Iceland holds a special place in my heart, because it was the first international trip I planned completely on my own. No travel agent, no tour guide.
I remember sitting in the airport terminal, waiting for the IcelandAir flight to board, ticking through my trip confirmation emails. I was traveling to Iceland in December, so I brought my big puffy coat as a carry-on item. But when the flight crew arrived at the gate, dressed in their winter wear, my heart dropped. The female flight attendants wore fur trimmed hats and short, but thick capes. If that was what the flight attendants were wearing, how cold was it going to be in Iceland? I remember looking down at my puffy coat, which now seemed insufficient for where I was going, wondering what I got myself in to. I started to wonder if I was truly prepared for this trip. But, I’d made it this far; No turning back now!
The flight into Keflavik was smooth, but the lingering doubt returned, two fold, as we prepared for landing. As I looked out the window, I could see nothing but snow. It was streaming past the window in thick waves. And I wondered if we were coming down in a blizzard. The closer we got to the ground, the thicker the snow screen became. I kept thinking there was no way we could land in this, we can’t even see the ground. But, sure enough, I felt the wheels of the plane connect with the runway and we glided to the terminal.
Disembarking, we had to take a bus from our current terminal to the arrivals terminal. Watching the snow swirl in the intense wind, I quickly wrapped my scarf around my neck as many times as it would go, and zipped up my coat. As anxious as I was, it could not have been anything compared to the young guys beside me, wearing shorts and t-shirts. It was a mad dash out to the bus, as we attempted to minimize our time outside,the biting chill finding every inch of exposed skin. The doors stayed open until the bus was packed with passengers. We collectively shivered, desperately waiting for the doors to close.
That was my first introduction to Iceland! Fortunately, once I arrived at my hotel, I was able to pull more clothes out of my bag and layer up. And I definitely layered up! I had so many pairs of socks on my feet, I had to loosen the laces on my shoes and cram my feet in.
Eager to explore, I hit the snowy streets in my three layers and winter coat. Initially, I thought it would be too much. That maybe my memory had over-exaggerated the cold. But, as I wandered up and down the streets of Reykjavik, I was very pleased to find it was just the right amount.
While you are there in Reykjavik, I’d highly recommend trying some of the Icelandic cuisine! I stopped at a small cafe called Cafe Loki to sample some Icelandic foods: homemade bread, herring, and smoked trout.
Within a relatively short walking distance, I was able to see quite a bit.
Hallgrímskirkja Church – Be sure to stop by at night, when it is all lit up. It is beautiful!
Old Harbor docks – Charming wooden docks, colorful shops converted from fishing stores, and teethered fishing boats. Also, a great place to stop by for lobster soup.
Reykjavik Parliament House and city square, Austurvöllur – The Parliament House, with the date of its construction along the top of the building, 1881, still houses the Icelandic parliament. The park immediately across the street from parliament is a popular meeting point, due to its central location and array of cafes nearby. The statue of Jon Sigurosson, Iceland’s Independence Movement leader, also stands in the park.
Another lovely feature of the city is the building architecture: corrugated metal buildings, some colorfully painted; My walking guide postulated that the corrugated metal roofs and siding on houses took off due to a lack of trees in Iceland. The metal was a much cheaper building material than imported lumber.
