Reykjavik

When I was seven or eight, my grandparents (the Roos side) took a cruise similar to this one (I don’t remember the exact itinerary) and brought my brother, sister, and I each a Hard Rock Cafe Reykjavik shirt. Now, I wasn’t exactly sure where Reykjavik was located or even how to pronounce it, but I was sure I was going to visit there someday. I assumed that “someday” would come sometime around the age my grandparents were when I had the time and the means to travel all the time. Little did I know that I would make it there while still in my twenties . . . Thank you Uncle HAL!

We were scheduled to arrive in Reykjavik on July 23 and stay until 12:00nn on July 24, but due to a few weather-related itinerary changes we arrived on July 21 and stayed until 12:00nn on the 23^rd. Although I was bummed to miss Labrador and Greenland, it’s hard to complain about an extra day in Iceland.

Shortly after we arrived, my parents and I headed into town. The port is a mile or two from downtown and the line for the shuttle was longer than any of us had patience for so we found Dick and Louise, a couple my parents had befriended at trivia, and caught a taxi (which turned out to be cheaper and more convenient anyway). We all had a good laugh because when we stepped out of line a man scream, “Hey, there is a line! Ever heard of courtesy or manners?” Someone told him that we were headed for the taxi stand, not cutting the line; then we went, prepaid the taxi driver, and piled in. As the taxi driver was closing the door the same man and his party came and tried to join our taxi without paying. I wonder if he has ever heard of courtesy or manners.

We wandered around a little before heading up to the main church of the city. Iceland was not a place I expected to see large churches, but they were there. Unlike the ancient, ornate Catholic churches found throughout much of Europe, the churches we visited on this itinerary were a little more modern and mostly Lutheran. We took an elevator to the top of the clock tower to see the city. I didn’t realize that the windows were actually the face of the clock until I noticed the minute hand blocking my view . The colorful houses and rooftops made for a beautiful view.

Knowing we still had a day and a half in the city, after visiting the church we took it easy and wandered into a few shops. The needlework they do in Iceland is amazing and I found a blue knitted hat that I love. My mom bought a matching hat in red so now we can be twins (I never got a picture of us in our matching hats). After a stopping in a few more shops we headed back to the ship so I could go back to work.

The next morning, we headed into town as soon as I finished my morning shift and did our own walking tour. We wandered through a small park that had a pond and several monuments honoring local writers and artists. We spotted some gorgeous, water-front houses from the distance, obviously Reykjavik’s higher end, but when we got closer we realized they were made of corrugated steel. A bit different from the fancy houses in the US, but the steel probably withstands the weather better than other materials. After our walk we found a pastry shop. Many of you know that I believe one of the best ways to experience a place is through the food, especially the pastries. I would like it to be known that I come by this belief naturally as both my parents feel the same way. Not knowing what anything was, we asked the lady at the counter and selected three treats to sample: a doughy ball made with ginger and dipped in chocolate, something that was basically a cheese Danish but decorated like Neapolitan ice cream, and Iceland’s version of deep fried dough dipped in dark chocolate. The Danish was good, but nothing special, the other two were amazing! After our treats we headed back to the ship where I went to work and my parents met their tour to go swimming in the natural hot springs.

Our final day in Reykjavik was a short one with an 11:30am all aboard time. My parents wandered down to the terminal building to check emails and purchase a few gifts from the craft stalls, but by the time I finished my morning shift there wasn’t much point in getting off. I just went up to the sports deck and snapped a few more pictures of the city from a distance. I felt like I had been able to see a fair amount of the city and I had no regrets. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Reykjavik, or any part of Iceland for that matter, take it! Even if you have to wait twenty years to get there it is definitely worth the wait.