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kevin_standleeBefore writing about our second day in Reykjavik, I think I need to correct something about our first day, specifically the brunch that Lisa and I had that morning. In yesterday's entry, I accidentally said that the buffet cost of 4900 kr was about $71. I've now corrected that. It was 4900 kr per person, and the total 9800 kr for two people was $71. The per-person cost was about $35.50. Iceland is expensive, but it is not that expensive!
This morning, we decided to try the breakfast buffet at Slippbarinn, which cost about the same as what we paid at Apotek. Slippbarinn's breakfast showed up on several "best breakfasts in Reykjavik" lists. Don't believe them. Both Lisa and found it very underwhelming and we both wished we'd gone back to Apotek.
Rather than continuing on to our next planned stop, we went back to the hotel, in an attempt to walk off that heavy breakfast that did not sit well on either of our stomachs.
I mentioned yesterday that our hotel room has a nice view. This is what it looks like from the balcony, overlooking Parliament Square. I would have set out here with a cup of coffee, but I've run out of Splenda and the hotel doesn't have any artificial sweeteners.
Today's plan was to visit the Reykjavic Maritime Museum. Along the way, we took this picture of a ship being pressure-washed in the harbor.
Kuma Bear very much liked the museum, especially all of the fishes.
The museum has been completely renovated and rearranged since the last time we visited here some years ago on our first trip to Iceland. Click through to see some other pictures of the museum if you are interested.
After the museum, we had a look at Eyesland, an optician. On our previous trip, Lisa spotted some frames that she thought suited her, but they couldn't fill the prescription she has because it wasn't single vision. She got a separate prescription for just this reason, but unfortunately they don't carry the frames anymore, and she can't remember that exact model of frames. Our local opticians in the Reno area don't have anything that suits her, either, and almost all frames they carry are made in China anyway. Eyesland has frames from other such as Austria and Italy, not exclusively made in China and hiding behind a "Designed in [country]" label.
We then went over to the DIY place (BYKO) where we've been buying heavy work gloves every few years as we pass through. Unfortunately, they've also gone over to the dark side, and all of the heavy work gloves they had are Chinese-made. Oh, well, I guess I'll have to keep trying to mend the ones I have from previous trips. It's surprising to me how difficult it is to get heavy gloves for hauling firewood and doing heavy yard work.
The next store over sold computers and appliances. I got a wired mouse. While the wireless mouse I bought in Denver worked, it seems to misbehave a bit, and so I decided to go ahead and get a wired one.
After finding the Kronan grocery store not having the things we wanted, we went to Bonus, which is smaller but had most of what we wanted to buy. There we bought some food to keep in our room refrigerator, allowing us to take light dinners to go with the big breakfasts and medium lunches we've been trying to do while here. While queuing to check out at Bonus, Lisa asked the local woman in line behind us her opinion of Kronan versus Bonus. She said Kronan was certainly bigger, but Bonus is friendlier.
Loaded down with groceries in my tote bag, we returned to the hotel, unloaded everything, and decided what to do for lunch.
Lisa was even more tired than I was, so she stayed in the room while I walked across the street to the 101 Bistro and got a couple of orders of fish and chips (3950 kr / about $29.50 each). Fish and chips is ubiquitous in Reykjavik, and generally made from Icelandic-caught fish.
While waiting for the fish to cook, I went outside and took this picture of our hotel across the street.
This mural of a polar bear fighting a puffin is on the side of our hotel.
After lunch, Lisa and I decided to go ahead and walk up Austurstræti where our hotel is located and head up the hill.
Skólavörðustígur, which has been repainted as Rainbow Street, is along the way. Iceland appears to have an active LGBT scene.
Hiking up to the top of the hill, we arrived at Hallgrimskirkja Church. We've gone inside before, so we choose not to do so this time.
The Leif Erikson Statue stands between the church and the Leif Erikson Hotel where Lisa and I stayed on our first visit to Iceland. (We don't recommend it, as the rooms were small and even the ground floor rooms required stairs to access.)
Before heading back to the hotel, we made a stop at the Vöffluvagninn and sat in the adjacent park to eat it, with additional entertainment by tossing bits of the waffles to the birds, which showed little fear in trotting up to get the treats.
We slowly made our way back down the hill by a different route and through some streets that we do not remember from our previous trips. It's possible that there's just been enough turnover in businesses that they look different.
Stopping at the small 24-hour grocery near our hotel, we got things that we'd forgotten on our larger grocery run earlier today. I bought a hot dog from them as well: 790 kr / $5.70. It was pretty good, too.
Then we went back to the hotel. Both of us were really tired, but Lisa more so that me. My pedometer shows 15,500 steps today, and I know I'm feeling it in my feet and legs. It has been too hot back at home to keep putting in lots of walking. I hope my feet toughen up a bit by the time we get to Glasgow. In the meantime, I plan to take advantage of our lovely bathtub and the hot mineral water tonight before getting some well-earned sleep.
