Reykjavik, on the coast of Iceland, is the country's capital and largest city. It's home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history. The striking concrete Hallgrimskirkja church and rotating Perlan glass dome offer sweeping views of the sea and nearby hills. Exemplifying the island’s volcanic activity is the geothermal Blue Lagoon spa, near the village of Grindavik.
Learn about Reykjavik from Rick Steves (25 minutes). He can tell the story better than I.
We had two days in Reykjavik before we boarded our Viking ship on July 18. We divided our time to touring the Golden Circle and a tour-hour walking trip around the city.
Most people also do the Blue Lagoon, but we skipped it. To get the full appreciation, a visitor needed to jump and wade in the volcanic warm waters. The thought didn't appeal to our group of octogenarians.
Nearly all public tours of the Golden Circle require eleven to twelve hours. That time was much longer than we wanted. Warren found a private guide who picked us up at the hotel in his minivan and drove us to all the sites in seven hours.
The Golden Circle is a 155 to 190-mile scenic loop route in southwest Iceland starting from Reykjavík. It features three primary natural wonders: Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, and the Gullfoss waterfall. The full drive takes about 3 hours total, making it a popular 6-to-8-hour day.
The Þingvellir National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in a rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and is the historical site of Iceland's early parliament.
Geysir Geothermal Area is home to bubbling hot springs and the active Strokkur geyser, which shoots boiling water high into the air every few minutes.
Gullfoss Waterfall is a massive, powerful double-cascade waterfall that plunges down into a rugged canyon.
We also stopped at the Kerið Crater. It's a striking 3,000-year-old volcanic crater featuring a vivid aqua-blue lake inside red-orange volcanic rock.
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Our 2-hour walking tour started at the Hallgrímskirkja, a tall, modern Lutheran church whose design is inspired by basalt lava flows.
From there we walked to Harpa, a striking glass-fronted concert hall and conference center located by the harbor.
The Sagas were medieval prose narratives detailing early Viking settlers that form the bedrock of Icelandic identity. We were surprised to learn that Iceland boasts the highest number of writers and books published per capita globally. The Icelandic language has changed very little over the centuries, allowing modern locals to easily read old manuscripts.
Iceland is an enormously proud nation when it comes to its literature—just look at the Sagas, written stories dating back to the Settlement Era. Storytelling is in Icelanders' blood. One in ten Icelanders will publish a book in their lifetime.
This is a substantial number of books coming out of a small country, one with a population the same as some medium-sized American towns. Most books are released in the lead-up to Christmas, known as the Jólabókaflóðið, or the Christmas book flood in English.
This tradition began during the Second World War, when all other gift ideas were in short supply, leaving nothing but books to give to family and friends. When Icelanders open their presents on Christmas Eve, many will retire to the lounge with their new book, diving into the latest stories for a relaxing evening.
Icelanders can do this thanks to the Book of Icelanders, a Medieval text created in the 12th century by a Priest who visited the farms across the country to account for everyone’s family history. On top of that, the larger families kept extensive family histories of their own, and the Church also recorded all the births, deaths, and weddings that took place in their communities.
The Icelanders and Norwegians believe (or did) is the Hidden People. The belief in huldufólk (elves and trolls) remains culturally respected, often influencing road and construction planning to avoid disturbing rocky habitats. As we traveled through Norway, we found statues of elves and trolls everywhere.
