We headed off on foot for the zoo! It was a cute little zoo that included horses, cows, and sheep…wh
ich I thought was a little over the top considering we saw sheep by the thousands grazing all over the place the entire time we were driving around the country! We also saw the seals and sea lions and they were a hoot! Their pool was being cleaned, so they were all basking in the sun (yes, there was sun this morning!) and they were hopping awkwardly around! I have never seen these guys move so much and I couldn’t stop laughing! It was pretty awesome to see – definitely the zoo highlight!
Then it was off to the Reykjavik Art Museum…it was a display of the artist Asmundur Sveinsson. He was a well-known Icelandic artist and many of his statues are well-known. The one, “the water carrier” is of a person bent over carrying two buckets of water. I am sure I’ve seen it somewhere before. It was an interesting display with lots of information on him as well as a special section about Louis Pasteur and his pasteurization process. The museum was created when Asmundur Sveinsson passed away and is actually located in the unique house he built and lived in.
Next was a Lutheran church (that I later discovered is the main religion of the country…About 80% of the Icelandic population is Lutheran) that was really interesting because of the four spires and copper roof. We went into a second Reykjavik A
rt Museum where there was an exposition about the artist Kjarval. His work was mainly paintings and depicted scenes from all over Iceland.
We walked up the hill to the PERLAN building which was previously a water tower. It has this awesome glass dome that can be seen from everywhere in the city – consequently, it has a great view from the balcony around the dome! We enjoyed the (windy) view before heading down towards the university area.
The National Museum of Iceland was also included on our lovely card and we spent over 2 hours learning about the settlement of Iceland. It was really cool to visit the museum after we had already toured around the country because it was easier to relate to and understand the information presented having already seen the locations! The artifacts were cool to see and I am glad that I now have a better understanding of the Icelandic history.
Walking back through the centre, we decided that eating out would be a much better option than couscous at the tent! Darren finally got his fish and chips he had been craving and I had some (not so great) soup! Good seafood however, regardless!
We went for our almost-daily swim in the pool that is right next to the campground and hostel. It was super busy, but an interesting people study! I managed to do a few laps, but my eyes are now paying for it! Goggles will be appreciated on Tuesday!
Night
-Allison
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