In September this year, we made a trip to Iceland. After arriving in Reykjavik, we headed towards the old harbor. All the flights from Denver arrive at about 6:30 am. So we were looking forward to some breakfast. After parking the car, we walked to the Cafe Haiti, located in the Old Harbor area. This is one of the houses in the area with some art on the street fence.
House And Street Art, Reykjavik
During breakfast, we decided to join one of the Walking Tours of Reykjavik. The tour that we joined was run by the city. We made online reservations for the tour later in the early afternoon and slowly meandered through the streets of Reykjavik to the tour group.
Outside the old school, I found this huge puddle at the side of the street; it had been raining earlier in the day. The house across the street was reflected in the water. I managed to make this image just before one of the city buses drove through the puddle. I had to run back away from the street to avoid being drenched with the spray!
Reflections In The Street, Reykjavik
Tomas was the leader of our tour. Here is an image taken while he was introducing himself and outlining the itinerary for the “free” tour.
Reykjavik Walking Tour Guide, Tomas
During the tour, Tomas provided an excellent history of Iceland and Reykjavik, as we were walking through some of the neighborhoods close to the city center. The yellow house below is covered by sheets of corrugated steel. This is typical of the very old houses in Reykjavik. The older houses have been constructed from timber. Corrugated cladding is used to protect the underlying wall timbers from the cold winters. Newer houses are constructed from concrete walls and do not require cladding.
Older Housing District, Reykjavik
I found this artwork etched into the window panes of another house.
Window Art, Reykjavik
Towards the end of the tour, we passed behind one of the oldest schools in Reykjavik. Here, there is a parking lot, where students and teachers park their cars. With all the cars in close proximity, there is no space to move a car from the back of the lot without moving cars out of the parking lot. Tomas explained that drivers have to put their contact details on the dashboard. When someone needs to drive out, for an early appointment or event, they need to contact the other drivers to have them move their cars!
Parking Lot Behind The School, Reykjavik. Let’s get my car out of here!
The final stop of the walking tour was the city hall. Outside city hall is this unique statue that has been titled “The Unknown Bureaucrat”.
Unknown Bureaucrat, Reykjavik
Inside the city hall, there is a large relief map of Iceland. Tomas gave an overview of the island, identifying various points of interest. These tours are free, but the guides are happy to receive a tip for their efforts. Tomas made a very entertaining tour for all of us. We gave him a generous tip.