A Little Rain Must Fall, and It Did in Reykjavik

Days 44, 45 and 46, 2023 North Atlantic Adventure

Saturday, Sunday and Monday, June 24-26, 2023; Isafjordur and Reykjavik, Iceland.

The rain finally caught up with us.

Yesterday we pulled into the port in Reykjavik under mostly cloudy skies, but no rain early despite the forecast. I wore my rain jacket and hopped on the complimentary shuttle bus to the edge of the old harbor area knowing that, according to the weather radar app on my phone, the rain would come late in the morning. It proved accurate.

First I walked familiar blocks from my 2019 visit, wandering around the harbor and then heading to Tjörnin lake, where I thought I might sketch a simple church. But I decided the air was just too damp to get out my sketchpad (packed in a zipper-lock bag) and recalled once there that I had sketched it previously.

The small garden behind the parliament building would have been a quiet refuge, but for the trio of men smoking on one of the benches. The Aþingi is the oldest parliament in the world, founded in 930.

So I just zigzagged through the streets taking pictures, eventually arriving at Bæjarins Beztu, the most famous of the local hot dog stands. My timing was perfect, as there was no line. Had I been five minutes later, I would have been behind two dozen tourists who got off the tour bus. I skipped the mayonnaise.

Interestingly, the leaders of Nordic nations including Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Canada were meeting in Iceland the same days we were in Reykjavik, but on Vestmannaeyjar, an island off the south coast. I never would have known had I not seen a couple of large black SUVs with Canadian flag placards. No photos, please.

When light rain began to fall, I headed along the Old Harbor to the far side and the Reykjavik Maritime Museum. I love maritime museums, because they cast history in terms of the sea and because they are all different.

This one focused on the history of fishing in Iceland, with interactive exhibits, informational displays and many examples of old navigational instruments. Kids would love operating the fork lift. Go to the maritime museum in Hong Kong and you’ll see the history of Chinese exploration. Auckland, New Zealand, features sailing and, of course, its America’s Cup win. Sydney focuses on immigration. They all are different.

After a lunch of an excellent fish soup, I returned to the ship as the rain continued. And the next morning, I didn’t even go ashore. My plan to walk to and sketch Hallgrîmskirkja, the largest church in Iceland, was spoiled by a second day of rain. I didn’t have time to visit the indoor exhibits of Perlan, or the Pearl museum, as we were leaving just after noon. Perhaps I can when the Zuiderdam returns here in just under two weeks on our way to North America.

On Saturday we had the honor of being the first large cruise ship to dock in Isafjordur. It normally is a tender port, but the local authorities have expanded the dock and dredged the channel. Captain Friso said he wouldn’t make the decision on whether to dock or tender until he arrived. The Nieuw Statendam followed us into port and anchored.

When I was here in 2019, we walked the small town on our own, and that’s what I did today. When we return in two weeks I have a tour to – what else, it’s Iceland – a waterfall.

 I chatted with some Nieuw Statendam passengers along the path behind the rock breakwater, wandered up to the small park with the whalebone arch and started a sketch of distinctive houses under the backdrop of the cloudy mountain. (It was only when looking for the link to my 2019 Isafjordur blog that I discovered I took the exact same photo then.)

I noticed all the flags were at half-staff, and a local resident told me it was because there was a funeral in town. They are a close-knit community, she said, so honor each of the residents who passes.

A quick swing through the local grocery resulted in two Icelandic Chocolate bars – something I definitely didn’t need to buy. My app said the local brewery near the ship pier wouldn’t open until 4 p.m. It was wrong, as my friends who stopped there discovered.

In hopes of nailing down my packing list for future cruises, I’m paying more attention to temperatures and what combination of layers works best for me. So far, my jean jacket is perfect when the temperature is in the 60s, and I carry a small folded shopping bag in my cross-body purse to put it in should it get too hot. For 50s I wear my fleece zipped hoodie if no precipitation (as in Isafjordur on Saturday) and add my unlined Gore-Tex rain jacket when it is threatening rain. When it gets down into the 40s, especially if there is wind, I might combine my fleece hoodie with my lightweight puffer jacket. Or wear the puffer jacket under the rain jacket.

I’m stopping at LL Bean in Freeport, Maine, at the end of this trip, but so far, I don’t think I need to add any outerwear. We’ll see what they have on sale.