For some reason I never posted these after taking them. They're from 2017. But let's do it.
Reykjavik has about 250,000 people living in the city and its suburbs, good for about 2/3 of everybody living in the entire country of Iceland. And it's a charming little city, with vibes that cross European with Pacific Northwest.
The great
Hallgrimskirkja church dominates Reykjavik like the Eiffel Tower dominates Paris, and is by far the city's most important human-built landmark.
You can go up it, and the view is spectacular.
The core of the city though is
Laugavegur, the car-lite main street.
"American Bar"
At one end sits
Ingolfur Square, a classic European town square, except on a small scale that matches the size of the city.
There are many charming corners and ornament.
The Viking look is cool.
The surrounding neighborhoods:
Charming as it is, few people go to Iceland to see Reykjavik. The countryside's natural beauty is the bigger draw. With good reason.
Iceland is a volcanic island, a bit like a cold Hawaii. The country is full of places in various stages of millenium-long reforestation after volcanic eruptions. Some of those stages involve whole broad landscapes covered in moss, like an alien planet with no trees.
Elsewhere, U-shaped glacier valleys (or actual glaciers), dramatic mountains, and tiny villages dot the landscape.
Along the Arctic-facing north, frigid black sand beaches.
Seriously though the moss is just incredible.
And it is a friendly place.
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