It is so good to be back out in the world..! Im going to get all feels about that at some point on this trip, but right now Im too tired. Covid got me at the start of July and I was very nervous about how Id feel and of course that Id test negative before leaving (which I did, right down to the wire!) Pearson lived up to the current horror stories - it was indeed a gong show, particularly the security line and then just about every Air Canada flight seemed to be delayed - thankfully Icelandair did well, we only left about delayed. I also did surprisingly well with the lights and pressure change - that was the last big thing to try success..!!
Flight was uneventful. I paid for extra legroom on the aisle and the middle seat was empty - bless! Arriving in Iceland always just feels good for the soul - it was quite brisk which helped wake me up (I never manage to sleep on the overnights). I couldnt go straight to the hotel, so I left my luggage in storage at the bus station and just wandered into town, starting
at City Hall and Tjornin. Its been awhile since Ive been, its always interesting to see new construction and whats changing. It was weirdly quiet (I thought) for a July weekday - maybe tourism isnt back to where it was, although by the airport numbers Id think it was. Regardless, grabbed some lunch and watched the ducks and swans before heading down along the waterfront. Harpa (Conference Centre) is such a beaut of a building, especially when its a vibrant blue sky.
There seemed to be a bunch of inukshuk and/or rock structures along the coast near Harpa, so I explored that a bit before heading down for the usual pics of the Voyager (the boat statue). It was weirdly bright and sunny today by Iceland standards... made for some great shots. I went to check in after that (lol they were so grumpy that I arrived 10min before calm your vibe people) and then headed back out to just wander. There was some soccer game, so the main square was turned into a viewing party which was fun to hover around for a bit. My absolute fav statue (oh the disappointment!) is nearby, so I popped over
for a photo before meandering through Laugavegur (pedestrian, ish) and enjoying the updated graffitti - every time Im back theres something new on the road - its now a giant hopscotch and a race area. Fun for the kiddos!
I havent been up near Hallgrimskirkja for a bit - seemed they were doing renos for ages, but it looks great now with the new siding/roof whatever you want to call it.
That was pretty much that today - first days are slow, too tired to function properly lol. Tomorrow Im off to Norway - I gave myself the long layover because I wasnt sure how Id tolerate the flight. Seems good..!!
