If you find yourself here:
- Its reykjavik not rekjavik or rekyavik. Hooray for the Google spellchecker
- Its one hour behind the UK in Summer (don’t let the timezone maps mislead your jetlag-fuddled brain)
- Get your bearings up the Hallgrímskirkja
- Food is pricey! And especially so if you’re after steak or lobster … handily though, there are some lovely vegetarian restaurants, e.g. “One Woman Restaurant” (A Naestu Grosum) (20b Laugavegur 101 Reykjavik, red house 1st floor)
- The coffee is excellent. Kaffi Vin was my favourite (cosy basement cafe where you get your own personal thermos flask). There’s many many more, and not one single Starbucks …
- Stroll along the seafront from the fishing harbour north and east – past Hofdi House (if this place seems strangely familiar … its where the Reagan-Gorbachev summit meeting happened in 1986), great views across to Mount Esja
- Go for a swim in the thermal pool at Laugardalslaug (etiquette tips, including “don’t get the changing floor wet”, here)
- Get the free English newspaper, Grapevine, to find out whats going on
- Have a look in the phonebook and count the Bjorks (its organized by first name …)
- Official touristo site: http://www.visitreykjavik.is/
Richard Boardman's Blog 