Iceland, Day Five: Saturday, August 13, 2016

Today was a day of lofty views and gastronomical satisfaction. We decided to balance out yesterday’s agenda of driving from place to place with a pedestrian-focused day of exploration today, absorbing more of Reykjavik’s sights and sounds.

Going to the top of Hallgrimskirkja was our first outing, and afforded us a 360 degree view of the city from the small windows situated around the church’s clocktower. This certainly helped put the maps we’d been looking at and the many streets we’d been walking into perspective, and also helped us to further plot our route for the rest of the day. Reykjavik’s motley-coloured rooves and houses helped warm up what could have otherwise been a chilly scene. On this cloudy day, the grey, coastal city looked like it was tucked in with a cozy, patchwork quilt from on high. The church’s interior was stark in its plainness, the one outstanding feature the massive organ pipes which dominate the sanctuary. 

The organ pipes inside the Hallgrimskirkja.

View of Reykjavik from the Hallgrimskirkja.

Brunch being one of our favourite meals, we were excited to discover a fantastic spot called ‘The Laundromat Cafe’, a traveler-welcoming restaurant with a bohemian flare (and yes, you can do a load of laundry while enjoying a delicious meal). The walls were adorned with large maps and framed photos of laundromats around the world, and the central bar, the hub of the place, was lined on all four sides with shelves laden with books sorted by colour! I marveled at the possibilities, and found myself wishing that I could read something from the turquoise section.

'The Laundromat Cafe' offered up a wonderful menu and great atmosphere.

An atmosphere of inclusion and positivity permeates 'The Laundromat Cafe'.

The girls had fun hanging out in the kids' play space in the restaurant's basement,
which is also where the laundry facilities are located.

Full stomachs in tow, we again strolled the streets and then walked around Tjörnin Lake and saw City Hall, which is built on the lake’s edge. Reflections of the lakeside buildings and a lovely church shimmered on the rippling surface. From there we began the lengthy hike to Perlan, the glass-domed revolving restaurant situated upon four silver hot water tanks. Guests to Perlan are welcomed by four figures moved by music on the front walk, a sculpture titled ‘Dance’, whose whimsical instrument-wielding figures invited us into their merry frey with the energetic movement they so perfectly capture. Another mighty view of the city of Reykjavik awaited us when we went up and out to the observation deck that encircles the restaurant. 

Reykjavik's City Hall.

Tjörnin Lake.

'Dance' outside of Perlan created by sculptor Torbjorg Palsdottir.

Perlan

Though a foggy day, the view of Reykjavik from Perlan nevertheless gave us a new perspective of the city and where we'd been.

Thankfully our girlies are stalwart little trekkers (M calculated that we covered just over 16 km in total by day’s end, which explained E’s blisters!), and so after the march back into the heart of the city, a rewarding afternoon dessert stop at a quaint cafe called ‘C is for Cookie’ was in order: brownies and apple pie ensued!

'C is for Cookie' offered a perfect rest stop and dessert.

The whimsical touches in the cafe definitely caught our attention.

Obviously the cafe owners have a marvelous sense of humour!

The remainder of the day was spent strolling through town at a more leisurely pace. We stumbled upon a street section which was closed to all vehicle traffic for ‘Bacon Festival’. Even I, the vegetarian in our party, had difficulty denying the attraction of the smells wafting through the air, surely conjuring up personal memories for many. And while I silently lamented why it couldn’t have been Tofu Fest, my mind wandered immediately to memories of my Grandpa frying up bacon at the cottage during my childhood summers in Ontario.

Our day was topped off with yet another wonderful meal, this one of the Nepalese-Indian variety, after which we were very much ready to shut the black-out blinds in order to get some much-needed sleep in preparation for another full day ahead.

On Day Six we headed up the Western coast of Iceland. An adventurous day was in store for us . . . Stay tuned!

My wonder: Viewing a city or other landscape from on high can shed a new perspective on a place. What is one of your favourite lofty views?