After catching up on some much needed sleep we ventured out in search of a café and coffee (for Stephanie) and breakfast (for Jay) before exploring the capital of Iceland. We ended up at a cozy spot which was split 50/50 in terms of locals and tourists which made for fun people watching. Our self guided walking tour of Reykjavik began with Hallgrimskirkja which is a modern church based on traditional Icelandic architecture. Unlike so many European churches, Hallgrimskirkja, is notable for its minimalist interior with a focus not on ornate frescos or paintings but towards the front alter.

From the church we made our way down towards the “Pavilion” Lake where we saw a flock of Swans which is a staple of so many European cities. The lake itself was incredibly peaceful and thanks to the ever present rain sparsely populated with the exception of high school aged kids running laps. There were a number of signs talking about the significance of the lake and how it came to be. Apparently on “nice” weather days a brass band plays from the rooftop of the Pavilion (hence Pavilion Lake). We have not been in Iceland long enough to know what constitutes a “nice” day but we get the impression they may be few and far between or that the definition of nice is relative.

THE University of Iceland was our final stop before lunch. With class in session we saw students walking to and from lecture halls, exercising in the gymnasium and eating lunch in the dining hall. It was fun to observe the similarities and differences between it and US colleges.

For lunch we stopped for Icelandic “Fast Food” which came in the form of lamb and spicy tomato soups. This spot was very close to the university so there were a number of college aged customers in the restaurant. Our walk continued through downtown where we saw the Icelandic Parliament building (the Althing) and the Harpa Concert Hall (a modern honeycomb patterned building).

Throughout the day we visited a number of shops including the Handknitting Association of Iceland which features the handiwork of local weavers. Sheep are a big part of Icelandic culture (they are seemingly everywhere in the countryside) so it should be no surprise that wool products are a hallmark of the country. Stephanie purchased a warm wool sweater while Jay got a nice beanie The highlight of our shopping experiences was without a doubt meeting Ofelia in another Icelandic clothing store. Ofelia is a rag doll cat who was laying on top of a stack of wool sweaters. She is apparently a regular visitor because the store had a sign set out which provided her name, confirmed she was in fact a real cat, not for sale and that her favorite treats were dried fish! We both enjoyed petting Ofelia and she seemed to enjoy, and perhaps expect, the attention.

We concluded our evening with a lovely dinner at a restaurant which was recommended to us by one of our co-travelers in the Galapagos earlier this year. The food featured local fish in a variety of different preparations and it was fantastic. On our way back from dinner we experienced Reykjavik at night including another walk by Hallgrimskirkja and its beautiful up lighting. Tomorrow we start our loop around the island as we make our way towards Snaefellsbaer (we aren’t exactly sure how to pronounce it either) Peninsula.