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Post by fumobici on Jun 9, 2014 0:36:02 GMT
This is a repair job with mostly the same photos reloaded, and a few added. Also the resolution is higher because my, and probably yours as well, internet connection has gotten faster since I first made this report. I hadn't really planned on visiting Reykjavik. Iceland Air had taken over the old non-stop SAS connector from Seattle to Northern Europe and their flights transit through nearby Keflavik so as I was looking for budget flights I was looking at a stop there both ways if I went with them. Reading up on the trip I noticed the airline allows one to make a stop for a few days without it affecting the cost of the flight. I also had a friend there I wanted to visit, so done. Coming east, I just did the usual 50 minute plane swap to go on through to Schiphol for Koningsdag (I'll eventually get a report on that pulled together, promise) but on the return leg I had two nights to spend exploring Reykjavik. Even flying in, Iceland is pretty and exotic. So, hit the streets. Painted streets. This is an indoor skate park. I didn't go in but you could hear boarders doing tricks echoing out. Back to the streets. The light from the sunlit land across the water to the north was really striking. Reykjavik doesn't appear old, I didn't notice much that looked pre-industrial. But there is still some pleasing architecture around. The harbor area is quite picturesque and seems to attract British and Asian people with ginormous lenses and tripods. Hallgrímskirkja, ready for lift off. Then, below, more strolling the next day. I'm probably making too much of this but, the cats in Reykjavik are generally quite tame, as if they had no reason to distrust people. I'm impressed, animals are good character references. Mink[e] Whale on downtown menu. Very expensive, even by Icelandic standards. Didn't try. Well regarded Icelandic Restaurant menu. Again, too rich for my cheapness! Harpa concert hall, right on the water. I love it. This was taken out the guest house window at quarter 'til midnight. I've never seen daylight at that hour before. In fact I've never been anywhere near this far north before. It's of course much cooler than Europe or North America as well, most of these photos were taken wearing either a heavy wool sweater or that plus a shell to ward off the cool wind. It got quite warmish the next day though when I left when I took the rest of these photos. There was ample sun and no rain in any case. This is the old cemetery. The oldest grave I found was early-mid 19th C. The green of the grass there was much more intense than anything else I saw in Iceland. This is the other large church in Reykjavik. It sits atop a small hill and surrounded by embassies consulates and such. This is a Russian something, gates, cameras the works. Next door the French are all like "c'mon in, the gate's open." Couple more on the way back to pack up. And finally the plane home. East coast of Greenland.
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Post by anshjain97 on Jun 9, 2014 1:23:36 GMT
Looks very calm and empty. Was it something special or is it generally so?
I can see why it'd make for an interesting layover.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 9, 2014 1:53:22 GMT
I have often thought of this option as well Fumobici, Iceland Air has some well priced European destinations our of Toronto. We have friends who have been and had a little difficulty with the food options as neither enjoy fish so it was hot dogs for a couple of days. Did you find things expensive?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2014 6:26:26 GMT
Those aerial shots at the beginning are as nice as the rest of us always hope our airplane photos will come out, and then we miserably fail. Not our fault of course, but because the airplane tips the wrong way at the wrong moment or the window is scratched or fogged.
I'm sure that the bright colours of some of the buildings and also the street art are a comfort during the long winter months. I'm a sucker for harbours as well, and obviously you are aware that your photo with the clouds in the water is totally perfect.
Both the simple and the spectacular examples of architecture are quite nice. I've been to a few cities in my life where the embassies are still relaxed like that, but they are becoming exceedingly rare in this century.
I don't think I've ever seen such a place that looks so clean and tidy, not even in Switzerland. It is absolutely impossible to imagine that a place like that went through such a severe economic crisis so recently, with the stock market dropping 90%, the currency dropping 35% and inflation at 14%. All because of greedy and foolish banks, as usual.
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Post by bjd on Jun 9, 2014 13:10:47 GMT
At least the people of Iceland refused to bail out the banks -- to the disgust of the Brits and others who had invested there.
My daughter has been to Iceland for work -- she found it horribly expensive, especially for going out for a drink in the evening. She was there in December -- it was cold, short days. It looks okay for a holiday, especially if you visit the countryside, but I don't think it's a place I would want to live.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2014 13:38:53 GMT
I don't think it was a decision on their part -- the people of Iceland could have never afforded to bail out those banks even if they had wanted to.
