Akureyri (13)

This is the second largest city in Iceland, a few thousand folks as I remember. We stayed in a proper modern hotel a few hundred meters from the harbor and literally in the shadow of the cathedral known as Akureyrikirkja. I think it would be a good place to live but for the traveler, it is awkward. You could stay here for a week and enjoy hiking, kayaking, horseback riding in the summer. Or enjoy skiing and snowmobiling in the winter. But we don't have that long and its the shoulder season, both too cold and too warm for these activities. And so, we visit the church, walk around the harbor, have a nice meal at the restaurant across the street from the hotel, buy a couple of books and a hat, and move on the next day.

These photos were taken in August 2007 mostly with a Nikon D200.

Getting ahead of myself, or at least ahead of the rest of the pictures, this is a great waterfall on our way to Akureyri. As a photographer, I could have spent a day here. I could cheerfully come back in different seasons and weather to shoot it. But we are on a budget and the currency is time. So after a short photo shoot, we moved on.
Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri: This is the church we slept in the shadow of. I can find no one who feels the church is that attractive from the outside, but its aloof exterior hides a neat space inside.
Akureyri: Curiously, there's a model ship hanging from the ceiling. It turns out to be a tradition in Iceland and Greenland to hang a ship in maritime churches to protect parish fisherman at sea. Go figure.

Akureyri: For me the star attraction is a collection of stained glass windows showing people and scenes out of Icelandic history.
Akureyri: Speaking of boats and fishermen, the harbor was really interesting.
Akureyri: Speaking of boats and fishermen, the harbor was really interesting.