Iceland: Traveling along Reykjavik

Reykjavik – the city is small, the only one on the island. His name from Icelandic translates as "Smoky bay", Half of the country’s total population lives here – 180 thousand people. The capital of Iceland stands in Fjord, there is no smoke here, but there is a tight fog, which sometimes covers the rakevik, as a pillow. In the summer, the sun shines all the time (the darkness comes only for two hours – from midnight to two nights), it almost constantly rains and blows a strong wind. In winter, the sun shines no longer so often, but there is no expected in such a northern country of snow – along the shores of the southern part of Iceland is a warm golfustrim.

Reykjavik – This is a city-blanket, a city-intr amerer, a settlement, which rolled into the ball. The life of his inhabitants does not pass outside, but somewhere inside – in houses, in nightclubs, restaurants, in any gap, where it does not blow from the sea.

Reykjavik is a city in which you will not find the square: why gather in the cold? There is a sea embankment of the highway size, the port where cruise ships come with "Big land", Persistent grid narrow "Rustic" Streets, and the role of space in Reykjavik perform parking. Parking are traditionally huge, because most of the Icelanders go on jeeps or "Big Futy", And they go to them and in the city itself, which from this begins to resemble the Northern Prairie, Mexico in the snow.

On the main shopping street Reykjavika (she and the oldest) Austurstraeti – two-story rustic wooden houses, shot down from multicolored boards. On a white background from the rain and fog expensive any color stain.

The Central Tourist Office is located in a macke of a building that can be called a barn. To the shed need to go through the courtyard resembling "Soviet six hundred",- Roughams of linaken benches, buckets, brushes and swabs. Completely crazy outside, the Central Tourist Bureau Reykjavik in the interior will not give way to the London Tourist Bureau. Stylish.

And this is a typical situation. For example, one of the most fashionable design hotels not only in Iceland, but also throughout Europe – 101 Hotel, located next to the house where Reagan and Gorbachev met, – you will never be able to find without assistance. Outside this hotel looks like an office building has long been a distinguished bank, and within 101 Hotel – this is five minutes later of the Gallery of Contemporary Art.

One of the most notable buildings – Hotel Sas Radissons 1919. The figure in this case means the year of construction at home, and the house is one of the oldest in the city. The aged will be except that the folk beer at the corner of Austurstraeti and AdalStraeti – the squint, creaky wooden domishko with an overall burgundy tiled roof. Figures are nailed to the attic – "1896". This is a place posed in the city of historical and cultural: some famous Icelandic writer spriel here.

Reykjavik – Very Old City. Its foundation belongs to the year of the opening of Iceland itself – this is 874. "Smoky bay" The settlement called it the founder, one of the heroes-Vikings with an extremely difficult name ingolfur Arnarson. But there are no historical monuments here. Stone protective fortresses were not initially built – nautical wiking was at the island Iceland exclusive, no one would fit.

At a more modern time (Iceland was the Norwegian province, and then Danish and found the final independence in 1944) at home Reykjavik did not bother residents, and on the other hand – at home did not bother themselves and themselves. Reykjavik seismically unstable, like all Iceland, therefore, there was no habit of building up for centuries.

Landscapes in Iceland and Reykjavik – hopelessly melancholic, so the philosophy of a new brilliant house is relevant. Another feature of houses in Reykjavik – You will not see a single chimney, not a single chimney. The city is heated with hot water from geothermal sources, and this water warms not only residential premises, but also sidewalks.

The main attraction is a huge Lutheran Cathedral, open in the early 1970s. Cathedral can be seen from any region of Reykjavik. I published it looks like Iceberg or on the lighthouse, and his style resembles Barcelona Cathedral "Sangrad Familia" Antonio Gaudi – Gray, Strengthened Powerful Blum in "dragging" Stone Barlevels.

Another historic celebrity – a house where the meeting of the President Reagan and the Gorbachev Secretary General took place. A six-storey, reminiscent of the factory hostel, for some reason black, as if he was burning more than once and did not have time to paint it. And no commemorative plate.

Perhaps it is paradoxical, but in a small Reykjavik European and American tourists come exactly "for Tusovka". Reykjavik – This is a city-Anergrand. "Flags" In the historic center – nightclubs and restaurants.

For example, diagonally from SAS Radissons 1919 is a very famous fish restaurant in the city. Stone Building – in Neoeta style, inside – almost real Vienna Modern, Kitchen – Wild Fusion. Menu read as a program to avant-garde ballet. Crazy combinations of products. Cooking, for example, compote from seaweed, fry fillet from a rotten shark (they say that she is hallucinogen). In the famous restaurant, a local bohemia is a long time at dresses with decollete, gentlemen with blue hides. It is a pity that absinthe does not serve. So crazy nightlife what Reykjavik lives, it was probably even in "Renaissance" Berlin, that is, ten years ago.

In 2001, a tiny Reykjavik, in all signs – the real outfice, was recognized as the most part of all the capitals of Europe. The city of Anderswood, and not artificial, but a natural, logically born of difficult conditions for existence.

In Reykjavik, there is a mass of music festivals with loud names of performers like Fat Boy Slim. In the end, both Bjork was born here. Night clubs in Reykjavik remind a rustic household houses of culture with a given wooden porch and encouraged railings. Here, the present medieval shop fun, not burdened by civilization like a flyers or dress code.

Take a look at the nearest nightclub, which is near the famous Fish Restaurant. Operated screening door, guitar washed from the doorway, rearrangement of drums, howl boils. In the first minutes, even go scary. It is accepted here to drink and have fun from the evening and until the morning. Because of "White nights" It is not clear when the evening ends and where the morning begins. All night walks a little town.

Reykjavik residents drink a lot, despite the fact that alcohol is expensive. Many in the city are engaged in various arts – it is known that every second resident of the Icelandic capital writes his own book. Every third removes his own movie, and the most famous film in recent years – "101 Reykjavik", perfectly painful youth drama. Popular art and performances are also popular. You can go to the local drama theater, and if you decide, choose the famous play. The fact is that Icelandic, one of the most archaic in Europe, it is difficult to understand, but, fortunately, in Iceland everyone speaks English.

This is a very advanced country, everyone has the Internet. Even here the largest advertising agencies in Europe – Iceland and Reykjavik will be happy to trade with their views. If you need to remove the moon, Mars, something extended, transcendental and unearthly – welcome to Iceland, in Reykjavik.