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Post by fumobici on Jun 9, 2014 15:35:07 GMT
I have often thought of this option as well Fumobici, Iceland Air has some well priced European destinations our of Toronto. We have friends who have been and had a little difficulty with the food options as neither enjoy fish so it was hot dogs for a couple of days. Did you find things expensive? I find this puzzling, there are available pretty much any sort of food one could wish for in Iceland. I don't even understand not enjoying "fish" as a categorical distinction as seafood is so tremendously varied I cannot rationally reconcile lumping it all into some mental box. For a seafood lover, Iceland is of course an excellent destination with fresh catch coming into port daily. I think I missed the hotdog vendors going to bed too early, I understand they set up in the downtown streets in the late evenings to cater to people out for an evening. Everything seemingly is expensive there as one might expect in a remote island social democracy that must import a large proportion of its products. That being said, there are always lower cost options. My guesthouse had a large kitchen available to guests and one could go to the supermarket and put together something good to eat to suit almost any taste for a reasonable cost as long as one didn't mind doing a bit of shopping and cooking. What is living in country with no apparent destitution, homelessness or obvious poverty (or extreme or ostentatious wealth) worth? I'd say, whatever it costs. And it turns out the cost isn't really onerous at all. People appear to be doing fine. I only went out to eat twice while there, once at a Thai restaurant that was pretty much like Thai restaurants anywhere whether in Paris or Vancouver and again for a nice nominally Icelandic breakfast. The Thai dinner cost about twice what it would have cost me at a restaurant here, about 31USD for more than I could finish and a large Tuborg beer and the breakfast was about 23USD which is a lot but included a meusli yogurt, fruit cup, some nice ham, a beautiful hard boiled egg with that luscious bright orange yolk one usually only sees in Italy, various fresh fruit slices, toast with butter and jam, fresh squeezed orange juice and a nice espresso. I couldn't get a breakfast like that most places for any amount.
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Post by fumobici on Jun 9, 2014 15:49:10 GMT
Looks very calm and empty. Was it something special or is it generally so? I can see why it'd make for an interesting layover. Reykjavik proper is only something like 120 thousand people. This is more a town than a city in the sense I'm used to. In fact the entire island only contains something like 300 thousand people. To someone from India, Iceland probably doesn't only seem empty, it really *is* empty.
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Post by fumobici on Jun 9, 2014 16:09:17 GMT
Those aerial shots at the beginning are as nice as the rest of us always hope our airplane photos will come out, and then we miserably fail. Not our fault of course, but because the airplane tips the wrong way at the wrong moment or the window is scratched or fogged. I'm sure that the bright colours of some of the buildings and also the street art are a comfort during the long winter months. I'm a sucker for harbours as well, and obviously you are aware that your photo with the clouds in the water is totally perfect. Both the simple and the spectacular examples of architecture are quite nice. I've been to a few cities in my life where the embassies are still relaxed like that, but they are becoming exceedingly rare in this century. I don't think I've ever seen such a place that looks so clean and tidy, not even in Switzerland. It is absolutely impossible to imagine that a place like that went through such a severe economic crisis so recently, with the stock market dropping 90%, the currency dropping 35% and inflation at 14%. All because of greedy and foolish banks, as usual. Debts that cannot be paid, will not be paid. Bailing out the banks in Iceland would have broken the social contract that binds the country. Iceland put under a banker's austerity regime to make whole their wanton recklessness would have been reduced to another inhuman hellish artifact of neoliberal economics with limousines gliding past homeless sleeping freezing on the streets. No responsible leader of a country would ever willingly set it on such a immoral course. Obviously I don't think the world has much in the way of responsible or morally informed leadership. Maybe some day we will see the folly and heartlessness of it all.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 9, 2014 17:12:22 GMT
The homeless would die, of course, as they do in Northern Canada and Russia, although it never gets as cold - or as hot - as those places. I'd like to visit but couldn't live there. They do have some cosy houses and apartment blocks, but it looks forbidding and lonely. I'm sure Icelanders find it welcoming and homely. I'm glad you answered my thoughts about what time it was. That is farther north than I've ever been: Kuujjuak: 58° 06′ 00″ Nord 68° 24′ 00″ Ouest Reykjavik: 64° 08′ 17″ Nord 21° 55′ 43″ Ouest Edited to add: Here is the first hit I got for the fish stew (which is what I would have ordered: honestcooking.com/plokkfiskur-icelandic-fish-stew/There was cheese atop it on the restaurant menu. I couldn't resist adding some herbs or other seasoning...
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2014 17:51:36 GMT
A number of years back, I saw the delightful Icelandic film Jar City which totally disposes of the clean and pristine vision of Iceland that we outsiders tend to have. There is a running joke about the food in the movie, because if I recall correctly, a Swedish detective is called in to assist on the investigation and he is absolutely horrified by the food in Iceland. He and his Icelandic confrere keep returning to a cafeteria for just about every meal and he finally asks one day "don't you have any vegetables?" Meanwhile, the other guy says things like “Yes, I’ll have a sheep’s head.”
Anyway, I have never forgotten this movie because it really shows an unexpected side of Icelandic life.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 9, 2014 18:15:20 GMT
Yes, a family of 4 that does not eat seafood, nor do I think they would stop into a Thai restaurant either. They mentioned some pasta dishes and did comment on how they enjoyed their breakfasts and the variety available. They were there for a hockey tournament and hot dog vendors were available at the arena, perhaps that convenience deterred them from exploring other options.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 9, 2014 18:38:44 GMT
Oh, Fumobici ~~ I adore this! Before I burble on, let me say that a few months ago I conceived a strong desire to visit Iceland. To my surprise, almost anyone to whom I mentioned it was immediately negative, & negative for the weirdest reasons. Sample comments: "There's nothing to see but nature." "Montreal is much better." "Wouldn't you rather see Europe?" and of course, "The food is awful." Well, none of those people have to go to Iceland if they don't want to, but they certainly haven't curbed my desire to see it, and this glorious thread has only fanned that fire. Your pictures and commentary are close to what I envisioned, but far better. I love the verve that's shown in the architecture, street art, and home decoration. As far as food goes, being surrounded by hyper-fresh coldwater seafood sounds heavenly. Before I go visit, I'll study Anyport member Icy's blog. Your photos are absolutely superb, capturing both the monumental, the quirky, and the charming. The Viking prow of that first church (perfect framed pic, by the way) seems to say, "Yep, we've got us a Christian church here, but we honor the berserker spirit as well!" It was also good to read your comments on the political/economic situation there, a reminder to bone up on such things before visiting any country. THANKS for this!