This morning, we decided to try the breakfast buffet at Slippbarinn, which cost about the same as what we paid at Apotek. Slippbarinn's breakfast showed up on several "best breakfasts in Reykjavik" lists. Don't believe them. Both Lisa and found it very underwhelming and we both wished we'd gone back to Apotek.
Rather than continuing on to our next planned stop, we went back to the hotel, in an attempt to walk off that heavy breakfast that did not sit well on either of our stomachs.
I mentioned yesterday that our hotel room has a nice view. This is what it looks like from the balcony, overlooking Parliament Square. I would have set out here with a cup of coffee, but I've run out of Splenda and the hotel doesn't have any artificial sweeteners.
Today's plan was to visit the Reykjavic Maritime Museum. Along the way, we took this picture of a ship being pressure-washed in the harbor.
Kuma Bear very much liked the museum, especially all of the fishes.
The museum has been completely renovated and rearranged since the last time we visited here some years ago on our first trip to Iceland. Click through to see some other pictures of the museum if you are interested.
After the museum, we had a look at Eyesland, an optician. On our previous trip, Lisa spotted some frames that she thought suited her, but they couldn't fill the prescription she has because it wasn't single vision. She got a separate prescription for just this reason, but unfortunately they don't carry the frames anymore, and she can't remember that exact model of frames. Our local opticians in the Reno area don't have anything that suits her, either, and almost all frames they carry are made in China anyway. Eyesland has frames from other such as Austria and Italy, not exclusively made in China and hiding behind a "Designed in [country]" label.
We then went over to the DIY place (BYKO) where we've been buying heavy work gloves every few years as we pass through. Unfortunately, they've also gone over to the dark side, and all of the heavy work gloves they had are Chinese-made. Oh, well, I guess I'll have to keep trying to mend the ones I have from previous trips. It's surprising to me how difficult it is to get heavy gloves for hauling firewood and doing heavy yard work.
The next store over sold computers and appliances. I got a wired mouse. While the wireless mouse I bought in Denver worked, it seems to misbehave a bit, and so I decided to go ahead and get a wired one.
After finding the Kronan grocery store not having the things we wanted, we went to Bonus, which is smaller but had most of what we wanted to buy. There we bought some food to keep in our room refrigerator, allowing us to take light dinners to go with the big breakfasts and medium lunches we've been trying to do while here. While queuing to check out at Bonus, Lisa asked the local woman in line behind us her opinion of Kronan versus Bonus. She said Kronan was certainly bigger, but Bonus is friendlier.
Loaded down with groceries in my tote bag, we returned to the hotel, unloaded everything, and decided what to do for lunch.
Lisa was even more tired than I was, so she stayed in the room while I walked across the street to the 101 Bistro and got a couple of orders of fish and chips (3950 kr / about $29.50 each). Fish and chips is ubiquitous in Reykjavik, and generally made from Icelandic-caught fish.
While waiting for the fish to cook, I went outside and took this picture of our hotel across the street.
This mural of a polar bear fighting a puffin is on the side of our hotel.
After lunch, Lisa and I decided to go ahead and walk up Austurstræti where our hotel is located and head up the hill.
Skólavörðustígur, which has been repainted as Rainbow Street, is along the way. Iceland appears to have an active LGBT scene.
Hiking up to the top of the hill, we arrived at Hallgrimskirkja Church. We've gone inside before, so we choose not to do so this time.
The Leif Erikson Statue stands between the church and the Leif Erikson Hotel where Lisa and I stayed on our first visit to Iceland. (We don't recommend it, as the rooms were small and even the ground floor rooms required stairs to access.)
Before heading back to the hotel, we made a stop at the Vöffluvagninn and sat in the adjacent park to eat it, with additional entertainment by tossing bits of the waffles to the birds, which showed little fear in trotting up to get the treats.
We slowly made our way back down the hill by a different route and through some streets that we do not remember from our previous trips. It's possible that there's just been enough turnover in businesses that they look different.
Stopping at the small 24-hour grocery near our hotel, we got things that we'd forgotten on our larger grocery run earlier today. I bought a hot dog from them as well: 790 kr / $5.70. It was pretty good, too.
Then we went back to the hotel. Both of us were really tired, but Lisa more so that me. My pedometer shows 15,500 steps today, and I know I'm feeling it in my feet and legs. It has been too hot back at home to keep putting in lots of walking. I hope my feet toughen up a bit by the time we get to Glasgow. In the meantime, I plan to take advantage of our lovely bathtub and the hot mineral water tonight before getting some well-earned sleep.
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Date: 2024-07-31 08:08 am (UTC)