We had an 8-hour time zone change when we arrived in Iceland. And less than a week earlier we had a 4-hour change the other direction. To say we were a little messed up in sleeping would be an understatement.
So we took the first few days of our trip to Iceland to adjust and have the flexibility to relax a little more than usual. We are staying in a great Airbnb that is actually more like a hostel. We have our own room, and a tiny little couch in addition to our beds. But we share bathrooms and share a kitchen with the other guests. This works great, except for when one guest decides to make fish. A very fishy fish that stays with you long after you’ve left for your next country. But it really is a great arrangement and the location is fantastic, with a few steps to grocery, restaurants, shops and coffee. We needed lots of coffee.
But despite the comfort of the room, we aren’t here to sit inside! We had some exploring to do! Here are a few highlights from our days exploring Iceland’s largest city.
Maritime Museum
As we were wandering around town, we came across the Maritime Museum. It wasn’t high on our list to visit but we checked out the gift shop and inquired about the cost of entry. It was free that day. Free!!! This is incredible! So we jumped right in and explored the inside.
The museum was pretty simple but we did learn one very critical piece of information: It was Seaman’s Day the next day in Iceland. Once we got over the giggling of saying “Seaman’s Day” repeatedly like 4th grade school girls, we realized that was the reason for the free entrance.
Whale Museum
Perhaps you’ve heard that Haley is a marine animal fan. So the whale museum was a “must do” on the itinerary. Perhaps you’ve also heard that Iceland is not a cheap place to visit. Said whale museum was $23 per person. We got lucky, though. Because of Seaman’s Day (hehe!) they were running a two-for-one special! So we got in for just $23 and we were pleased.
There wasn’t much to the museum, but we still enjoyed it. The most it has going for it is real-life-sized replicas of various types of whales. It’s easy to spout facts and statistics and sizes of whales but when you actually see them hanging from the ceiling in all their glory, you finally understand how big they are.
Seaman’s Day
With our new knowledge of Seaman’s Day, we knew we had to stay in the city for any festivities that might be going on. So as we explored, we decided to base some of our activities on this day along a theme. We went to the Whale Museum and took that picture with the Sperm Whale. We ordered “Tiger Balls” at the street food food court (they were amazing) and then we topped off the day at the Phallogical Museum. What’s that, you ask? Well, it houses the world’s largest display of penises and penile parts. Perfect for “Seamen’s Day”.
More to Iceland
Reykjavik was lovely, and we were so lucky to get great weather while we were there. But the appeal of Iceland does not lie in it’s cities. It was time to get out and see the country. Wait for the next blog post for our road trip fun. Spoiler alert: we rented warm coats!
