Back in Reykjavik --[Reported by Umva mag]

After being frozen out of Greenland, we’re back in Reykjavik, Iceland. Although the sky was overcast on our previous visit, this time there is stuff falling out of it too. The rain is pretty chilly as we step off Island Princess and make our way to the free shuttle bus in to town.

Top tip: Cruise port transfers buses are free, but they may stop long before your ship sails. Island Princess passengers were due back on board no later that 9:30pm – but the buses stop at 7:30pm.

Bonus tip: eScooters offer a cheaper alternative to taxis, but it is 4km (~2.8 miles) from the city centre to the cruise terminal.

Let’s go to church

There’s not a lot on our itinerary today. We’re going up the hill to Hallgrimskirkja, the iconic church that overlooks the city – probably the only thing we missed on our previous visit. Like most Lutheran churches, the exterior is impressive while the inside is surprisingly sparse. There aren’t even any stained glass windows. 

Of particular note are the rock crystal font in front of the sanctuary, and the large pipe organ above the door as you enter. According to the refurbishment appeal, there are 5,250 pipes inside the instrument!

The church is accessible to mobility scooters, which is handy. The only challenge you may face is bad-mannered tourists refusing to make way for a wheelchair.

Afterwards, we do a quick geocache behind the church (GC9MHQQ), then amble back towards the Harpa concert hall where the transfer shuttles stop. The weather has cleared up a bit, but the temperature hasn’t improved. In celebration, we grab a second, easy cache in the Arnahóll Park (GC5ARP6).

Top tip: The drop kerbs in Reyjavik are poorly maintained – or non-existent. Mobility scooter riders and wheelchairs users can expect a bumpy ride, even in the pedestrianised areas of the city.

Watching the world go by

Once back on board Island Princess, we spend much of the day watching clouds brushing the mountains opposite our cabin stateroom. The light is constantly changing, deep grey clouds interspersed with watery sunlight. The dark grey waters and black volcanic beaches causing the verdant fields and islands to glow.

Reykjavik is a pleasant enough city, but after the first visit, it’s really just a gateway to the rest of Iceland. Unfortunately, hot springs, glaciers and volcanoes are not hugely accessible, so we can’t visit any of them at the moment.

Next time (if) we are back in Reykjavik, we will definitely be heading outside the city on some ‘proper’ adventures.

Did we get a passport stamp?

No. The security team at the port seemed shocked that anyone would even consider immigration, let alone a passport stamp. That seemed a bit weird coming from the people charged with maintaining the Icelandic border.

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The post Back in Reykjavik appeared first on Journey into Darkness.

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