That spring, the weather was clear in Iceland — Qi

By / murphybj4
 
The scenery outside the window changed rapidly, and before returning to Reykjavik, we passed the only toll station in all of Iceland, paid the fee, and enteredHvalfjörðurthe undersea tunnel. After that came the final leg of our counter-clockwise road trip around Iceland. For some reason, the moment we left Route 1, it felt as if my heart had been hollowed out — those landscapes along the way were truly hard to leave behind.

We spent our last night on a very bustling street in the city center. After dropping off our luggage, we immediately headed out to embrace the warm spring sun of Iceland. We stopped by Bónus supermarket to pick up some Icelandic snacks to take home as memories. I highly recommend everyone visiting Iceland to check out Bónus — it’s marked by a cute pink pig against a yellow background. The store has a wide selection, affordable prices, and locations all over Iceland, making it a favorite among locals and travelers alike.

We found an online-recommended barbecue restaurant that many previous visitors had raved about. This small, lake-green cottage by the harbor may not look like much, but once you step inside, it’s packed with people. The owner greeted us for ordering. The shelves were lined with an overwhelming variety of seafood skewers, and though the descriptions were lost on us, we ordered a bunch randomly. We also got a bowl of lobster soup and a serving of whale meat to try something new. The table was filled with scallops, shrimp, salmon, and cod — just looking at them was satisfying. The lobster soup comes with grilled bread and butter. Overall, the barbecue is highly recommended, the lobster soup was okay, not particularly amazing, and the whale meat tasted somewhat like steak. Of course, since we’re already in Iceland, it’s worth trying at least once.

After eating and drinking our fill, we strolled along the coast to the Sun Voyager, a must-visit attraction for tourists in Iceland. It’s a sculpture created by artist Jón Gunnar Árnason as a tribute to the sun and dreams, resembling the skeleton of a Viking ship. It won first prize in a sculpture competition held to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Reykjavik's founding. Standing beside the Sun Voyager, feeling the sea breeze together, we couldn’t help but feel a deep reverence for the vast mountains and ocean before us.

None of the lively areas in the city center are too far away and are within walking distance. We also made a pilgrimage to the stunningly beautiful Harpa Concert Hall, which looks like a jewelry box. It’s located on the Reykjavik Bay and offers a very expansive view, where you can see the endless ocean and the distant undulating mountain ranges. The glass facade, resembling blocks of volcanic rock, is the most eye-catching feature of the entire building. As architecture graduates, we highly recommend that travelers make sure to visit this place.