Yesterday’s whirlwind day meant we needed a later start this morning. After sleeping in, we departed for Hella, a town 15 minutes east of where we’re staying, to check out a cute wool shop. On the way into town, we spotted the neatest diner concept: an American school bus. Sadly, we didn’t eat there, but we loved the idea!
We then drove the 1.5 hours west back to Reykjavik, the capital city. Our first stop was the National Museum of Iceland to learn about the unique story of Iceland’s settlement and its Norse and Viking heritage. The museum was filled with fascinating artifacts, but my favorite exhibit was a photography show, Conversing with Sigfús – In the Footsteps of Sigfús Eymundsson, featuring Icelandic photographer Einar Falur Ingólfsson’s recreations of historical photographs by Iceland’s first photographer, Sigfús, whose work was prevalent during the late 1800s. It was fascinating to see just how dramatically things had changed over a century of growth and development.
Building an appetite from our busy day, we set out to find one of the best hot dogs in the world, purported to be at a street stand in Reykjavik. Iceland is surprisingly renowned for its take on the hot dog: a blend of lamb, beef, and pork sausage served in a soft bun and topped with raw onions, crispy fried onions, ketchup, sweet mustard, and remoulade. Based on our taste test, I’m not one to argue with their claim. It was delicous1
This was actually the first meal we had all day, and sadly, due to Shannon’s gluten allergy, she could not eat any of the hot dog, so we went to a bistro across the street and enjoyed a light meal. We had hoped to check out a flea market and a Christmas market, but unfortunately, both were closed. The flea market is only on weekends, and things in Iceland tend to shut down early during Icelandic winters; it may have something to do with the sun going down at 3:30pm. However, we took in the beautiful lights in the plaza that houses the Christmas market and encountered this Christmas Cat, which supposedly will haunt you if you don’t buy new clothes during Christmas. The weather was perfect for an afternoon stroll.
We did make one more stop before heading back home, but that’s another story for another day. Given that our plans start very early, we’re actually headed to bed early for a 5 am wakeup. More on that to come tomorrow!