Iceland, Last Day

Last morning view from hotel

Our last day in Iceland! And after all the cold, wind, rain...Iceland treats us to light clouds and mild temperature, first day we don't need a hooded rain jacket. Wishing us bon voyage...or hurry back???

Icelandic Lettlopi yarn for MY sweater

After packing, I make a mad dash for the Kringlander Mall, just 15 minutes walk from our hotel, and buy "just a little bit more" yarn from the department store in the mall.

Lettlopi yarn, "lopi" is the characteristic Icelandic wool that incorporates the sturdy waterproof fibers with the soft warm fleece fibers.  Icelandic knitting has a style of stranded colorwork around the yoke, and I will use the reindeer horn buttons purchased earlier in the trip, with this yarn to make a sweater, ALL Icelandic!

Hofdi House

Early afternoon, we board the bus and take a long time toward the airport. First a drive along the Reykjavik harbor area, where we stop at the Hofdi House. In 1986, it was the site of a summit meeting between Regan and Gorbachev.  You can see how small it is, the Secret Service and KGB had to share rooms!

First telecommunication
received here 1905

This was also the location of the first wireless antenna to receive communication in 1905 from Cornwall England, a private enterprise. The government of Iceland terminated its operations the next year, granting a monopoly on telecommunications to someone else.

Sun Veseel, Reykjavik

A really beautiful sculpture on the waterfront is called "Sun Vessel". I saw it yesterday in the cloudy weather, and I thought it looked like bone, a skeleton.  In the sun today, its metal lines are crisp and graceful.

Reykjavik harborfront

Coast Guard vessel

Across the harbor, we spot a Coast Guard vessel. There is no budget for Coast Guard, so it lies idle.

Reykjavik city center

Reykjavik

In the National Museum

In the museum, knitting tools

Near the city center is the University, and the National Museum of Iceland. I'm not a
museum person, but this was one we all agreed was particularly interesting. It traced the history of Iceland in a 2-story timeline of artifacts. Books of the Settlement and Sagas, knitting tools, seal skin shoes with knit insoles.

In the Museum, seal skin shoes
with knit insoles

Reykjavik apartment complexes

Finally, our last trip through the Reykjavik suburbs, to the Kevlavik airport.  Along the way, we learned that until 1986, Iceland had only ONE TV channel! There was no TV on Thursdays (the station day off), and no TV in July (vacation holiday).

Reykjavik suburb

I probably did not mention earlier about beer in Iceland. They do have a few local breweries, and it is nice enough. Considering the wonderful pure water they can begin with! But I think they must import most ingredients.  Interesting recent history on alcohol...they did have prohibition about the same time as the US.  The ban on wine and
hard liquor was lifted, but the ban on beer remained until 1988! It was considered that beer drinking leads to daytime slackards.

On the way to Kevlavik airport

And a final bit about the cost of goods, Jim reminded me I may not have mentioned. Products and services in Iceland are generally EXPENSIVE. Our few meals together were usually about 4200 ISK (Icelandic Krona) for entree. The exchange rate was 120 ISK per $1, so that meal cost $35 (though it included 25.5% VAT and no tip required). Hotdogs are popular because they cost 350 ISK (under $3). Little souvenirs that we usually pay $5-10, cost $10-30. However, handknit sweaters using Icelandic yarn were nicely priced as they involved no imports (usually around 20,000 ISK, or $166), and my Lopi yarn was really cheap (259 ISK, $2.15 a ball).

Kevlavik

All in all, Iceland is not quite what I expected...it was MORE than I expected!