Finding life hard?: An Icelandic Adventure (V)

Saturday began with a long lie in, easy to do as it didn't get light until about 10. Then we pondered how to spend the day and decided we'd just wander around Reykjavik.

I'd found a description of a suggested walking tour but when I tried to translate that to the city map we had I failed miserably as the tour talked about areas and the map showed streets. Incidentally I am still convinced the map was wrong.

So we just went. Daughter was more successful but, then again, she was in search of good coffee and pastries, which is an incentive for anyone. We made our way along the old harbour side to Hygge.

The Sun Voyager

The very impressive concert hall

Outside the concert hall there was running warm water - you can't see the steam coming up off it in this photo.

Looking across the bay

One house built1902, the other still under construction. There's a lot of construction work going on alongside the old harbour.

These scooters are a feature of the city. They can be hired via an app to take you to your destination and then just left anywhere for the next person who wants a ride. They're quite powerful and speedy.

Then we reached Hygge. I had a deliciously sticky cinnamon bun and Daughter had "the best pistachio croissant ever!" And notice my glass teapot and handle-less mug. Pretty but it burns your hands!

The observant amongst you will notice a third cake on the table. Well this was a traditional Icelandic bolla, and we hadn't had any breakfast so decided to share one. The trouble was there was a lot of creamy filling that can upset Daughter's stomach, so I had to eat some of her half too.

Bolludagur, Cream Bun Day, is celebrated on the Monday before Ash Wednesday at the start of Lent, but the baker in this particular shop was practising some new recipes, hence their early appearance

Then it was time to walk it off. We headed for Hallgrimskirkja, the magnificent church in the heart of Reykjavik. Building of the Lutheran church began in 1945 but the church wasn't consecrated until 1986.

The statue outside is of Leif Erikson who is thought to have been the first European to land in North America in Vinland, thought to be Newfoundland. It was a gift from the United States in 1930, commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of Iceland's parliament, Alþingi.

We were very fortunate to find a choir rehearsing in the church when we got there.

From there it was down the shopping street calling in all the souvenir shops. Have I mentioned how expensive Iceland is? This led us to Rainbow Street.

In one shop Daughter nudged me. "Spot the intruder," she said. I stared at the shelf she was indicating and it took me a good few seconds to realise what she meant. Meet Ofelia.

I honestly thought she was a very good pretend cat until I stroked her and she moved.

A brief stop at the hotel - mainly so I could go to the toilet - and we were off again. (Oh yes, remember the hotel boasted the oldest bones in Iceland? Well, they were there but in the museum next door and you had to pay for that so we didn't bother.)

This time we were looking for the old cemetery but we couldn't find it: maps lie! So we just wandered around the lake/pond. Icelanders seem very fond of statues - I'm doing a separate post all about those and one on graffiti - so I'll just show you one.

As you can see, the weather was beautiful.

Hundreds of geese, swans, seagulls, and ducks, skated their way towards the tourists who were feeding them. In the case of one swan it was skid and fall rather than gracefully skate!

And, finally, as the sun was getting lower in the sky, we headed back to the hotel to pack before returning to Mama Reykjavik for dinner.