Saturday, August 17th, 2024
This morning was check out from the hotel and wait for the transfer bus that would take us to the Viking Mars, our ship for the next 14 days! Once we checked in and boarded the ship, we ate a quick lunch and then took the free shuttle into the downtown area of Reykjovik.
The stop was right by Harpa which was a concert hall and conference center that opened in 2011. It had won awards for its architecture. It was a must see because of the buildings distinctive colored glass facade and its shape.
Outside the Harpa was the statue of the Danish cellist Erling Blondal Bengtsson by the sculptor Ólöf Pálsdóttir. It was moved from its former location because of his widow’s request to have it by the concert hall.
Also in the heart of Reykjavik was the statue of the “Water Carrier” or Vatnsberinn by Asmundur Sveinsson. It was cast in bronze in 1967 and wasn’t placed in its current location until 2011. The last well of Reykjavik was at this location.
A very popular stop in town was the famous Bæjarins Beztu Pyslur Hot Dog Stand. Their Icelandic hot dog was made from lamb meat with pork and beef and then add your toppings (ketchup, sweet mustard, remoulade, crisp fried onion and raw onion)! It was a small stand with a line that wrapped around and down the street. The stand was in business since 1937. We stopped at the original location. The employees are paid by the hot dogs sold so they move quickly! Unfortunately, Dave didn’t get to try one because the line was really long and he didn’t want to waste time waiting. We took pictures instead!
As we walked, we also passed by the Stjórnarráðshúsið. Try to say that name! It was the Cabinet House. It was built in the mid 1700s as a prison but now it was the offices of the prime minister. The two statues in front were by the sculptor Einar Jónsson. One depicts King Christian IX handing over the constitution in 1874, and the other was of Hannes Hafstein, who became the first minister of the country in 1904.
As we walked we went up Arnarholl (a hill) and saw the statue of Ingolfur Arnarson. The monument was erected in 1907. Arnarson was considered the founder of Reykjavik in 874 A.D.
We walked to the Hard Rock Cafe to get a pin and then walked up the main shopping area of Reykjavik. After that we ventured back down to the shuttle stop. Near the stop we caught a taxi that took us to the Perlan Museum. Dave also scheduled with our driver to pick us up at 5:00 PM which would give us three hours to visit the museum.
Our museum ticket included all areas: the Northern Light Planetarium show, the Ice Cave and Glaciers exhibit, the Volcano show, Látrabjarg Cliff (a realistic model of the largest seabird cliff in Europe), water in Icelandic Nature, the Observation Deck and more.
Our first stop was the Áróra Northern Light Planetarium show which was 20 minutes long and it was educational. It explained the science behind the northern lights. We felt it was well done.
We passed through the Glacier and Ice Cave Exhibit. We walked through the cave made from over 350 tons of snow and ice. The temperature was sub-zero and man made. It was a replica of walking in a glacier. It was definitely freezing in the cave.
In the area called the Wonders of Iceland had displays that demonstrated how nature shaped Iceland’s landscapes.
The Volcano show focused on the Geldingadlir volcano that began erupting near Reykjavik in 2021. It was the first eruption near this area in 800 years! The show was very well done.
The Observation Deck gave us 360˚ views of Reykjavik and its surrounding areas. It was a cloudy, cold, and windy day but it was still fun to look out at the area.
We were back on our ship by 5:30ish. Our stateroom was ready and we proceeded to unpack and organize our belongings. We needed to organize after living out of our suitcases for three days!
We sailed before 8:00 PM and were on our way toward Heimaey Island.
This evening we enjoyed listening to the Viking Band and Singers.
It was a relaxing way to end a busy day!
