Welcome to Iceland- Reykjavik

When I told my family and friends that we were going to Iceland for our second anniversary trip I received questionable looks. Even Jer was not so sure of my choice since he is used to traveling to warm tropical destinations. We just made it through a pretty bad winter and any destination with the word "Ice" just did not seem appealing to many. But, I was adamant with my decision and knew we would both love it. 

We arrived in Iceland early in the morning and after a hellishly long wait for our car(3 hours to be exact)we made our way to Reykjavik where we were staying for the full length of our stay. 

Checked in to the quaint Reykjavik Residence Hotel which happened to be in such an ideal location. With only a short walk to the harbor, major sights, shopping, and restaurants I would highly recommend a stay. 

We were extremely tired but forced ourselves to go out and wander around the streets of the city.

Walking along the waterfront we passed the Sun Voyager which may be one of the most photographed sculptures in all of Iceland and pays ode to the tiny island's viking history.  

As we kept walking I spotted one of the most beautiful buildings that I ever did see. I am not a huge architecture buff but this building had my jaw on the floor. The way the water reflected on the many glass panels was simply magic. The Harpa building is located right on the harbor and is home to the Performing Arts and Conference Center.   

The interior of the building got even better with the views of the water and the mountains in the distance; I was in complete awe.

 

I could have stayed here all day admiring the intricate design of this building but our bellies made the decision for us to leave and try out Iceland's most famous hot dogs. 

 

A cheap option (which is hard to find in Iceland) with a pretty nice view to boot. The hot dogs did not disappoint and we opted for the "with everything" as suggested. Their special sauces and the fried onions on the bottom of the dog were layered just right and we ended up going back for seconds.

The rest of the day just consisted of us walking around the quirky picturesque streets of this charming city. I felt like I was in a postcard. 

Reykjavik has so much life and is a wonderful base for exploring the rest of country. We could not wait to dive in and see more of the diverse landscape that was in store. But first...sleep.