Reykjavik, Iceland

It amazes me that I am able to say sentences like this: The last time I was in Iceland I spent the day in Reykjavik. I have always wanted to go back again! I am indeed a very lucky person – I returned to Iceland! A place most people never have a chance to visit even once! It has been amazing to discover so much more about the country and the people than what one sees and learns in a big city. But the big city has an allure all its own. I was really looking forward to going out to the very famous Blue Lagoon. Last February 2nd I booked and paid for the excursion. It was the first thing I did when we confirmed the trip. According to my D.K. Eyewitness book Top 10 Iceland (these are my first choice of guide books, check them out) The Blue Lagoon is not a natural geothermal bathing place but has been created into a resort like atmosphere from the runoff of the superheated seawater of the Svartsengi Geothermal Power Station. Ingenious creativity. The third day on the ship I was told the excursion was over sold did I want to go to the Sky Lagoon. It sounded nice and is a natural pool overlooking the sea. Smaller and newer etc. They were not sure about what facilities would be there as far as showering etc. I considered it for several days. I usually am happy to find new places but decided this time I wanted the iconic option so canceled and went to no lagoon. Maybe next time… I know that the thought crossed your mind, why if you booked 6 months ago did they just decide it was oversold? Why did the system let you book it at all? If they had told me or blocked the reservation I could have researched the other options and felt more comfortable spending close to $200 for a 2 hour soak! I definitely think that HAL's explanation that the mainland mainframe does not talk to the ship one is hogwash. Just like Onboard Credit was allowed to be accessed for excursion purchases for some things and not others. Maybe that is true as their onboard Navigator app is supposed to be used for dining reservations and room service orders but doesn’t work interactively at all, nor does their interactive TV. They need to clean up their IT department act! BUT all was not lost. I bought a last minute Hop On Hop Off bus ticket. The day was surprisingly beautiful, clear, and in the 60’s, not the predicted low 50’s and rain. The open top of the double decker (London type) bus was wonderful. The view was great. The city was bustling with hybrid or all electric traffic, scooters, bicycles, construction, and tourists. I know that at least four cruise ships were in port but our 2000 passenger one was the largest. We passed the simple two story “White House”, Hofoi House, perched at the seashore where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev ended the Cold War. It was not open to visit so I rode on. The all glass Harpa stands in magnificent beauty nearby. Home to the opera and the symphony the acoustics were terrific. Reykjavik even has its own Big Band that calls Harpa home. There are at least a dozen large and small museums on the route and numerous parks and churches. Like every modern big city there is a giant shopping mall and more restaurants of every nationality than you can count. They seemed to be in their own little strips, each with the same varieties, perhaps chains. Plan B Burgers, Vietnamese, China Dream, SmashBurger, Little Tokyo and always KFC! I didn’t go into Perlan (The Pearl) which is a creative building consisting of five cylindrical water tanks that were no longer in use. They are joined together and topped by the mirrored glass dome – the pearl. The space houses a technology and design permanent exhibit titled the Wonders of Iceland. Outside a Zipline went from the fourth floor over the trees to the side of the sea. And, yes, ‘over’ the tree tops at just four stories high. Iceland has a short growing season and is reforesting after foolish destruction of old growth forests. Hallgrimskirkja gives away its purpose in its name. ‘Kirk’ nearly always means ‘church’ in Nordic languages as well as in the British Isles. This Lutheran Cathedral took forty years to reach its towering height of 240 feet! Perched on a hilltop, hexagon in shape, with arches layered inside to match the ones on the exterior roofline, it is visible from anywhere in the city. The stark, Scandinavian design is bright and simple. The bright ice blue fabric bench backs can be flipped so that attendees can see the service at the alter and pulpit or focus on the 5,275 pipes of the organ in the loft at the back. The organ itself sits in full view at the back side of the church. It is posted with a sign reading please do not interrupt the organist while playing. An upcoming concert features 13 different organists play in an all day event! Outside the front of the church is a more than life-size statue of favorite explorer Leifur Eiriksson. We know him as Leif Erikson. He is seen atop a large swooping base as though looking forward from the bow of the ship. Perhaps seeing Iceland for the first time. We all know that Erikson means son of Erik, or Johnson is the son of John. I learned that many Icelandic names, or Scandinavian names end with “dottir.” Yes, that would mean the daughter of Eric or John for example. Or in the case of heroin Gudrid Thorbjanardottir apparently the daughter of…well, you get the idea! I was surprised how many people were excited to go to Kolaportio Flea Market. It was a two story department store sized building in a prime main street location adjacent to things like H & M, a major shopping experience. We continued past the airport were we stopped for a bit by the Icelandic air transfer busses. You can fly domestically to this airport but need to take the 49 K included bus trip to the International airport more inland. I figured if you flew into Reykjavik you landed in the city but the property is too limited and therefore too valuable to waste on jet runways. Back on board I decided to create my own lagoon experience. The sun was bright and warm so I put on my swimsuit and ship provided bathrobe, took my book and beach towel, picked up iced tea on the way and went to the unroofed pool on the back of the ship. Two bartenders were stationed there, a guy was smoking a cigar and reading a book in the smoking section, and me! I had the hot tub all to myself and enjoyed the bubbles. Can’t read when bubbling so enjoyed the view of the city and the many birds including Arctic Terns of different kinds swooping and swirling against the blue sky and fluffy white clouds. I then just relaxed in the warm water and read several chapters while cooling off with my tasty tea. A quick dip in the cooler salt water pool and I had the spa experience without the travel or cost. A very pleasant hour. Back in the cabin a very long, very hot shower felt great. I dressed and went for a late lunch/early dinner and enjoyed the view from Deck Nine. As tour busses and private vans unloaded their passengers I thought I had made a great choice for myself for what could have been a very disappointing day. Then on my balcony I watched as crew members played games, sang, and danced on the dock. It was a celebration of Indonesian Independence Day. Good to see the crew having fun. They really work hard on the food service side. I enjoyed reading and sort of watching for Carol. Her tour was quite late coming back. Everything started late, I knew that ship clearance for some reason was delayed that morning. When she did return I had dessert with her while she had dinner. Her Golden Circle tour was good although she didn’t enjoy how much time they spent touring the power plant nor the people who returned late to the bus after stops. It prevented the tour from spending enough time at the Gullfoss or the Geysirs to walk around on your own and really enjoy these highlights. The evening entertainment was the movie The Infinite Storm in the World Stage Theater. We decided to just hang out with friends and enjoy a drink and the sail away. The bad news was delivered that we were not going to be able to visit Grundarfjord the next day. The approaching storm would not allow safe tendering. Instead we would take two days to return to Greenland which would allow for a safer, more comfortable sailing in high seas. I had looked forward to this last Iceland village. We had booked a tour to the countryside to learn Iceland traditions and culture. I wanted to learn more about the Berserkers! We first heard of them on our South Pacific cruise in January. Look them up, they are a real thing!