The sun is out and I fall in love with Iceland.

The sunlight has a certain ethereal quality. Everywhere I walk has this glow. It makes me understand why people love Iceland and tolerate its other moods. Or if they leave, why they are pining to return.

 

The only thing planned for today, after such a huge day yesterday, is a free walking tour in the afternoon. I’d like to hear more about the recent history and any other tidbits. The guide is a history graduate, and I enjoy the wander from the hostel to the meeting place, the parliament building. As walk into town, I pass The Pond, a pretty gem within the city centre that is filled with swans, ducks, and geese.

Even before the tour starts I am caught up in the atmosphere of the town and I love its unusual, attractive and quirky charm.

The tour guide tells about the parliament, or Althingi. When people protested against political corruption (during the GFC in 2008 and more recently with the release of the Panama Papers), they did so in front of this building in a peaceful demonstration, banging on pots and pans, with immediate effect – the ministers involved in the scandal stepped down and a new election date was organised! On our two hour walk he also talks a bit about the role of women in voting and forming the government; the language and how it has 17 vowel combinations (!); the settlement of Reykjavik and its oldest buildings; an elf garden (some people still very much believe in elves and how they can help or hinder projects via a medium – a concept which I think is quite cool!); the ancient saga history, of course; the construction of the concert hall to resemble the Northern Lights; and the famous hotdogs. Overall, it is a very interesting tour and he seems quite knowledgeable. I enjoy it.

But the sky is clouding over once again and it is starting  to rain as if the climate is telling us that Nature is still in charge of things, so I scuttle back to my hostel, drink beer of the Vikings, and rest up for another big tour day tomorrow.