Thank goodness for eyemasks in places where the sun shines so early and sets so late! After a  sleep in and a relaxed start (including calling Gunnar our AirBnB host to turn off the shower that for some reason we couldn’t figure out!) we headed out for breakfast. The view from the garden got us a little bit excited!

We wandered down to the Laundromat Cafe for brekky. It was very hipster and cool. Avocado and eggs on toast for me and a big breakfast for Josh. 

Tried to get Harry to eat Greek yoghurt but couldn’t. His mouth is still painful and he’s just not enjoying himself and is very subdued. Every now and then he cracks a smile for the camera but wherever he can he sits down.

We wandered down the lovely streets and explored shops on our way to the magnificent Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral. We sat in the pews and Harry asked us to pray for him. It was a sweet moment in a stunning space and I hope God will grant our petition.

We continued our wander and ended up on the foreshore at the striking sculpture Sun Voyager. 

Further along is the Harpa – Reykjavik’s magnificent opera house. The space was ethereal with so much light coming in through the windows and gorgeous views of the harbour.

Harry needed to rest so we headed back home and he went straight to sleep. Hopefully the rest will aid his recovery. While he slept, Josh and I visited the Viking Settlement Exhibition for some history. Fascinating to learn about the first settlers and see the remains of a Viking longhouse. Ragnar Lothbrok’s fine home was no doubt modeled from this. Reading about the genetic heritage of people in Iceland was also fascinating. Genes tell us that Norse men took Celtic women as wives. I think took is the operative word. Scotland, Orkneys and Hebrides are not that far and DNA data from Icelanders tells us how it went down. 

Breakfast was quite a while ago and Josh was busting to try an Icelandic hotdog so that’s what we did. 

Icelandic hot dogs have a different flavor than their American counterparts because they’re made mostly from Icelandic lamb, along with a bit of pork and beef. Sheep outnumber humans in Iceland nearly two to one, so they’re a plentiful food source. Additionally, Iceland doesn’t allow the import of any live animals, so the lamb eaten today—which is free-range, grass-fed, organic and hormone-free—is just like the lamb eaten hundreds of years ago.

The accompaniments are also quite different from those used in the U.S. Icelandic hot dogs, which have a natural casing that gives them a delightful snap when bitten into, are topped with raw white onions and crispy fried onions, ketchup, sweet brown mustard called pylsusinnep, and remoulade, a sauce made with mayo, capers, mustard, and herbs. There are variations, but you haven’t eaten a hot dog like an Icelander until you’ve had “one with everything.”

Read the rest of the blog on hot dogs here: The one dish to eat in Iceland is…hotdogs? We enjoyed them immensely and now I’m writing this and reading what others say, I regret not getting two!

Headed back to our lovely home stopping at the most famous barber in Iceland, Rakarastofa Ragnars & Hardar for a beard trim (Josh, not me).

Oh how could I forget my lovely jewelry purchase from Aurum! I have wanted these Raven feather earrings since I first saw them when researching things to do in Reykjavik. They remind me of GoT (sorry!) and the 3 eyed Raven.

Guess what we had for dinner? You guessed it HOT DOGS. We are regular Icelanders now!

It was another late one tonight. It’s 2:15am and we have just got back from Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) hunting. Readings were high and so was our anticipation but alas we only saw some brief flashes and slight colour with our naked eyes. Josh’s camera, however had a great time. It could see colour we couldn’t and thanks to some long exposure and a tripod Josh got a few good shots. Hopefully we will have the experience through our own eyes when we head up north to Akureyri on Wednesday. Will add a shot here later.

By the way, Aurora Borealis means Light of the dawn. Aurora was the goddess of the morning which will be arriving soon so I better get to sleep. Josh has a big day planned for us.