Reykjavik - Iceland

Iceland - Location

• During WW2 The Icelandic government had received many requests from the British government to consent to the occupation, but it always declined on the basis of the Neutrality Policy
• Alcohol is expensive at bars. People tend to drink at home before going out. Beer was banned in Iceland until 1 March 1989 but has since become popular among many Icelanders as their alcoholic drink of choice
• The arrival of the new year is a particular cause for celebration to the people of Reykjavík. Icelandic law states that anyone may purchase and use fireworks during a certain period around New Year's Eve. As a result, every New Year's Eve the city is lit up with fireworks displays
• Iceland has the smallest population of any NATO member and is the only one with no standing army, with a lightly armed coast guard.

Reykjavik - Location - Wiki

• is the capital and largest city of Iceland. With a population of around 131,136 (and 233,034 in the Capital Region
• Reykjavík is believed to be the location of the first permanent settlement in Iceland, which, according to Landnámabók, was established by Ingólfr Arnarson in 874 CE
• The city was officially founded in 1786
• The name is of Old Norse origin, derived from the roots reykr ('smoke') and vík ('bay'). The name is said to be inspired by steam rising from hot springs in the region.

Hallgrimskirkja (Cathedral)- Website - Location - Wiki

• Consecrated in 1986
• 74.5 metres (244 ft) tall, it is the largest church in Iceland. Smáratorg 3 is an office builder which is taller.
• The church is named after the Icelandic poet and cleric Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), author of the Passion Hymns.
• It took 41 years to build the church: construction started in 1945 and ended in 1986
• You an go up to the tower viewting point behind under the clock face

The Icelandic Phallological Museum (Hið Íslenzka Reðasafn) - Website - Location - Wiki

• located in Reykjavík, Iceland, houses the world's largest display of penises and penile parts
• The collection holds well over 300 penises from more than 100 species of mammal. Also the museum holds 22 penises from creatures and peoples of Icelandic folklore

Blue Lagoon (geothermal spa) Bláa lónið - Website - Location

• The lagoon is man-made. The water is a byproduct from the nearby geothermal power plant Svartsengi where superheated water is vented from the ground near a lava flow and used to run turbines that generate electricity. After going through the turbines, the steam and hot water passes through a heat exchanger to provide heat for a municipal water heating system. Then the water is fed into the lagoon.
• The water's milky blue shade is due to its high silica content. The silica forms soft white mud on the bottom of the lake which bathers rub on themselves. The water is also rich in salts and algae.
• The rich mineral content is provided by the underground geological layers and pushed up to the surface by the hot water (at about 1.2 MPa (12 bar) pressure and 240 °C (464 °F) temperature) used by the plant. Because of its mineral concentration, water cannot be recycled and must be disposed of in the nearby landscape
• Bathing facilities opened in 1987 and in 1992 the Blue Lagoon company was established.

Íslenski barinn (Bar/Pub) - Website - Location

• They sold ‘Hákarl’ which is a national dish of Iceland consisting of a Greenland shark or other sleeper shark that has been cured with a particular fermentation process and hung to dry for four to five months. It has a strong ammonia-rich smell and fishy taste, making hákarl an acquired taste.

Harpa Reykjavík – Reykjavík Concert & Conference Center - Location

SKY Restaurant & Bar - Website - Location

Tjörnin – a small lake in central Reykjavík - Location

Harpa Reykjavík – Reykjavík Concert & Conference Center - Location

Coffee ☕

• Brauð & Co (Also bakery) - Website - Location
• Kaffitár - Website - Location
• Reykjavik Roasters - Website - Location
• Mokka Kaffi - Location
• Kaktus Espressobar - Location
• Kattakaffihúsið - Location
• Café Rosenberg - Location

Next time

• Alþingishúsið (The Parliament House) - Location - Wiki
• National Museum of Iceland (Þjóðminjasafnið) - Location
• Perlan – a glass dome resting on five water tanks - Location