The worst part of the beginning of a trip is the jet lag. That is precisely why I planned to spend a few days in Reykjavik. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the first day or two in my campervan exhausted. So last night after I made supper I went to bed. At 6:30 pm. Besides one trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I slept until 7:40 am. And I probably could have slept more, in fact, I know I could have; but I decided I should probably get up so I could sleep tonight. I got ready this morning and then ate breakfast here at the guesthouse. The guesthouse is kind of like a hostel because it has a few common spaces, mainly a kitchen, dining area, and bathrooms. But instead of sharing a dorm room with 3 to 24 (or more) other people), you have a private room. My room is just big enough for a twin bed, a smaller upright closet, a tiny desk, and a sink. It is perfect. I don't have to worry about anyone else's Covid germs, or what time I go to bed or get up.
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| Sometimes you don't need a lot of space. In fact, most of the time while traveling I don't. |
This morning I headed off to the National Museum of Iceland, but because it didn't open until 10, I took the long way. Streets were pretty empty at the time (8:30-9:30). Part of where I wandered wasn't even the main tourist area. I'm not sure if the locals were already at work or working from home. I did see some university students as I neared the university (the museum was on the campus of University of Iceland).
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| I found Odin's Square! His own square. |
At the museum I learned about the history of Iceland from its settlement around 800 until the 1900s. Interesting fact, in excavating an old settlement, they found an old boardgame with its carved pieces. Dated back to the period between 800 and 1000. After a couple centuries, religion (as in, The Church) found them and they gave up their Norse pagan religion (Odin, Thor, Freya, etc) for Catholicism. Around the time religion arrived, the Norwegians took over rule of the island due to civil strife on the island. This was actually peaceful and they basically asked the Norwegians to help them out. Later on, Norway and Denmark married together and the Danes took over. Major positions were held by Danes, but otherwise, the Icelanders were mostly left alone. Lutheranism came with the Danes and replaced all the Catholic churches in the country. In the 1800s they started saying they wanted to rule their own country because the Danes had gotten rid of their monarchy and the Icelanders were like, "so we had a deal with your king, not Denmark. And since Denmark has no king anymore, we don't really belong to you anymore." Denmark didn't quite agree, but by the early 1900s Iceland was under self-rule for the first time in like 500 years. They didn't gain their actual independence until 1944. So there you have it, a brief history of Iceland.
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| I also found Gimli. He has a house. ;) |
After leaving the museum I didn't really have any other plans. I kind of wander for a while to see what I would come across. I wandered into this old graveyard which was a rather neat place. Signs actually referred to it as "a great park for bird-watching". From there I wandered past the building where Parliament sits. They're in the process of building a new building. I then needed to find a bathroom and probably walked a mile around the city looking for a public toilet. They were not located where my map said they were. Eventually I found one, only to find out that it required coins and I didn't have any cash small enough. I went into a hotel across the street to ask if they had change and they just let me use their toilet. Thank goodness, because I really needed it by then.
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| Seriously, wouldn't it be neat to have trees growing out from you grave. It was packed. The only people allow to be buried in here since 1932 are those who had already purchased plots. There were a couple of new stone from post-2000, but most are 1800-mid-1900s and almost unreadable now. |
Then I found a bank, because I knew I really did need to trade a few thousand Icelandic krona in for coins. I've been told that the buses still use cash so I will need some tomorrow. Plus, I have also read that there are some places around the country, on the Ring Road, where locals have their own hot pools on private property that they let you use as long as you leave a donation of typically 100-300 kr, so that meant the 1000 kr bills I had were too big. There was a machine at the bank that actually did it for you. But when I traded 3000 kr for various smaller denominations, a lady at the bank asked if I really wanted that many coins, then looked at me like I was crazy when I said yes. Iceland is a very card-based society so most don't ever handle bills and change. But in the end, if I have way more than I need after traveling the Ring Road for 2 weeks, I can either trade it back in for USD, or save it and let family or friends have it if they ever come to Iceland. It's not like it is that much. Roughly 100 kr = $0.78, so that 3000 kr I traded in for coins is only $23.37. Besides, I'm not sure if there will be other places I can so easily trade larger bills for smaller ones.
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| Parliament Building |
Then after I went to the bank, I found myself a souvenir shop. I'm not really one for souvenirs, but I bought a few postcards, a hand-knit hat made of Icelandic sheep's wool, and a little troll figurine. That last one came about because my co-worker Ben, told me I needed to steal someone's garden gnome and bring it with me, then return it with a bunch of pictures. I certainly was not going to do that. So instead I bought a little 3" tall guy who will help me take pictures. Then I'll leave him on Ben's desk with some photos after I get back. So now I have a little Icelandic troll, to travel with me. I'm calling him Trylla, which means to enchant or to charm.
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| I already posted a picture of this church, but it didn't have my new companion Trylla in it. |
With my feet beginning to yell at me, I decided it was time to find somewhere to sit down. Since it's been raining off and on all day, there is nowhere dry to sit so I came back to the guesthouse. I started repacking things. My backpack that I traveled here with could be emptied out of travel stuff (extra cloths, container of lysol wipes, mini-chromebook) and repacked with my hiking stuff (rain gear, hat, gloves, snacks, water shoes, extra socks, emergency knee and ankle braces (I'm old)). Tomorrow I pick up my campervan and head out to the wilds of Iceland. The plan has be getting to Thingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss, and spending the night in Fludir, but really this whole trip is about not having a timetable so if I don't make it to Fludir, then I'll camp somewhere else.
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