Chris and Deirdre Iceland Getaway Day 3
Our days started at dawn and ended at dusk, with dinner after dark. But running around from 10 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon wore us out anyway. This was our longest day, starting with a long walk to the Perlan Museum, then back to the other side of town to the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre, which is by Reykjavik’s Old Harbor and Faxafloi Bay, and ending at 2 in the morning after our Northern Lights Adventure. About 9 miles of walking in total!
We had one small hiccup when we got back to the hotel after dinner. We didn't realize the hotel coffee wasn't complimentary and self-serve except at breakfast. Apparently, the hotel restaurant, the Brass Kitchen and Bar, charges $15 for a couple of coffees after breakfast. We also learned that while the Icelandic people are friendly and welcoming, there are many immigrants in the service industry who can be... let's say... grumpy. Never fear; the Hotel Alda more than made up for our negative experience, as you'll see on Day 6.
All activities were booked through Viator.com. Viator gives you credits when you purchase a tour or museum pass, and you can use it to discount other tours. We saw two museums for free with our credits.
This interactive museum is a bit worn but still very interesting. We learned a little of everything from volcanos to glaciers to native wildlife to Áróra to the oceans around the Island. It was a great introduction to Iceland.
NOTE: The museum will adjust your camera to the best setting to take pictures of the Northern Lights!
I had intended for us to ride in this double-decker bus the first day to familiarize ourselves with the city, but we were too tired and ran out of time. Sitting and listening to the commentary was nice, but I don't know if I would recommend it. If we had timed it right, it would have saved us a long walk to and from the Perlan Museum.
Northern Lights Midnight Adventure from Reykjavík
We are pretty sure we had the best driver ever for this tour. Greg kept hunting while we watched other tours give up and return to Reykjavik. And, finally, the aurora borealis danced for us.
Interestingly, the photos (even without enhancement) look better than what we saw with the naked eye. But it was still pretty awesome. Greg took the great picture of us on the intro page.
Puffins - at the Perlan Museum
It was the wrong time of year to see puffins, but the museum had us covered. It also had a lava show and a northern lights show, just in case we missed those.
The Hotel Alda - Sunset from our balcony
We were on the hotel's top floor and shared a balcony with two other rooms. I tried to get pictures of the sunrise and sunset every day.
This restaurant around the corner from our hotel caught our eye, so we decided to try it. They do a better hamburger than a lot of the places around here.
