I'm in Reykjavik (capital of Iceland) for the next week, first half for vacation with Lucia who's joined me, and then for business meetings. After taking the red-eye flight, I'm just wrapping up an exhausting first day in this "village city." While it's not freezing cold here at about 40-50 degrees Farenheit, the wind makes it feel a lot colder than it really is. Plus, it's been overcast and showery. If it's like this in May, I don't want to know what it's like in the winter! It's past 11pm here and it's still bright outside this time of year. The landscape of Reykjavik is definitely unique, and it doesn't have a metropolis feel to it. It's more like a village with lots of cute little streets and shops, and an endless number of bars and pubs! However, the streets haven't been filled with people - it's actually been pretty quiet. Originally, we were supposed to take a speedboat tour down a river, but I got a call last minute from the tour group saying they had to reschedule because the river flooded and the dock was washed away last night. Thus, we had to change-up plans and our first day entailed lots of walking, exploring around the city streets, and eating!
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| Baejarins Bestu |
First up on our list of to-do's was to hit up the famous "Baejarins Bestu" hot dog stand for lunch. It claims to have the best hot dog in the world, with President Clinton as one of its patrons. While it was pretty good, it still doesn't compare to "Pinks" in L.A. Though, it was nice not having the same 2 hour + line at Pinks.....I'd still recommend visiting this stand if you're ever in Reykjavik.
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| Can you tell I'm wet & cold? |
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| I think Lucia is handling the rain better than me |
After lunch, it was time to burn off the calories from the hot dogs and get in Lucia's fix of window shopping...there are tons of random little shops here offering unique Icelandic clothing and souvenirs. And, of course, Iceland is known for being by the water and offering lots of seafood.
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| Hereford Steakhouse Special |
I had heard from others that had previously visited Iceland that the country is known for unique food, such as Puffin and Whale. I decided to be adventurous on my first night and ordered Puffin for dinner. I figured Puffin would be a safer bet over Whale. While the first course was pretty good, "Smoked Puffin Salad," the main course entree of Grilled Puffin Breasts was much too gamey for my taste....I'm still smelling the bad aftertaste...
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| Smoked Puffin Salad |
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Grilled Puffin
(and the souvenir I bought earlier in the day) |
So, despite the cool and raw weather conditions, it's been a pretty successful first day of exploring Reykjavik. Tomorrow's going to be a grueling day of physical activity, so stay-tuned for my next update from Iceland!
I'm in Reykjavik (capital of Iceland) for the next week, first half for vacation with Lucia who's joined me, and then for business meetings. After taking the red-eye flight, I'm just wrapping up an exhausting first day in this "village city." While it's not freezing cold here at about 40-50 degrees Farenheit, the wind makes it feel a lot colder than it really is. Plus, it's been overcast and showery. If it's like this in May, I don't want to know what it's like in the winter! It's past 11pm here and it's still bright outside this time of year. The landscape of Reykjavik is definitely unique, and it doesn't have a metropolis feel to it. It's more like a village with lots of cute little streets and shops, and an endless number of bars and pubs! However, the streets haven't been filled with people - it's actually been pretty quiet. Originally, we were supposed to take a speedboat tour down a river, but I got a call last minute from the tour group saying they had to reschedule because the river flooded and the dock was washed away last night. Thus, we had to change-up plans and our first day entailed lots of walking, exploring around the city streets, and eating! 
ICELAND!River flooded and docks washed away? That's too bad. Hopefully no one got hurt. Mmmm best hot dog in the world??? Clinton is there Patron??? Seems a little over blown. I can't imagine Clinton going to Iceland very often. Hehehe. I give you madd props for going out on the limb and trying something new like puffin. I don't think I would have gone as to order two courses of puffin.One would have been enough. or I would have just asked for a taste of someone elses dish. Did Lucia try the Whale??? I wonder what kind of whale???
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