Hi Everyone,
After being out late last night, I decided to sleep in a bit this morning. I knew that if I adjusted my schedule for the next day and a half, I would be able to see everything on my list without having to get up early. I like using the bus to get around the city. It's the only public transit option besides a taxi, and while the bus routes are different than what Google maps shows me due to some major construction work, it's still relatively easy to get around. I can purchase tickets using an app on my phone; super convenient!
Today I went to a bunch of museums starting with the Whales of Iceland Museum. There are life sized models of all the whales around Iceland, such as Orcas (Harolds favorite), Humpbacks,
and the largest whale of all, the Blue whale.
It was really fun to learn about the different whales using the audio tour, and I found this museum to be surprisingly delightful.
Then I went to the Settlement Exhibit, a museum built around the ruins of a Viking longhouse, believed to be from the first settlers of Iceland in 842. Archaeologists discovered the bones of a walrus were buried under one of the walls of the longhouse, probably as a talisman to protect the home.
Then I went to the National Museum of Iceland, which chronicles the history of the people of Iceland. I enjoyed the artifacts in the museum, and Harold really liked this carved door from the 1200's.
I spent the evening at the Perlan Wonders of Iceland science museum.
They have an observation deck with a fantastic view of the city. The tallest building in the city is the Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral, which I will visit in the morning.
This isn't smoke, but steam coming from the geothermal power plant.
I had a ridiculous amount of fun at the science museum, they have a planetarium show about the northern lights,
and a cliff with models of the native birds of Iceland, including puffins!
There is also a glacier ice cave that is -10 degrees Celsius inside,
and when you exit the ice cave there is this interactive wall to learn about glaciers. Stand in the right place, and you can point at the screen to bring up information about the glaciers in Iceland.
Iceland has over 30 active volcanoes due to the action of two tectonic plates, and this interactive video and model of Iceland was a fun and artistic way to represent the volcanic activity.
The museum was a really fun way to sum up a lot of the things I had done and seen during my time in Iceland. It's also lit up a night, and you can see it from all over city.
My final stop of the night was Harpa Concert hall. I really wanted to take photos the night before, but didn't have time. The exterior is made of glass panels, and at night they are lit up in various colors that move and change. It was really fun to watch!
For my final (half) day in the city, I decided to visit the Sun Voyager again. I took some better photos with nice lighting, and no tourists!
Then I went and saw the rainbow road,
which leads to the Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral. The church is named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), who wrote the Passion Hymns. The statue in the front is of Leif Erikson.
The cathedral offers a wonderful view of the city from the top of the bell tower,
and the interior of the cathedral is simple, yet elegant.
They have an incredible pipe organ, and I was lucky to hear the organist play for about 10 minutes.
By that point it was time to head back to my hostel for lunch before getting picked up and taken to the airport. The hostel encourages you to write on the walls, and Harold wanted to leave his mark.
I wish I could say I was heading straight home, but I have an overnight layover in Seattle. Thankfully I know that the hostel I stayed in when I was there a year and a half ago, is clean, comfortable, has free breakfast, and is right next to a light rail station that takes you straight to the airport, so I'm happy to stay there tonight, and hopefully get some sleep!
After being out late last night, I decided to sleep in a bit this morning. I knew that if I adjusted my schedule for the next day and a half, I would be able to see everything on my list without having to get up early. I like using the bus to get around the city. It's the only public transit option besides a taxi, and while the bus routes are different than what Google maps shows me due to some major construction work, it's still relatively easy to get around. I can purchase tickets using an app on my phone; super convenient!
Today I went to a bunch of museums starting with the Whales of Iceland Museum. There are life sized models of all the whales around Iceland, such as Orcas (Harolds favorite), Humpbacks,
and the largest whale of all, the Blue whale.
It was really fun to learn about the different whales using the audio tour, and I found this museum to be surprisingly delightful.
Then I went to the Settlement Exhibit, a museum built around the ruins of a Viking longhouse, believed to be from the first settlers of Iceland in 842. Archaeologists discovered the bones of a walrus were buried under one of the walls of the longhouse, probably as a talisman to protect the home.
Then I went to the National Museum of Iceland, which chronicles the history of the people of Iceland. I enjoyed the artifacts in the museum, and Harold really liked this carved door from the 1200's.
I spent the evening at the Perlan Wonders of Iceland science museum.
They have an observation deck with a fantastic view of the city. The tallest building in the city is the Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral, which I will visit in the morning.
I had a ridiculous amount of fun at the science museum, they have a planetarium show about the northern lights,
and a cliff with models of the native birds of Iceland, including puffins!
There is also a glacier ice cave that is -10 degrees Celsius inside,
and when you exit the ice cave there is this interactive wall to learn about glaciers. Stand in the right place, and you can point at the screen to bring up information about the glaciers in Iceland.
Iceland has over 30 active volcanoes due to the action of two tectonic plates, and this interactive video and model of Iceland was a fun and artistic way to represent the volcanic activity.
The museum was a really fun way to sum up a lot of the things I had done and seen during my time in Iceland. It's also lit up a night, and you can see it from all over city.
My final stop of the night was Harpa Concert hall. I really wanted to take photos the night before, but didn't have time. The exterior is made of glass panels, and at night they are lit up in various colors that move and change. It was really fun to watch!
For my final (half) day in the city, I decided to visit the Sun Voyager again. I took some better photos with nice lighting, and no tourists!
Then I went and saw the rainbow road,
which leads to the Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral. The church is named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), who wrote the Passion Hymns. The statue in the front is of Leif Erikson.
The cathedral offers a wonderful view of the city from the top of the bell tower,
and the interior of the cathedral is simple, yet elegant.
They have an incredible pipe organ, and I was lucky to hear the organist play for about 10 minutes.
By that point it was time to head back to my hostel for lunch before getting picked up and taken to the airport. The hostel encourages you to write on the walls, and Harold wanted to leave his mark.
I wish I could say I was heading straight home, but I have an overnight layover in Seattle. Thankfully I know that the hostel I stayed in when I was there a year and a half ago, is clean, comfortable, has free breakfast, and is right next to a light rail station that takes you straight to the airport, so I'm happy to stay there tonight, and hopefully get some sleep!
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