reykjavik, iceland (3)
Halló visitor.
It is currently 11:25 PM in iceland and I am very tired. I spent the day exploring Reykjavik. The flight to get here was OK, I guess. I got the aisle seat, so it wasn't too bad. IcelandAir doesn't include meals, drinks, or even headphones on their flights, but it was only 6 hours long, so I managed.
My camper van is pretty sweet. The back has a little kitchenette, a fridge, some dishes and cutlery, and a bench that folds out into a bed. It has a second battery that stays on while the car is off, so that you can stay warm while you sleep. Upon receiving it, I knew that the company, Happy Campers, was very well experienced. The worker that helped me was knowledgable and I got situated and on the road pretty quickly.
I then drove about 40 minutes to Reykjavik. I was pretty exhausted from the flight and wanted to go to sleep immediately, but the campsite didn't open till 1, so I decided I'd explore for a bit. I hit Hallgrímskirkja first, because it's at the center of everything. What an incredibly beautiful and elegant building. The scale of it is beautiful to see in person.
Pictured: Hallgrímskirkja up close. You can actually look through the stone columns into the church. Pretty sick.
I had a bucket list going into Reykjavik. Reykjavik Roasters was one item that was nearby, so I went in and got a cortado and a bag of coffee for the french press Happy Campers gave me; the cortado was good. I also hit up Bónus grocery store. I bought a bunch of water, which all turned out to be sparkling. Bleh. After that, I went to the Settlement Exhibition at Reykjavik City Museum. I went in from the 1900s-2000s section, which I hated, then went to the 1700s-1900s section, which was worse. I thought I hated the museum until I stumbled upon the 700-1700s section. This section was pretty dope.
The food today was astronomically good. Brauð & Co had amazing pastries that I ate while I walked to Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur for a hot dog. Holy cow, the hot dog was so good. The lamb meat was so tender and the sauces and crispy fried onions turned it up to 11. Later in the day I blew $79 on a meal (I didn't mean to spend that much, I converted ISK-USD wrong...) at Old Iceland. I wanted to try a proper Icelandic lamb before I left Reykjavik, and this did NOT disappoint.
Pictured: Fried baby potatoes, beetroot puree, rutabaga, carrots, slow cooked shoulder of lamb and demi-glace. So good.
I am now at the Reykjavik Eco-Campsite. It's a very nice site, with clean bathrooms, showers, a kitchen, and other stuff I haven't explored. I took a test nap earlier between the museum and Old Iceland, and the van is very comfy to sleep in.
Tomorrow, I'll embark on the famous Golden Circle. Wish me luck!
Bless bless,
Ayaan