Reisebrev fra Reykjavik/Tina's memoirs from Reykjavik

I've just been to Iceland again, and I'd like to show you hvað er upp in Reykjavik now. That is especially for all the people I know from last year, who I would loved to have there with me this time as well! But you can't have everything you wish for, so.. Hope to see you all some other time!

Returning to Iceland was so great, so frábært! It felt like returning to the mothership, and I don't want to leave the mothership yet. It was actually a teary eyed reunion with the good old saga island - I was so happy I had to cry a little bit while looking down at this amazing country from the window in the Boeing 737-000 (or something) I came in. Knowing that I only had ten days to experience Reykjavik in the summertime (which was new for me), I was prepared to fill my days with things to do. And time fleeeew by.


Laugarvegur: If it isn't bikes people are putting up, they're drying their clothes there.



























Mareva and some new people since the last time! The very lovely swedish Maria and Mareva-boyfriend Stinni - the magician.



























Boston, a new place for me. Very nice. Cool music and dead mousse heads on the walls.

Oh, and speaking of places where one can get beer.. Some things changed. Belly's - the place for alcoholics with very cheap beer and a 22 year age limit, is not Belly's anymore! It is now called Zimsens or something, and I think it looks a bit different on the inside. (I didn't check it out - when it's no longer Belly's it's not worth it;) )
EDIT: I went there now. It's very nice actually!

Barinn doesn't exist anymore!! You can believe I was very very shocked when I got the news. It is now divided in two: Downstairs is Karamba - "the new hotspot in town (...) a colourful and eclectic bar, with a comfortable atmosphere, typically great music and a chill crowd" (From the Reykjavik Grapevine).

Upstairs is now Barbara - "Barbara serves up a lively atmosphere for Reykjavik's gay community" (Also from the Grapevine). The bar manages to spread their message already on the outside, with super pink walls and flashing neon signs...



































Something new and something old: Karamba, the old downstairs of Barinn, and The Highlander (no further explanation needed).













A few days excursion to Elin i sveit, with beautiful scenery and lots of animals!
















Ragne's old house! It's still there, but not with purple curtains or anything. And right below it (close to Norræna Félagið) I found this very well placed bear pointing to Berlin - of course - why wouldn't it?

Hallgrimskirkja under construction! It already took ages and it won't be done sometime very soon apparently, due to the oh so big crisis. And by thw way: The church bells (from this and every other church in town...) are still ringing at strange times on sunday mornings. Like at 10.15. If I had a church I would make it ring at 10, or not at all.


And if you go to the toilet you can wipe with...

NATURFIS
(only funny for Norwegians. It means nature fart for us)


Ed is now a sushi-chef, who makes very very good sushi - even vegetarian. Thank you Ed and Sushibarinn.


This is a horse-caption of Jon from when we had the sushi that Ed made. He ate horse (the piece on the right of the plate) which is why I told him to act like a horse!



On the way down Laugarvegur we saw art. And yes, it took me a while to realize this was art - people dressed in black who were moving around on the street, and then freezing with a newspaper in their hand. So many funny things to see and experience in dear Reykjavik, as always.


Mareva and myself went to see a very new family: Aleksandra, Marcin and their little, beautiful Fryderyk Jan. Lovely baby who gets afraid if you make strange faces when he has just woken up, hehe...

I don't have any pictures from the swimming pools, because you will in deed be reported to the police if you take pictures there (well, maybe not outside, but better be on the safe side;), but the pools are still veeeery nice and the hot pots are still hot. In Selfoss, Baronstigur and Vesturbæjarlaug (the latter has just been under maintenance and is very nice!).


The Funky Llama was always a popular drink, and as you can see it's Jon's baby. I discovered this bottle in a dark corner of Stinni's apartment, to my surprise! (Good or bad surprise? I'm not sure yet!)


The first weekend of June is the Festival of the Sea (http://www.hatidhafsins.is/). Me, Mareva and Jon went on a free ferry ride to see Reykjavik by sea. Unfortunately the weather was very Icelandic (!!), so we didn't sea (<-haha) a lot, but at least we got a boat ride, ice cold faces and soaking wet shoes ;)

Very excited people on the ferry.

Oh, and I forgot to say that of course we missed the first ferry by seconds, or even milliseconds. That was of course because Midbakki, the part of the harbour where the boat went out from, was the furthest away part of the whole harbour.. So after running like crazy (oh yes), we were only twenty meters or less from the stairs/boatstairs/insert boaty name for boat stairs here, when they raised them. Haha... So we got some extra time to do something I never would have done in any other occasion: We got to have a closer look at the dead fish in boxes with ice that were on exhibition close by... I captured the strange, funny, ugly, very big, very small and disgusting sea creatures with my camera.

These were the better looking creatures of the Icelandic water surroundings...

I've always wanted to attend a foam party, but sadly never got to do so. Of course before I went to the Festival of the Sea and found this foam party for kids at the exit! Wiho :D

The girl in pink is now my best icelandic foam friend!

The whole trip ended with seeing this demonstration in front of what is now know to me as Alþingi (after misdirecting some tourists pretty bad when they asked for the building...). The demonstration is for (or rather against??) IceSlave. And if you wonder what that is, you should look it up... :P (Meaning I can't really explain it because I haven't reeeeally understood it ;)

So, this was my trip.. Next time I hope to see mooooore familiar faces in Reykjavik! How about a reunion? ;)

Tinus, signing off! Bless bless