Our Travel Blog

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Friday, August 27, 2010

Rúntur

Rúntur was fun! Reykjavikers know how to party! Now off to some much-needed sleep.

I have to admit we were kind of annoyed when we first got to Reykjavik. The cold air was surreal - we went from a summer climate to an almost-winter one, so it was bizarre. We are quite used to the reverse during Caribbean vacations and such, but this was a first for both of us. And also, to be honest, there's not *that* much to do in Reykjavik during the day. We saw the church but didn't have the energy for any of the museums, so we went back to our hotel and took a long nap (well, Wenjun's was far longer than mine :).

The nap was instrumental in that it rejuvenated us. If not for the nap, we would have never made it to the late evening. We had a super-amazing dinner at the Fish Company (Fiskfélagið) - see pictures below - and though we were pretty tired at the end of dinner, now got a bit more energy and are getting ready to head out on the town for the legendary Rúntur pub crawl. Should be a great time!

Dessert

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Tea, a much needed anti-jet lag dose

They have the same teapot we use at home! we need to stay caffeinated. Tonight is the runtur (pub crawl) and we are meeting Eugene's friend, Trausti, to partake.
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Eugene's Salmon dish

Note to self - eyes are usually bigger than stomach
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Lamb 3 ways

Shoulder confit, chop, and something else
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My second app

Icelandic char on spicy bread, cod ceviche, Skyr foam, roe, cauliflower. Mmmmmmmm
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Eugene's appetizer

Tuna and salmon
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My Langoustine dish

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Compliments from the chef

Cod with fruit and pumpkin salsa - excellent. SO fresh!
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Evening update

We were pretty exhausted from the flight and jetlag, so we took a long nap at our hotel and are now at dinner at Fiskfelagid (fish company)
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Bread and spreads at Fish Company

Mmmmmmm soooooo good. Spreads from L to R: tomato and bell pepper puree, skyr (Iceland yogurt) and butter, fennel and apple jam. Bread is soft and delicious.
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View of the harbor from the Art Museum

Art Museum is free!
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Supubarinn (soup bar) at the Art Museum

Tomato basil soup and mango chutney mozzarella sandwich
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Why yes, I am a tourist

How did you guess?
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The sign says...

"Have a seat, knit a few rounds"
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eugene and his skyr

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Skyr

Eugene insists on getting it.
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He was the Reykjavik man

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Hmmm...this looks familiar

These pews can face forward or backward -- just like the seats on NJTransit trains!
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Jetlagged

Eugene just woke up from a nap on a pew
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Church organ

5275 pipe organ. Quite massive. Parts of it look like a bunch of protruding mufflers to me...
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Inside the church

Very clean lines. Radical design was controversial and the building took 34 years to complete.
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Skolavoroustigur street

We walked up this street to get to the church. Popped in and out of art galleries and stores along the way. Many artists are incorporating the volcano ash from the newest eruption in their works, trying to capitalize on recent events.
There are also a number of fur stores or stores that carry real fur items ranging from moose skins to seal slippers. Not a fan. Though it's difficult to say why when I still wear leather.
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Hallgrimskirka

Concrete church. Very nice. The columns on either side of the tower represent volcanic basalt, a common Iceland motif.
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Café breakfast

Yes, we found it in the lonely planet. Cute cafe near our hotel. Best tuna salad sandwiches.
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Reykjavik architecture

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Reykjavik hotel

A bit gritty on the outside, but modern on the inside.
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Initial thoughts

We just checked in to our hotel. Room not available yet, but we'll leave our bags and explore a bit first. The airport was small -- customs and baggage claim were very quick and easy. We also exchanged some money and took the flybus to the city. Met some very interesting travellers. A guy from Nova Scotia who is visiting Iceland for a week while en route to a modern poetry conference in London. He is camping in Reykjavik, flying to northeren Iceland, and then hitchhiking his way back to Reykjavik. There was another guy from Univ. Of Wisconsin who was visitng Reykjavik on a 10 hour layover to Brussels for a study abroad program. Interesting people here. Also pretty friendly so far. Reykjavik has a small town feel. The surrounding landscape can be described as small fishing town, sea scape, rough terrain. Pictures to come.
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Awesome chair in lobby

though of questionable comfort.
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Hotel lobby

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Iceland Express

A very old plane, but at least we had exit row legroom (which we had to pay for). No free food or beverages - not even water! Flight attendants were really nice and super excited that Iceland was our final destination. I think most passengers were connecting to other destinations in Europe.
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On the shuttle from the plane to terminal

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Thursday, August 26, 2010

Going to Iceland!

We are heading to Iceland for 10 days for a good ol' vacation. Not sure why we always cluster our traveling, but I don't mind :) Eugene and I are leaving today, but we'll be meeting up with the Pookies in Iceland by this weekend. We plan on seeing Reykjavik, glacier hiking in Skaftafell, driving the Golden Circle and visiting the Blue Lagoon. The weather is going to be cold - highs are in the low 50s, so I brought layers upon layers of clothes. Oops - no room for souvenirs!