Iceland 2021 trip - Part 5: Reykjavik and surrounding areas
Day 15 (August 7, 2021): Hveragerdi to Reykjavik and back (Day's driving distance: 233.5 km, Total trip distance: 3435.4 km)
This was a big day for us -- covid testing day! The reality also hit that our Iceland trip was coming to an end.
In the morning we drove to a facility outside Reykjavik and got our covid test. It went without a hitch. We then headed to the capital.
We made our stop at the Sun Voyager sculpture by the water front. The skeletal sculpture is modeled after "Solfar", the Viking long-ship, and symbolizes Iceland's heritage.
(Click on each image to see the high-resolution version)
Sun Voyager
Coffee and breakfast at Braud Bakery set the day to the right course. It was inside the bakery that we got our negative covit test results. Relieved, we enjoyed the tasty treats with relish.
Braud Bakery
Braud Bakery
We walked around downtown. Parts of Reykjavik still had colors and personalities, which makes it less intimidating as other big cities.
Reykjavik street scene
Reykjavik street scene
We found ourselves outside Hallgrimskirkja again, which we saw in 2019 and went inside, but this time we just walked around.
Hallgrimskirkja
We then drove to Grótta, just across a shallow channel from the capital.
Grótta Island Lighthouse
Grótta Island is a good place to see shorebirds.
Dunlin
Purple Sandpiper
Common Ringed Plover
Common Ringed Plover
Common Ringed Plover
We then headed out of the capital and went to the Reykjanes Peninsula, where we started our last trip.
Reykjanes Lighthouse
Our main goal for the day was to visit Fagradalsfjall Volcano, which had been erupting for several months by that time. Unfortunately for us, it decided to take a nap on that day (it just erupted the day before). There were fumes coming out of the lava field, but no molten lava flow.
Ragradalsfjall Volcano
Ragradalsfjall Volcano
Ragradalsfjall Volcano
We had to content ourselves with observing the newly cooled ropy lava rock.
Lava
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