{"id":429,"date":"2012-05-05T17:00:50","date_gmt":"2012-05-05T17:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/icelandaurora.com\/tours\/?p=429"},"modified":"2023-11-21T14:51:36","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T14:51:36","slug":"reykjavik","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icelandaurora.com\/archive-phototours\/reykjavik\/","title":{"rendered":"Reykjav\u00edk Capital City – West Iceland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Capital of Iceland<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland. Many tourists flock here every year for the wild nightlife. Before I moved to Reykjavik, my introduction to the city was a song by the Icelandic band Spilverk \u00dej\u00f3\u00f0anna. They asked Reykjavik \u201cHva\u00f0 atla \u00feu a\u00f0 ver\u00f0a, \u00feegar \u00feu ert or\u00f0in st\u00f3r?\u201d (What do you want to be when you grow up?).
This comical om-pah song from the seventies was quite prophetic, as the Banks hit the dirty headlines in 2008, politicians were disgraced in 2016, and Reykjavik bulged under the weight of a tourism explosion..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capital Snobbery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Reykjavik is home to the vast majority of Icelanders and is not the best example of Icelandic culture or hospitality (unless you are paying for it). There is a snobby class that chases around golf courses like spoiled middle-aged children. It’s important for them to have both a Mercedes-Benz and a golf cart on their semi-detached driveway. Not all Icelandic golfers are like this, of course, but the activity seems to attract the socially needy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To illustrate my point here, in 2016, a team of regular, working-class Icelandic men beat England in the UEFA European Cup. The team consisted of a couple of professionals as well as plumbers, fishermen, etc. This small group of Icelanders brought great pride to their nation. At the same time, a small team of Icelandic elites brought shame on their country after revelations of the Panama Papers<\/a>, showing them to be a bunch of greedy tax dodgers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more friendly Reykjavik residents are far from rich and have a proper soul. Proper Icelandic culture and hospitality remain out in the countryside. People are so well connected to nature that all egos are left at the door, along with your shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S\u00f3lfar \u2013 The Sun Voyager<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"S\u00f3lfar,
S\u00f3lfar, Sun Voyager, Reykjavik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

S\u00f3lfar is a metal sculpture by J\u00f3n Gunnar \u00c1rnason, who designed it in his hospital bed. He never saw the finished version. It is on the North Shoreline, close to the city centre, and there is a nice scenic walk along the coastal pathway. The promenade has great views across to Mount Esja (Reykjavik Mountain).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are other sculptures, and the shoreline is punctuated by the Harpa Concert Hall.\u00a0 About half way along the promenade in the tall glass building of Reykjavik\u2019s financial district, there is an old white house.\u00a0 This is the building where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev held the\u00a0Reykjavik summit in 1986\u00a0to end the Cold War (the old Cold War).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laugavegur<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Laugavegur is the main shopping street in the city and is often busy with tourists and city folk going about their business. There are many cafes and bookshops, and I think that it is mostly cafes and bookshops.\u00a0 There are high-end designer clothing shops and art shops where you can buy photos of Iceland.\u00a0 \u00a0Laugavegur is a good place for candid street photography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reykjavik Hotels<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Sponsored<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reykjavik Hotels<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

These hotels and apartments are a short walk from downtown Reykjavik. My strong recommendation is Reykjavik Marina for high-end accommodation close to the city centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n \r\n Booking.com<\/a>\r\n<\/ins>