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| HALLGRIMSKIRKJA CHURCH |
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| SUN VOYAGER |
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| NOT ALL ICELANDERS LOOK LIKE THIS |
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| 3D MODEL OF WHERE I WILL BE WALKING IN CITY HALL |
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| THE PERLAN |
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| 'DANCE' SCULPTURE BY TORBJORG PALSDOTTIR OUTSIDE PERLAN |
The weather was cool but dry. The first thing I noted was how quiet and uncrowded the city was. It was easy to cross even the most major roads because although car ownership per head of population is apparently high, the population of Reykjavik is only about 200,000, so cars are relatively few. In capital city terms, it is a small village, which just about sums up how it feels; friendly and unthreatening.
My first port of call was the BSI Bus Terminal from where I would catch the bus for the Laugavegur and Fimmvordhals trails. I hadn't at this point decided upon which direction to hike the trails, but it turned out that there were buses which would take me to either end leaving at 8.00am the following morning.
Continuing into the city centre I had to visit the iconic Hallgrimskirkja church, designed to resemble the basalt columns of Iceland's landscape. I was fortunate enought to be treated to a recital from it's magnificent 5275-pipe church organ, frequently played by famous international musicians.
I also enjoyed visits to the Sun Voyager sculture, Reykjavik City Hall (where they have a huge 3D model of Iceland enabling me to photograph the topography of the trail I would be following) and the Old Harbour. It seemed odd that so many of the tourist stalls on the harbourside were offering whale-watching sea-trips in a country that still kills them.
The streets of Reykjavik are festooned with sculptural works of art. My Dad, who was a sculptor himself, would have appreciated the many pieces on display wherever you walked.
I visited several information offices and outdoor shops to discuss my walking plans for the following day and gather advice. Apparently it has been colder than usual this year so there is snow at the northern end of the trail. As usual, the advice I received was mixed, but I took an average and decided that the best strategy would be to walk from South to North. Although that basically means walking uphill, this gives me time to gain experience in the environment as I go. Besides, I get the sun behind me, improving the view, and the opportunity to bathe in the hot spring at the northern end as a reward. Let's hope that rivers and snow don't thwart my plans.
After visiting a supermarket to buy suitable food for the trek (pitta breads, peanut butter, cheese, salami, fruit, chocolate) I returned to my hostel to off-load it before heading out again, this time the Perlan, a striking building constructed on a hill to the south of Reykjavik. Basically, it is six hot water storage cylinders with a glass dome on top, but it has a 360 degree viewing platform giving magnificent views of the surrounding landscape.
Returning to the hostel I enjoyed a 'happy hour' beer (well, two really), wrote my blog notes, cooked supper and headed to bed. It would be an early start in the morning. I wondered how this adventure would turn out.
