Iceland: Day 1

We went somewhere totally different this month: Iceland! I have never really been to a wintery destination in winter (except one time skiing in Colorado), but this one made sense because you have a better chance of seeing the northern lights when it is very dark.

And boy, it is dark! But more on that in a minute. 

The flight from Reykjavik to Chicago is around six hours. I tried to sleep but failed. I pre-booked hotel transport from the airport (around 45 minutes) in advance through Gray Line, but you could book when you arrive.

We got to our hotel around 8 a.m. local time and had breakfast and coffee at Reykjavik Roasters, a delightful little shop with high-end coffee and very nice Greek yogurt & granola.

After breakfast, we walked over to the symphony hall for a scheduled rehearsal of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra that the public can attend for a nominal fee.

This picture of the concert hall was taken around 9:15 a.m.:

Harpa concert hall

Yep, pretty much black as night. But the building was mesmerizing and lit very creatively.

I recommend the symphony rehearsal tickets as a great way to hear a world-class orchestra on the cheap, as well as to get an insight into how they craft their performances. The conductor made them practice certain pieces over and over, or called out specific sections of performers.

Iceland symphony orchestra in rehearsal

jsdklfdAfter the wonderful symphony practice, we wandered around downtown Reykjavik for a bit, looking at touristy shops and locating the fabulous Handknitting Association of Iceland. See if you can find me here in the sweater room!

I didn't buy a sweater, but I did get some very cool bulky wool. It was the cheapest thing we found the entire time we visited Iceland, probably because there are more sheep than people.

For lunch, we visited the famous little hot dog stand in the downtown area, which apparently celebrities have dined at. What toppings are on an Icelandic hot dog, you ask? Ketchup, remoulade sauce, fried onions, and raw onions. Also the hot dog is made of lamb, unsurprisingly.

Very nice winter scene in Reykjavik

After a visit to the Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat, which really speaks to Dave's soul as a fellow unknown bureaucrat, we got our first local beers at Icelandic Craft Bar (which was overpriced and under-diversified, compared to other craft bars we visited). And then we took a damn nap.

After rallying with some much-needed shut-eye, we hit some more bars before dinner. 

First was Bastard Brew for a tasty porter and a weird Christmas ale. We had read about the bar in the airline's magazine.

Next was what I had been waiting for: Mikkeller & Friends! It's natural Mikkeller, one of the world's premiere breweries, would have a location in Reykjavik, given the special relationship between Denmark and Iceland. It was tasty, and a very interesting building to boot.

Dinner was around the corner at Dill, a Michelin star restaurant in Reykjavik. The presentations and preparations were as delicious, weird, and interesting as we have come to expect from other Michelin-recommended restaurants.

Suitably wintery presentation at Dill

The wait staff told us that the goose in one of the dishes had been shot by his brother in law, and another told us that the reindeer had been shot by the head chef himself. Allrighty then.

All of it was a wonderful introduction into traditional Icelandic fare. There were transcendent root vegetables, flavorful fish and meat, and brightening herbs. I noticed throughout our visit that Icelanders tend to brighten dishes with herbs and berries rather than lemon, which presumably is outrageously expensive.

It was a great first day, and we hit the hay early to catch up on sleep and the time change.

Gettin' all hygge up in Dill

More tomorrow!