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? 

Iceland, Day Four: Friday, August 12, 2016

We woke bright and early this morning in order to get a good start on the day’s adventures. Although it may not have been bright at home in Ontario at the same time of morning, the land of the midnight sun has dawn breaking very early even in mid-August, and so light ushered us along our merry way. With a picnic lunch and many snacks in tow, we headed out on the Golden Circle tour, a route that’s easily embarked upon from Reykjavik boasting a number of natural tourist attractions. 

Arriving at Þingvellir National Park before the tour buses descended on the area gave us the opportunity to enjoy the stillness and beauty of this important place in Icelandic history and world geology. The Park is setting to the site of the country’s early form of parliament, where chieftains lead the national assembly in 930 AD and for several centuries thereafter. We also admired Iceland's largest lake, Þingvallavatn, lava fields decorated in wildflowers, the River Öxará and a small waterfall, and the dramatic crack of Almannagja, where the European and American tectonic plates are tearing apart. Walking between craggy rock walls where Iceland is splitting in half is definitely one of those remember-for-a-lifetime experiences.

Þingvellir National Park

The crack of Almannagja

Þingvallakirkja, the church at Þingvellir 

From here we began to feel that we were, indeed, on the tourist circuit. Tour bus after bus travels this path through south-western Iceland, and while seeing fellow admirers of this country from all over the globe, and hearing their myriad of different languages wash over us was exciting, it also impacts the experience by making it feel more commercial. Nevertheless, our stops at Geysir and Gullfoss were enjoyed for their exhibitions of raw natural power and beauty. The geyser Strokkur’s eruptions were startling and impressive, eliciting crowd-wide exclamations and surely great relief to everyone’s camera-wielding weary arms (mine were trembling as we waited to capture the spectacle on film . . .okay, digitally, not on film). The steam rising from the fields, streams and puddles surrounding the area created an other-planetary feel to be sure.

Steam rises from the land creating an otherworldly vision at Geysir.

Throngs of tourists watch the geyser Strokkur erupt.

Nearby Gullfoss was our next stop, and impressed even us Ontarians who’ve grown up with Niagara Falls as the benchmark of waterfalls. The aspect we found most awe-inspiring was the multi-tiered set up of the falls. The water courses down the top section, churning wildly on the plateau below where it is hemmed in by a rock cliff wall on the opposite side. From here the water is forced down a powerful and steeper fall into a chasm-like ravine. The mists billowed upwards creating an enchanting vision, and we were able to view the falls from multiple vantage points and lookouts.

Amazing Gullfoss.

Our final highlight was Kerið Crater, a deep bowl carved out of the black-and-red-tinged earth, the blue-green water at the bottom contrasting with the soil to dramatic effect. We hiked around it and down to its base, happy to find that this natural attraction seemed to be a far less popular spot for the hoards of tourists. 

At the base of the crater.

A scenic drive took us back to Reykjavik in time for a wonderful Italian dinner out, after which we were more than ready to get some sleep!

Small shed built into the hillside that we just had to pull over to check out during our drive back to Reykjavik.

Stay tuned for Day Five's adventures, during which we enjoyed some of Reykjavik's loftier views!

My wonder: Gullfoss, which means 'Golden Waterfall' in Icelandic, is a gorgeous natural wonder we were fortunate enough to travel to on this day of explorations. In your opinion, what is the most beautiful waterfall you've ever seen? I'd love to know, and perhaps add some more falls to my list of must-sees!

September 2016 by the Numbers

Why 'By the Numbers'?
While I'm much more concerned with quality as opposed to quantity, sometimes it's just fun to look back and reflect on what you've done in a specific window of time. Taking a look at what you've done often might be telling . . . here's to hoping that we engage in joyous activities regularly, and perhaps we can learn something from reflecting on how we've spent some of our time, and make changes if need be accordingly. The overall hope here is to celebrate the smaller joys in life, enjoying a measure of gratitude for the everyday and commonplace, as well as the rare and extraordinary.

September 2016 by the numbers:

- Two Labour Day weekend destination bike rides; one to Chapters and the other to DQ!

- Grades Three and Seven beckon my girls, and eight pals celebrate the beginning of another school year. This was also the FIRST year that I was able to walk my girls to school on the first day!! It was most definitely a surreal and happy experience. I also get to walk E to school on a regular basis this year, and I love that each and every morning that we do so, I'm filled with a wave of joy and gratitude.

- One incredibly thoughtful former student whose sweet note had me in happy tears.

- One gorgeous and wonderfully fragrant white oleander blossom that finally bloomed under my care.

-Third tooth lost on the third day of grade three for E!

- One proud Mama and Papa as we read E's nine goals for this year: "1. To be nice. 2. Being caring and kind. 3. Helpful and careful of people. 4. I want to learn a lot. 5. I want to make new friends. 6. I want to get better at writing and reading. 7. I want to meet new, nice people. 8. I want to try new things. 9. I want to have fun.

- One "she" to her good pal's "nanigans"! And much gratitude on my part for having such a creative, talented and thoughtful friend!

- Six reading pals enjoying another meeting of our Mother/Daughter Book Club.

- Two excited readers donning gorgeous gowns at the Medieval Faire's children's reading tent.

- One lovely afternoon in Guelph with my Mom. So nice to share a day together.

- Three fantastic days spent in Ottawa visiting good friends. Four proud Canadians at Parliament Hill.

 

- One memory-rich stroll to a house where I lived many moons ago in Ottawa.

- Eight legs guarding over the National Gallery of Canada.

- Two little museum patrons bringing art to life.

- Countless colours in the Byward Market.

- Three fast friends in matching jammies.

- Many facts learned during a tour of Parliament.

- Eight happy hikers enjoyed a lovely walk around Pink Lake in Gatineau Park, Quebec.

- Three besties dancing and enjoying a great eve of catching up with the rest of the Crew.