The pastries from Brau∂ were so good yesterday that we couldn’t resist going back to try a few more this morning. We hung out in the area on this day of exceptionally warm and quiet weather.
Pam recorded some of the Hallgrimskirkja church bells that rang frequently during Sunday services. At noon, we heard the organ playing and saw that the public was allowed to go in. It seemed to be a coaching session and a woman was playing with great power and skill. The organ made a huge sound. She played what seemed to a very long Romantic rhapsody. Her technique when playing fast arpeggios and scales on the foot pedals was breathtaking.
About mid-afternoon we walked to the famous hot dot stand Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (The City’s Best Hotdog), located on the corner of Tryggvagata and Pósthússtræti. It started raining so we ate our hot dogs under the awning of the stand next door, which wasn’t open.
After we finished, we walked around the harbor area. We talked to the puffin tour people (there is an island with puffins in the bay near Reykjavik), saw some large ships, and photographed eiders and black-headed gulls. Most of the restaurants by the harbor were closed. Pam wondered if it was pandemic related? She was still hungry so we found an open restaurant Reykjavik Fish and Pam had fish soup.
We’d heard about a 4 pm piano and cello concert in the lobby of Harpa, playing Beethoven and music by a Turkish composer. The cellist was Turkish. I think it was the first concert with a live audience that we’ve heard since COVID started. Iceland felt so much safer for public gatherings.
After the concert we started walking back towards the Freyja guesthouse. We stopped and got a pizza at Salka Valka, sitting in the street-side outdoor seating. It was a bit chilly, but we were dressed warmly enough.
Next, we headed back to our room and started reorganizing our suitcases and backpacks for tomorrow’s trip home.