It was still twilight after midnight and got light again about 4:30 am. A nice fine day with passing clouds but no rain. Nice in the sun but instantly chilly if you walk on the shady side of a street or stand in the shadow of something. Walked and walked and walked around town, the harbour, the cemetery and back home. We are still taken with this central and oldest part of the city - being on foot of course have not seen the "burbs". Anyway, we are very happy we have come and find the place so very interesting.
Some more observations & facts . . .
Some more observations & facts . . .
- thermal heat is so plentiful they heat under the footpaths and roads in Reykjavik so they are snow and ice free in winter.
- we only saw one ATM the whole day - everyone uses cards.
- the average temperatures even in winter are above zero. Erla our host tells us it is a dry cold and can be easily "dressed off" unlike the damp cold of Europe.
- a lot of people smoke.
- there are a lot of cats.
- Icelandic names are patronymic in that they reflect the immediate father and are not a family name. A man named Jon Einarsson has a son named Olafur. Olafur's last name will not be Einarsson like his father’s; it will be Jonsson, (Olafur is the son of Jon). The same for daughters. Jon Einarsson's daughter Sigriour's last name would not be Einarsson but Jonsdottir - "Jon’s daughter" (Jons + dottir).
- they started planting trees in the 1950's
- seafood is certainly popular but there are plenty of other cuisines available
- there are no polar bears in Iceland
- 10:15 PM - turning the light on inside now!
- VAT is up to 25.5% on some things!!!
- 60% of female Icelanders have DNA in common with people from the British Isles - those Vikings again!
town centre
reykjavik wants a cathedral
1929 - a competition was held to design a cathedral in memory of a famous poet - Rev Hallgrimur Petursson. Seat 1200 and have a tall tower for a radio mast for the soon to be national broadcasting service.
1937 - architect appointed
1940 - until then the whole country was one parish - they divided into 3 parishes and this cathedral was to be the church of this parish Hallsgrimskirkja - as the Rev Hallgrimur . . .
1945 - building started and the church was consecrated in 1986.
It has a carillion of 29 bells and organ made in Germany which has 5275 pipes with 72 voices.
1937 - architect appointed
1940 - until then the whole country was one parish - they divided into 3 parishes and this cathedral was to be the church of this parish Hallsgrimskirkja - as the Rev Hallgrimur . . .
1945 - building started and the church was consecrated in 1986.
It has a carillion of 29 bells and organ made in Germany which has 5275 pipes with 72 voices.
we like the older buildings
LANDNAMSSYNINGIN - THE SETTLEMENT EXHIBITION
Excavated in 2001 in the heart of downtown. Extensive ruins of a Viking age farmhouse - 85 SQ M - built just after 871 AD. How do they know? Because of the large volcanic eruption around that time that laid down a considerable layer of ash.
So say the Sagas . . . .
Ingolfur was a Norse man, who was truly said to have been the first to go from there (Norway) to Iceland. When Ingolfur went to settle in Iceland, Harold Fairhair [yes fairhair] - had been king for twelve years. That was 6073 winters from the Beginning of the World and 874 years from the Incarnation of our Lord.
So say the Sagas . . . .
Ingolfur was a Norse man, who was truly said to have been the first to go from there (Norway) to Iceland. When Ingolfur went to settle in Iceland, Harold Fairhair [yes fairhair] - had been king for twelve years. That was 6073 winters from the Beginning of the World and 874 years from the Incarnation of our Lord.
