Reykjavik (1)

Suncraft: Along the waterfront, there is a very cool sculpture called (in English) The Suncraft. It is obviously a highly stylized Viking boat with highly stylized Vikings cheering because they didn't die getting here. For me, this is the symbol I'll take away in my head to represent the city. It combines the notions of adventure, exploration, self-reliance, and the joy of accomplishment. A cool sculpture representing a powerful combination of ideas.

Streets: The weather in Reykjavik was troubled (from my perspective) but arguably normal for this time of year. Cool, with wind, thunder showers, followed by rainbows. Lather, rinse, repeat ... as they say. To be honest, I was jet-lagged, hungry, and a bit grumpy and the city didn't make a very good first impression on me. But as I got to know it better, I liked it better and better. By the time we left, I was sorry to say goodbye.

Streets: The weather in Reykjavik was troubled (from my perspective) but arguably normal for this time of year. Cool, with wind, thunder showers, followed by rainbows. Lather, rinse, repeat ... as they say. To be honest, I was jet-lagged, hungry, and a bit grumpy and the city didn't make a very good first impression on me. But as I got to know it better, I liked it better and better. By the time we left, I was sorry to say goodbye.

Streets: The weather in Reykjavik was troubled (from my perspective) but arguably normal for this time of year. Cool, with wind, thunder showers, followed by rainbows. Lather, rinse, repeat ... as they say. To be honest, I was jet-lagged, hungry, and a bit grumpy and the city didn't make a very good first impression on me. But as I got to know it better, I liked it better and better. By the time we left, I was sorry to say goodbye.

My Inner Viking: My explanation of why I wanted to come here (on the opening page) doesn't wash with some of my friends. They say there must be some better reason. In the end, if they simply won't give up, I admit there is a deeper reason for coming. "It's to get in touch with my Inner Viking!" These little guys were all over. If there's a second symbol of Reykjavik for me ... it's the statues of my inner Viking.

Hallgrimskirkja: One of the signature landmarks of Reykjavik is the Hallgrimskirkja church (above). The tower is constructed of vertical columns that remind me of basalt columns we saw along the coastline. Beautiful in its own way but foreboding, and not very approachable from outside. Inside, the church is a soaring monument with one of the most beautiful church organs I have ever seen.

Hallgrimskirkja: One of the signature landmarks of Reykjavik is the Hallgrimskirkja church (above). The tower is constructed of vertical columns that remind me of basalt columns we saw along the coastline. Beautiful in its own way but foreboding, and not very approachable from outside. Inside, the church is a soaring monument with one of the most beautiful church organs I have ever seen.

Hallgrimskirkja: One of the signature landmarks of Reykjavik is the Hallgrimskirkja church (above). The tower is constructed of vertical columns that remind me of basalt columns we saw along the coastline. Beautiful in its own way but foreboding, and not very approachable from outside. Inside, the church is a soaring monument with one of the most beautiful church organs I have ever seen.

Hallgrimskirkja: One of the signature landmarks of Reykjavik is the Hallgrimskirkja church (above). The tower is constructed of vertical columns that remind me of basalt columns we saw along the coastline. Beautiful in its own way but foreboding, and not very approachable from outside. Inside, the church is a soaring monument with one of the most beautiful church organs I have ever seen.

Hallgrimskirkja: As you can see in this photo, it is a working church, as evidenced by the coffin lying in state while we were there.

Cityscape: It is possible to climb the tower and from the top, there is a fantastic view of the city. Earlier I described it as a "cheerful city." If you take the time to open the photos, you'll see a clean, mostly modern, colorful, optimistic, and yes, cheerful city. In some ways, it reminds me of a city at the other end of the world ... Ushuaia Argentina. There are few pretenses here. And there's enough hard weather in the winter. So people seem to intentionally design with lots of bright color.

Cityscape: It is possible to climb the tower and from the top, there is a fantastic view of the city. Earlier I described it as a "cheerful city." If you take the time to open the photos, you'll see a clean, mostly modern, colorful, optimistic, and yes, cheerful city. In some ways, it reminds me of a city at the other end of the world ... Ushuaia Argentina. There are few pretenses here. And there's enough hard weather in the winter. So people seem to intentionally design with lots of bright color.

Cityscape: It is possible to climb the tower and from the top, there is a fantastic view of the city. Earlier I described it as a "cheerful city." If you take the time to open the photos, you'll see a clean, mostly modern, colorful, optimistic, and yes, cheerful city. In some ways, it reminds me of a city at the other end of the world ... Ushuaia Argentina. There are few pretenses here. And there's enough hard weather in the winter. So people seem to intentionally design with lots of bright color.

Cityscape: It is possible to climb the tower and from the top, there is a fantastic view of the city. Earlier I described it as a "cheerful city." If you take the time to open the photos, you'll see a clean, mostly modern, colorful, optimistic, and yes, cheerful city. In some ways, it reminds me of a city at the other end of the world ... Ushuaia Argentina. There are few pretenses here. And there's enough hard weather in the winter. So people seem to intentionally design with lots of bright color.

Colorful Buildings: Climb down from the tower and you'll find things in good repair. There is not much over 3 stories. Most siding material is painted corrugated tin or steel, a concession to the weather, I'm sure. It seems to me there is a balance to this place, people in harmony with their environment, no matter how brutal that environment can be.

Colorful Buildings: Climb down from the tower and you'll find things in good repair. There is not much over 3 stories. Most siding material is painted corrugated tin or steel, a concession to the weather, I'm sure. It seems to me there is a balance to this place, people in harmony with their environment, no matter how brutal that environment can be.

Colorful Buildings: Climb down from the tower and you'll find things in good repair. There is not much over 3 stories. Most siding material is painted corrugated tin or steel, a concession to the weather, I'm sure. It seems to me there is a balance to this place, people in harmony with their environment, no matter how brutal that environment can be.

Colorful Buildings: Climb down from the tower and you'll find things in good repair. There is not much over 3 stories. Most siding material is painted corrugated tin or steel, a concession to the weather, I'm sure. It seems to me there is a balance to this place, people in harmony with their environment, no matter how brutal that environment can be.

Colorful Buildings: Climb down from the tower and you'll find things in good repair. There is not much over 3 stories. Most siding material is painted corrugated tin or steel, a concession to the weather, I'm sure. It seems to me there is a balance to this place, people in harmony with their environment, no matter how brutal that environment can be.

Colorful Buildings: Climb down from the tower and you'll find things in good repair. There is not much over 3 stories. Most siding material is painted corrugated tin or steel, a concession to the weather, I'm sure. It seems to me there is a balance to this place, people in harmony with their environment, no matter how brutal that environment can be.

At the end of our tour, we returned to Reykjavik, had dinner at what had become two of our favorite restaurants, and explored the City Hall of Reykjavik. In the City Hall, there is a huge relief map of Iceland. I'll bet we spent an hour there, tracing our route, marveling at the topography, finding the places we stayed. What a wonderful way to relive 3 weeks in our lives where we had explored a singularly unkonwn place, and had come to call it home ... at least for a short time.

At the end of our tour, we returned to Reykjavik, had dinner at what had become two of our favorite restaurants, and explored the City Hall of Reykjavik. In the City Hall, there is a huge relief map of Iceland. I'll bet we spent an hour there, tracing our route, marveling at the topography, finding the places we stayed. What a wonderful way to relive 3 weeks in our lives where we had explored a singularly unkonwn place, and had come to call it home ... at least for a short time.