Greg’s Photo Blog

Vikings, Silica and a Harp

Today we explored Old Reykjavik and made some wonderful discoveries.

In the late afternoon we went to the Blue Lagoon and in the evening we heard a lovely recital of harp music.

Highlights Slideshow

Reykjavik Cathedral

Reykjavik Cathedral (wikipedia)

This has the proportions of a smallish church rather than a large cathedral.

My AI buddy has this to say:

Reykjavík Cathedral, also known as Dómkirkjan í Reykjavík, is a significant religious and historical site in Iceland. Situated in the heart of Reykjavík, next to the Alþingishúsið (the Parliament House) at Austurvöllur square, it serves as the mother church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland and the seat of the Bishop of Iceland.

Constructed between 1787 and 1796, the cathedral’s design was initially created by the royal building inspector Andreas Hallander. The current structure, however, was built to a slightly larger scale than the original one, which was demolished in 1847.

Reykjavík Cathedral has played a pivotal role in Icelandic history. It was the site where the Kingdom of Denmark granted Iceland its constitution and home rule in the mid-19th century.

Inside the cathedral, one can find a beautiful organ built in Berlin by the Karl Schuke Berliner Orgelbauwerkstatt, featuring three manuals and thirty-one independent voices.

The altarpiece, painted by G. T. Wegener of the Royal Danish Academy of Art, and the baptismal font designed by Danish-Icelandic sculptor Albert Thorvaldsen, add to the cathedral’s artistic and historical value.

Inscription over the entrance to the church.

My AI buddy translates this as:

When you enter the house of God,
mind well, my noble soul,
do not mock your Lord there
with empty gestures of the body,
bend the knees of the flesh and the heart,
let your prayer be a love offering,
carelessness will do you no honour.

Similar to the inscription at Hallgrímur’s Church. It must be a Lutheran thing.

Laundromat Cafe

We did our laundry and had lunch at the Laundromat Cafe Reykjavik. Great food and coffee.

Landnámssýningin (The Settlement Exhibition)

Step into the Viking Age. Cathy had read about this exhibition near the cathedral and we found it to be fascinating.

The Settlement Exhibition Reykjavík 871±2 showcases archaeological finds from Viking-Age Reykjavík, including a well-preserved hall (long house) and relics dating back to before 871 AD.

The Settlement Exhibition (wikipedia)

This archaeological find is the oldest evidence of human habitation in Reykjavik.

The title The Settlement Exhibition Reykjavík 871±2 refers to a tephra layer from a volcanic eruption around 871 AD, with a possible error margin of two years. This layer, found across Iceland and dated precisely by ice cores from Greenland, helps archaeologists accurately date artefacts from early Reykjavík.

The Settlement Exhibition Aðalstræti (main street)

Reyk javík’s his tory in a nut shell. At Aðalstræti 10 and 16 in Reykjavík’s city centre, you can explore how the city developed from Iceland’s settlement period to the present day. Stretching underground from Aðalstræti 16 – which houses the archaeological remains of a 10th-century Viking longhouse – to the central Kvosin area’s oldest remaining building at Aðalstræti 10, this historical exhibition traces Reykjavík’s development from a farm to a city.

10th-century Hall

The remains of a 10th-century hall (long house) excavated in 2001. The hall was inhabited from about 930 to 1000 AD. The hall is about 20m long and 8m across. The internal area is about 85m square.

The remains of the hall are in their original location. The area around it has been dug away to make space for the exhibition. The dirt floor has been removed.

A smaller hall had been built at the southern end of the larger one. Its outlines are shown in the floor. (wall text)

To do the excavation a house was removed and then returned once the excavation was complete and the exhibition space was built.

Looking through this skylight you can see the street above.

Turf Wall

Here we see part of a low turf wall the oldest man-made structure found in Reykjavík. It probably enclosed a grassfield or animal pen.

The light coloured patch next to it is part of the Settlement Layer of tephra, deposited in a volcanic eruption in 871 ±2 years. The tephra layer can be seen up against the wall fragment, but not under it, which indiates that it was built before the tephra fell. (wall text)

Walrus Skull

Walrus skull with tusks, discovered in 1889 at the north end of the Lake in Reykjavík.

Research carried out for the Icelandic Museum of Natural History indicates that the walrus lived in the period 350-540 AD. It is an example of the Icelandic walrus population that died out around the time of the settlement of Iceland. (wall text)

Gyrfalcon

Falco rusticolus islandicus

Trained falcons were popular status symbols and used as hunting birds for centuries.

The Icelandic gyrfalcon has been a protected species in Iceland since 1940.

Aðalstræti (Main Street)

The exhibition displays records and photos of the occupants of these houses going back hundreds of years.

Blue Lagoon

According to our guide book:

The Blue Lagoon is located in the ink-black lava fields of the Reykjanes peninsula, midway between Keflavík International Airport and the capital city of Reykjavík. It is only a 20-minute drive from the airport and a 30-minute drive from the city.

The geothermal water at the Blue Lagoon is at a comfortable temperature, averaging 37-39°C (98-102°F).

The silica mud in the water is said to have great healing properties for the skin and be relaxing for muscles.

According the over-the-top description on the Blue Lagoon website:

Healing waters. A subterranean spa. Gourmet cuisine. Luxurious suites. Otherworldly vistas.

A universe of radiant wellbeing.

🙄 (eye roll emoji)

This stretch of road was destroyed by a lava flow earlier this year and repaired not long before we arrived.

The eruption on May 29 at Sundhnúkagígar is ongoing but it is at a safe distance from Blue Lagoon, which remains open.

Yet another lava plain.

The walk to Blue Lagoon from the car park. Cathy’s keen to get into the healing blue water.

Greg’s a bit more laid back.

The obligatory silica mask.

Silly silica.

Yep. Pretty silly.

Cathy still manages to look gorgeous.

A silly selfie.

Harp Recital at Salurinn Concert Hall

In the evening we went to hear one of our friend Élisabet’s students perform at the Salurinn concert hall.

It’s a great small venue with a nice acoustic – ideal for chamber music. I wish we had something similar in Melbourne.

It seats 300 and is the first specially designed concert hall in the country. It was opened on January 2, 1999.

The Kópavogur Music School, where Élisabet teaches, is located in the floors above the concert hall. Lucky students.

It was a very enjoyable performance. Margrét Tekla Arnfríðardóttir played the harp and was joined by flautist Pamela De Sensi (a teacher at the music school) for Serenata No. 10 in four movements by V. Persichetti. This was an interesting piece and beautifully played. I also enjoyed a contemporary piece for solo harp titled Prayer by S. Natra.

Stay tuned for more adventures on our European Odyssey!