Hi friends! The blog has been a bit quiet the past few weeks. We Divas have all been busy, and one of the things that kept me busy was my first ever European vacation. I'm not the adventuresome type (I leave that for my heroines, lol) and tend to be a worry wart, so my anticipation was tempered by anxiety about "what might go wrong." But very little went wrong and my companions and I had a wonderful time.
The trip was to honor my mother, whose mother grew up in Denmark. On our way to that country, we had a three day stopover in Iceland. So forgive the off-topic post, but I'd like to spend the next few blogs sharing some photos and experiences with you.
We stayed in Reykjavik, the capital and largest city of Iceland. We stayed in a small hotel right near the Marina, so got a great view of the boats (or are they ships?)
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| One of the ships along the Marina. |
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| This fellow took his role as sentry very seriously. |
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| Statue of Leif Erickson |
Our first full day in Reykjavic, my traveling buddy and I took a walking tour around the city. We booked through I Heart Reykjavic Tours and had a great time. Our tour group met at the statue of Leif Erickson in front of the famous Hallgrimskirkja, the largest church in Iceland. Our guide Audur (I can only spell an approximation of her name, because Icelandic has letters we don't have in English) was born and raised in the city and shared a lot of history and everyday life in Reykjavic. She was an awesome guide, and is also the owner and founder of I Heart Reykjavic. If you're planning on visiting, I highly recommend this tour.
The temperature was in the fifties, chilly and drizzly. Though I had a warm jacket, I wished I'd also had the foresight to pack a hat and gloves. Just a heads up to anyone planning to travel that way.
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| Hallsgrimskirkja |
On our walk around the city, our guide pointed out some of the more colorful homes. They sure were bright and eye-catching. Because of the dearth of wood as building material, many homes are constructed of corrugated metal.
We also saw a number of paintings/murals on the outside walls of buildings, commissioned by the local government to encourage local artists and discourage random graffiti.
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An example of the outdoor paintings around Reykjavic
After a wonderful morning, my buddy and I had lunch at a local restaurant (Snaps--one of the places Audur recommended). Very yummy! I had fish (ling, which I'd never had before) and afterwards we explored the city on our own.
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| Another ship |
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"Looking Seawards" honors those
who lost their lives at sea.
Well, I still have more to share, but don't want to bore you with too much chatter. Next time I'll tell you about the Blue Lagoon! Until then--
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Have a wonderful weekend, all!
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