Booking with AirBNB, sets you up to receive ‘suggestions’ for other activities. Eric got a notice for this local company ‘Funky Iceland’ and booked us the ‘Funky History Walk with a Local Storyteller’. Their guides take you through 1150 years of Icelandic history and the fight for surival, freedom and tolerance. These values continue to shape its liberal attitudes today. BTW – the rainbow painted on the street is considered ‘street art’. More on that further in the post.
We met at the Viking statue, in front of the Hallgrimskirkja church. We walked the area earlier and I shot these night-time photos of the church.
The tour allowed us to go inside and the history lessons started. The vaulted ceiling was truly awe-inspiring.
Turn around 180 degrees, look up to see their massive organ.
With all of the tourists around, there was a small chapel in the corner for individual solitude and prayers.
Interesting thing about their seating. The backs can be moved to face the pulpit or face the organ, locking in place for musical concerts.
Across the street was our next stop……a sculpture garden holding the work of Einer Jonsson. Also a great spot to capture the church from another angle.
He is often called the first Icelandic sculptor, gaining international attention. The Icelandic Parliament agreed to build a home for him and his wife in exchange for the donation of his collection after his death in 1954. Walking the gardens was free for all to visit, containing 20+ pieces of his art.
In honor of the upcoming holiday season………
We continued the tour through nearby residential areas and I came across street art or murals that caught my eye. Most references to street art date to 2015 when Iceland Airwaves/Uran nation collaborated for ‘Wall Poetry’. Not exactly true as street art was firmly entrenched as of 2009. ‘Tagging and vandalism occurs everywhere, but street art has much more structure around its concept.
Some are a bit more abstract than others. Some are commissioned and many are on private property.
Check the internet as there are guided and self-guided tours of Reykjavik Street art.
As we meandered to the bottom of the hill, the destination was City Hall that housed a giant relief of Iceland.
Alas, we walked in, and it was gone. There were chairs and a runway set up for a future event. The map sets upon rollers and can be rolled into a holding space when events were planned. I did my own internet research and discovered the map is based upon 1948 U.S. Army map series and was started in 1985. It is composed of 1mm thick cardboard cut along the contour lines of the maps. The are glued, stapled or nailed as needed.
Found this photo on the internet after a lot of searching since we didn’t see it in person.
What we did encounter was a protest! Really? Really!. A quiet (indoor) spot for the guide to talk history kept getting louder and full of small children. Then the parents brought out instruments of noise for their children – whatever they obviously had at home. We asked one of the adults what was going on……………………….schoolteachers were protesting for their wages. Power to the people!
The media showed up and was doing a few interviews.
It got too loud for conversation, so we headed for our last stop, an Icelandic tradition…….Icelandic hotdogs. This spot is the most ‘famous’ location for hot dogs. Yep, it is outside in a small square. What makes their hot dogs special? The main ingredients are lamb, beef and pork, mixed in a specific ratio. The recipe includes salt, paprika, pepper, garlic, onion, coriander and other seasonings.
Throughout our visit – no matter the time of day – they had a line and people eating their dogs outside. It was a thing. Besides being a cheap street food, it is one of the symbols of Icelandic food culture.
Getting a hot day ‘all the way’ included fresh onions, fried onions, sweet mustard, remoulade sauce and ketchup. No ketchup for Eric. No sweet mustard for me. Loved the fried onions which added a bit of crunch. Yum.
We enjoyed the tour and the guide. He started this venture with a few like-minded friends, and they continue to grow it. His tour had good ratings and another good one from us.
Darden Travels 