Exit Magazine, My City. Reykjavik
20 May 2008
Driving into Reykjavik, the first thing I notice is the extremely stark quality of the architecture. All the houses seem very low to the ground, reminiscent of air raid bunkers. Icelanders completely embrace Christmas: every single apartment block and bungalow I drove past was lit up like a Christmas cake. Instead of being a tacky over the top affair, the effect was symmetrical, uniform, and quite pleasing.
There are several benefits of visiting off-season. Though Iceland is stunning year-round, visiting from September to May is ideal. The airport arrival experience is quick and unchallenging unlike flying through London's Heathrow. The big tour buses are usually absent during these frosty months. Providing you dress appropriately for potential snow and subfreezing temperatures, you can handle the icy weather.
Laugavegur, one of the oldest shopping streets in Iceland, is the main street of downtown Reykjavik. Cruising up and down Laugavegur in your car is a nightly ritual. Considering most Icelanders drive Volvos or Japanese 4x4s and not Porsches or Ferraris, I'm not entirely sure what purpose this serves but I eagerly joined the parade in my Toyota Rav4. There was a constant, languorous stream of traffic along the mile long stretch of Laugavegur; it seemed to me that everyone who owns a car in Reykjavik joined the convoy at some point. To be honest, after a couple of nights driving up and down I'm still no clearer as to why this happens. When I approached a couple of Icelanders on the subject they just looked at me oddly and said people are just going about their business. Personally I felt like something far more sinister must be going on but nothing ever happened on any of my convoys.
Vintage is big business in Reykjavik and you do not feel far away from the likes of Portobello or Camden markets whilst perusing the local shops. Laugavegur 28 is a fresh addition to the strip. It offers four shops under one roof, including a second hand clothing shop, accessories store Elvis, and music seller Smekkleysa. The fourth and newest store is POP, which offers cool house wares. As I was continuing on my retail excursion, a wonderful sight stopped me dead in my tracks. It was huge dancing polar bear surrounded by puffins! The surreal window belonged to the concept store, Kisan (Lugavegur 7) that is crammed with everything from books, CD's, accessories, to baby clothes and interesting gadgets. Kisan is definitely worth a look.
If you have had enough of vintage and long for a little retail luxury then wander over to Trigolia. Designer wear such as Alexander McQueen and Chloe sit alongside quirky accessories. As with a lot of things in Iceland, the prices are high so I would recommend simply window-shopping. Reykjavik doesn't have the reputation of one of the world's most expensive cities for nothing; prices are approximately 25% higher than the UK. As I continued my brisk walk up the street I realised I was in need of a cozy afternoon drink.
Not quite ready to start on the vodka, I made my way to a popular coffee house called Kaffibarinn. It is partially owned by former Blur front man and current Gorillaz head honcho Damon Albarn, which explains the London Underground Tube sign hanging above the entrance. Around me, students were beavering away on laptops. It was the ideal place to warm up. Whilst sitting in Kaffibarinn, a couple of locals suggested I explore the cross streets Laugavegur and Klipp.
I have decided this area is my favourite hangout place in Reykjavik (day or night). You have several places to drink, eat and be merry all located within 30 seconds walking distance of one another. Nothing gets going here until about 11.30pm and everything closes at 4.00am, so a disco nap is essential to keep up with the Reykjavik party schedule. Before the big night out, I refuelled at an amazing wholesome vegetarian restaurant called A Naestu Grosum (on Laugavegur 20B.) It's located just around the corner from the bar Barrin. Not only is A Naestu Grosum surprisingly affordable for Reykjavik, it's considered the best organic vegetarian restaurant in Iceland.
Barrin, one of my favourite clubs, has had quite a buzz surrounding it recently. It's quickly becoming very popular with clubbers both native and travelling. Consisting of 3 floors, and Djs nightly, the place has every ingredient for a fun time. Both the dancing downstairs and lounging upstairs were fabulous. Regulars are of the artistic uber-cool description but there was no pretence; everyone was into having a great time drinking and dancing. The adjacent corner to Barrin is home to Sirkus. This infamous bar has bred a peculiar, creative and energetic subculture. Sadly it is closing down shortly so you'll need to be quick to experience it. Locals told me - 'it will be the end of an era'. Frequented by the creative crowd, this tiny, 2-floored hut plays some of the best music in town. With palm trees painted on the outside, and walls covered with music posters and artwork on the inside, a capacity for 100 people, and some of the worlds most famous Dj's flocking here to play sets (including Iceland's very own Bjork) the hour long queue at weekends is worth it. Luckily, we had no queues and where able to take in the decor, enjoy the multicoloured fairy lights that framed the bar, and listen to some choice 1980's classics.
From Sirkus we did the midnight flip to Oliver's, which is next to Barrin. Oliver's is the spot for unruly music and an opportunity to dance like a mad man without the fear that you'll be the only one. After much drinking and gallivanting, suddenly it seemed very late.
For nocturnal hunger pangs, there is no better a place to visit than the 24-hour hotdog and sandwich spot Hlollabatar. It is a five minute walk down Laugavegur from Sirkus. There you get to enjoy the guilty pleasure of a greasy sandwich and a coke to sober up. Judging from my nightlife excursions in Reykjavik, I've concluded the girls party harder than the boys.
While out and about, I had spoken to many local residents about the Blue Lagoon. Whilst they all recognised it was a tourist pull, and admitted Icelanders hardly ever visited it, they all agreed it was a special place and had to be experienced. I chose an early morning visit and arrived at the Lagoon as the doors opened at 10.00am. Sunrise is around 11.00am during Winter so I figured I could be lucky if it was a clear day and watch the sunrise whilst floating in the lagoon. After an easy forty-five minute drive from the hotel, I arrived at my watery destination. It was like finding myself at a secret military base, all flood-lit and in the middle of nowhere. The Lagoon itself is hidden amongst snow covered volcanic rock. The Blue Lagoon consists of spa steam baths, hot spots, and a natural bathing pool of blue and white geothermal water, rich in minerals and silicates.
Issued with a towel, locker band and sachet of moisturiser I was ready to go. Walking past the ceiling to floor glass windows I couldn't believe I was about to expose my bikini clad body to -10 degree temperatures. I focused on the fact that the water in the lagoon was a very hot +40 degrees.
After pausing at the double door entrance to the lagoon from the main building and changing rooms, I mustered up all my courage and sprinted through the cold. The milky, chalk like water was magical with steam rising, creating almost zero visibility. I wondered if Anthony Gormley has visited recently and found this the inspiration for his 'White Light' installation at London's Hayward Gallery.
Once in and up to my neck it was heavenly. Floating around and taking in the landscapes I felt a sense of pride having 'made it' through the extreme cold. I could go on about spiritual things... but the bottom line is that you experience something pretty unique and indescribable. The bravery factor of streaking through the snow is empowering and definitely a good pub story. One comes out of the lagoon with the kind of insatiable hunger experienced after swimming. A hot dog and cup of coffee later, I sat in the basic cafe and simply enjoyed the last hour.
This story was originally published for Clerk & Teller Travel Diaries
www.clerkandtellerexplorers.com
Exit travelled to Reykjavik with award-winning Black Tomato.
To book your bespoke Iceland or Reykjavik break, visit www.blacktomato.co.uk or call +44 (0) 20 7610 9008