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Post by fumobici on Jun 9, 2014 19:52:44 GMT
Thanks everyone. I haven't much described what Reykjavik feels like. For someone from the Pacific NW of the US which was settled by huge numbers of Scandinavians, it actually feels culturally awfully familiar. People seem very polite while at the same time a little distant in that typically Scandinavian way, Icelanders wear the same sorts of clothes we do, speak English (and most can and do) similarly, they are outdoorsy and everyone knows a fisherman, and they like big American trucks and SUVs--Iceland I was told has the highest per capita auto ownership rate in the world-- and once outside the touristy pedestrian center of Reykjavik, it's laid out very much like a North American city would be with little apparent concern for pedestrian life at all. In the suburbs people tend to live in apartment/condos instead of single family places with yards but these are connected by roads lined with what I would call strip malls, box stores and auto dealers and such which would all be very familiar feeling to North Americans. Everyone drives everywhere but a few outliers that catch the bus.
Reykjavik will or should be a very easy visit for most North Americans in view of all those points of familiarity. If you really want to explore the island without the crush of bus tours you will have to rent a car for a few days and drive. I managed a hike using the cheap local bus network and there are maybe a good half dozen nice hiking destinations accessible this way, so you can still get out and see some spectacular wilderness without the car.
The food. Well, yes it's Scandinavia. Reykjavik is a modern cosmopolitan city with apparently lots of high falootin' diplomats, presumably with bottomless expense accounts to feed so there are plenty of options of putative sophistication and elegance in the center. French? Elegant Italian dining? This way, good sir. You don't have a bottomless expense account? Oooh. So sorry to hear. Well, drive five miles and there's Taco Bell or Burger King or something at every intersection. Or you can cop a sandwich and an Appelsin orange soda at the corner store to take out. A strange sandwich perhaps with a thick layer of ketchup, mayo pickle glop not unlike McDonald's "special sauce" and perhaps another layer of crushed BBQ flavor potato chips/crisps just for... well I'm not sure what for. The pastries ubiquitously available looked OK, but having come directly from Paris I was in no mood to be impressed by them. Oh, there's Icelandic beer too, from Gull, a bland Eurolager to some decent micros, I even found an IPA or two that wouldn't be spat out in horror by a Seattlite. You get out of Reykjavik and you'll be eating take-out from the grocer or sitting down at a small town cafe that looks pretty much straight out of rural Minnesota from the outside. Not sure what they'd serve you but I suspect it wouldn't be all that different from the rural Minnesota cafe, except fishier.
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Post by mossie on Jun 9, 2014 20:13:07 GMT
A very interesting excursion, I was quite surprised by the street art and those stones with horns. Thanks for showing me a new and different place.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 17, 2014 23:49:14 GMT
Yes, in the photos I noticed how carcentric it was, and relatively unfriendly to cyclists and pedestrians compared to "mainland" Scandinavia - even quite far North. Not a selling point for me, as we are always looking for places like the most northerly or snowy bicycle paths, to prove they aren't just for gentle climes.
But it is so small that it reminds me of mining and other towns much farther north in Québec, where I just let my hosts drive me around and walk as much as I can.
I love fish, and could eat it three times a day, and do hope there is some vegetable matter (I mean green stuff, not just potatoes or rutabagas).
Your photos are spectacular.
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Post by Kimby on Apr 8, 2021 13:38:20 GMT
Thanks, fumobici, for your insights.
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Post by Kimby on Apr 9, 2021 11:00:49 GMT
Fumobici, what month was your visit? I’m hoping July will be rather summer-ish.
Also, what’s with the walking rock?
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 9, 2021 11:51:26 GMT
Very nice to see a repaired thread since so many old ones are broken -- and this gives us a chance to rediscover old reports that we had forgotten and which some people probably never saw in the first place.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 9, 2021 16:32:29 GMT
Wow ~ boundless gratitude for this thread renovation, Fumobici! You even "built back better". I had forgotten some of these wonderful photographs, or maybe they're the ones you added. Whichever way, it is so good to see this excellent report restored.
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Post by fumobici on Apr 11, 2021 0:47:40 GMT
Fumobici, what month was your visit? I’m hoping July will be rather summer-ish. Also, what’s with the walking rock? In order: late May, and public art.
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Post by Kimby on Apr 11, 2021 13:48:02 GMT
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