First stop, Reykjavik! It wasn’t officially on our itinerary but we had the option of a 10-hour layover here (en route to London) so we took it.
It’s daylight 24-hours a day right now in Iceland. And the time-change is taking its toll. When we arrived it was 6am local time, but bedtime in Oregon. And we’re just setting out to explore the city.
First we took a bus downtown, and then began a 6-mile loop on foot to check out the city. In the middle of downtown we stumbled on Hallgrimskirkja, a Lutheran church with a 73-meter tower that you can spot from anywhere in town.
Just in front was a statue of Leif Erikson, the Norse explorer who was the first European to set foot on continental America.
We found a bakery with some tasty baked goods, the names of which I couldn’t begin to pronounce.
Speaking of which, I know this is Icelandic, and not Swedish but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m lost in an IKEA:
Lots of statues and colorful houses (and streets) lined our path as we made our way to the northern edge of town to see the ocean.
Along the shore Dami spotted two whales in the distance jumping out of the water.
Then we hurried back to the station to catch a ride back to the airport. It will have been 36-hours without sleep by the time we reach London tonight!
London, here we come.