Hello, and happy Friday! I’m happy to report that we’ve managed to safely return from our travels abroad! And an adventure of a lifetime it was!
Iceland was everything we expected and more. The landscape is incredibly diverse and full of striking beauty. It was a truly unforgettable experience. And road-tripping it is totally the way to do it! It literally feels like you have the country to yourself! Outside of the Reykjavik area, the country is very sparsely populated and there were periods of time where we drove for hours without seeing a single car or person (but plenty of sheep and horses!).
As amazing of an experience as it was, we did miss the comforts of home (and a certain Boston Terrier who was none too pleased with our extended absence). So, as I sort through my 1000+ photos, here are some highlights of our first stop- Reykjavik!
This northernmost capital city was just as charming as we expected! It was pleasantly compact allowing us to see most everything we wanted on foot.
After accidentally stumbling upon Hallgrimskirkja on a morning walk, we came back in the afternoon to properly photograph it and take the elevator to the top for some unbelievable views of the city!
The city’s main shopping street (Laugavegur) boasted some pretty impressive street art and an excellent selection of Icelandic wool! I didn’t do much shopping outside of a few souvenirs but did see some adorable clothing and housewares boutiques.
I particularly loved the brightly colored buildings and accents scattered throughout the city. From what I understand, Reykjavik (and Iceland in general) is not known for it’s sunshine, so the bright pops of color really add some cheer to what would probably be an otherwise gloomy scene. 
We also walked down to the old harbor which was beautiful (and freezing!).
We arrived in Reykjavik late on Thursday and stayed through Friday, departing for our road trip Saturday morning. Therefore, we had the opportunity to briefly observe Friday night’s runtur, Reykjavik’s famous all night pub crawl. And by observe, I mean we ventured out of the hotel at around 10 to see what the hype was all about (based on my Lonely Planet guide, it doesn’t pick up until around midnight, but I wasn’t about to wait up). For one, I’m not sure how these people can afford an all night pub crawl in a town where drinks average over 10 bucks a piece. But, the city was more crowded than we had seen all day! I didn’t bring my camera in fear of being knocked over by some drunken mob (which didn’t happen), but from what we saw it was quite the lively scene!
Highlights from the rest of the trip are coming soon! Have a lovely weekend!
I can’t get over the stark differences in the climate and landscapes across the country! One minute you’re looking at a steaming hot spring, the next there’s a volcanic beach with glaciers onshore. I’m not sure there’s anywhere else in the world you can experience nature in such full force. It’s been truly incredible.
