Grótta since 1897, and the one currently standing dates back to 1947. It was connected to the electric grid in 1956 and has remained more or less unchanged since.

The area, however, has been used and referenced for much longer. Historical records show that a farm existed on the site in the 16th Century, which is probably where it got its name, thought to derive from the old word for a wheat-grinding mill. It went through a period of abandonment in the 19th Century.

Throughout summer, many species of birds nest in the area. Seabirds, such as Arctic Terns, form a colony on the rocks, and freshwater species, such as tufted ducks, can be found in the beautiful adjacent pond, Bakkatjörn. Nature lovers should also keep their eyes on the shoreline for seals, which are occasional visitors.

Grótta is connected to the mainland by a thin spit that in high tide becomes submerged beneath the sea; those walking over to the lighthouse, therefore, need to be aware of the tides.

Much seaweed covers the beach.

Kim found these pebbles very interesting as they weren't smooth like most of them.

a whole new meaning to the term stationary bike

The bikes above wouldn't have much use for these bicycle stop lights.

We shared a fish and chips for lunch. I removed the breading from mine since I'm being diligent about my diet.

I can't imagine how anyone figured out the rigging on this sailboat, the Schooner Opal, back in the day. There are so many cables and sails that it boggles the mind.

Built at the Bodenwerft in Damgarten, Germany in 1951, she served as a trawler in the Baltic - and North Sea and in the Barents Sea. In 1973 new owners started her restoration. During 8 years until 1981, Opal was converted to the elegant but seaworthy, two masted schooner she is today. She has sailed all over the world, completing several trans-Atlantic crossings, being carefully maintained through the years. Opal has remained with the same owners, until becoming part of North Sailing´s fleet in early 2013. She has undergone restoration and had interior work done to better fit her for the new purpose as an expedition ship.

The Opal has six double/twin cabins plus crew facilities. She has three bathrooms, two showers and comfortably fits 12 passengers, plus her crew.

Coast Guard ship

tugboats

Harpa, Reykjavik's Conference and Concert Hall is the home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera.

These photos are for Kody. She just loves cairns, NOT!

A cairn is a human-made pile or stack of stones, often found in various cultures and spiritual practices. The spiritual meaning of a cairn is derived from its purpose and the intentions of those who create them.

Cairns have long been used as landmarks, trail markers, and memorials, acting as guides and points of reference for travelers and seekers in their physical and spiritual journeys.

They symbolize our connection to the earth and the spiritual realms, serving as reminders of the importance of finding balance in our lives, unfortunately, focusing on self and the earth as opposed to the Creator.

Some of these look like they couldn't possibly remain standing, such as this one that looks like a duck.

The gleaming steel sculpture on Reykjavik’s waterfront that resembles a Viking long-ship is the ‘Solfar’ or ‘Sun Voyager.’ The artist Jon Gunnar Arnason created the striking landmark.

It is a common misunderstanding that Sun Voyager is a Viking ship. It is quite understandable that many tourists think this when travelling in Iceland, the land of the Sagas. Nonetheless, it should be stressed that this was not the original intention. It is a dream boat and an ode to the sun. It represents the promise of undiscovered territory and a dream of hope, progress and freedom.

In 1986, the district association funded a competition for an outdoor sculpture to celebrate Reykjavik‘s 200 year anniversary. The Sun Voyager was the winning piece.

The Höfði building has a very remarkable history. In the 104 years since it was taken into use, there have been consuls, ambassadors, poets, and artists among others, living there. Höfði is today the mayor's reception hall. The building shows influences from the Art Nouveau style, classic neo-baroque, and Norwegian national romanticism. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill, and the singer and actress Marlene Dietrich visited the house during the war years. The city of Reykjavík bought the house in 1958 and in the following years, it was renovated and restored to its former glory. Since 1967, Höfði has been a venue for city receptions. Famous is the Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Höfði in October 1986, which is believed to mark the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Iceland was the first nation to recognize the restoration of the independence of the Baltic States, and a declaration to that effect was signed in Höfði in August 1991.

I'll end today's blog with a photo to give you nightmares 😁. Not sure who this guy is supposed to be.

Miles - 6.5

Steps - 14,156

"The question is not whether you will worship, but rather what you will worship—your glorious Creator or something he created."

PDT