Thursday 7 January 2016

Iceland 2.7: An evening in Reykjavík

Having successfully met up with Harriet - on time, and fortuitously during the hotel's "Happy Hour" - we then went out to dinner with the group she had been leading for the previous ten days.  A small number of us then decided to go for a walk in the warm evening sunshine (around 20 degrees, in stark contrast to both Reykholt and Grundarfjörður).  Our hotel is the white building in the distance on the first picture.








Hallgrímskirkja looked spectacular in the evening sunshine.



The statue is that of Ingólfr Arnarson, the viking who first discovered Iceland.



Eventually we gravitated to the Harpa: Iceland's arts centre and concert hall.  It's an amazing building at any time of day and in any weather, but the late evening sunshine was making the place glow both inside and out.



The statue of the 'cellist is directly outside the entrance to the Harpa, and the pathways around it were the playground for some of Reykjavík's skateboarding fraternity.  Far from being asked to move along, these youngsters seemed to be actively encouraged, and some of them were relaxing inside the hall enjoying a drink.  Iceland is an easy-going and tolerant nation, and I feel we could learn a lot from their attitude.














The final two pictures were taken of a very calm Reykjavík harbour through the tinted windows of the Harpa.  As well as what appeared to be some kind of military vessel, there was also a very large cruise ship anchored in the bay.  A perfect end to a perfect day.


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