Reykjavik means smoking bay. I think when Vikings, the first settlers, reached this place and saw steam coming out of many places, they gave this name.
Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland
Reykjavik is a small city having a total population around 120,000. There are very few foreigners here and Indians are hard to find. There are a few Indian families and 10 students in Iceland University. Reykjavik is on the North Atlantic sea. Since the warm gulf stream traverses nearby Reykjavik, the climate of Reykjavik is never harsh. A maximum of 15/16 degrees in summers and around -5/-6 in winters. Some days may see temperature as low as -16C but these are rare. We enjoy 6 months of day and 6 months of night here. Another interesting point is that every other Icelanders vows to have met a ghost or troll or an elve. There are certain places around Reykjavik known for such entities. I have yet to meet one !!
Reykjavik is the only capital city from where Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) can be seen from our backyard.
Northern Lights – a magical phenomenon
The main attraction of Reykjavik is its architectural taste. Icelanders have unique architectural designs and this gives a unique character to Reykjavik. The Concert Hall of Reykjavik. Entirely made with steel and glass.
Opera House – Built with Glass & steel only
X-mas tree shaped apartments in Reykjavik
Behind my house is Perlan (the pearl). It is a beautiful place having 5 big storage tanks and a restaurant on top, from where we can have glimpses all Reykjavik city from all angles as well as snow clad mountains around. Hot water from nearby Geo-thermal powers stations is collected here and supplied to our houses to keep our houses warm and take bath in sulphur mixed hot water…all in the luxury of our bath-tubs.
City center building is also beautiful, which has an artificial waterfall …which has now been changed into an ice-sculpture by Nature.
City Hall – water fall freezed
There is a lake in the down-town which has different species of water birds.
In winter this lake freezes but to care for the resident birds, they pour hot water in one corner of the lake and keep it liquid to allow birds to stay and play.
Frozen lake – some part is kept warm for birds
The main church in the central Reykjavik is quite huge and magnificent.
The church from inside is also beautiful and the way from its top window is mind blowing.
Inside Main Church
A view of Reykjavik from top of church
Whale watching is another tourist attraction in Reykjavik. They will take you in a boat at a point where there are many whales. The boat will be stopped and they throw eatables in sea and whales appear. My son Shan liked this tour very much and was more happy when Captain allowed him to steer the ship.
In a ship – whale watching
So here comes the end of our Icelandic Saga. Iceland is as developed as any other European country. But I have deliberately taken the Natural and rugged part of Iceland to show the raw Natural places of Iceland.
If you have read upto here…. please accept my love and good wishes alongwith some arctic flowers from my garden.
Winter has set in and snow has started falling changing the facade of Iceland. I may come back with some photos of Iceland’s beauty in winters. My Namaskar to all Ghumakkars.
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Awesome pics !!!!
tks semwalji
Nice Post…
I have always been fascinated with this phenomenon of charged particles colliding together…. of what we call as Aurora or Northern lights….
Lets see when I’ll get the opportunity to see the same….
tks Aditya… for a imaginative photographer like Northern Lights photography would be an opportunity..once in lifetime
SS…thanks for your excellent introduction to a beautiful little country called Iceland. Thanks for the amazing photographs and the highly informative write-ups.
I have now added Iceland to my wish list. I am also a bit sad that this is the last post. Well, all good things must come to an end, I suppose.
Tks DL…. this may be last of the series.. but seeing the winter beauty of Iceland I am going out and trying to shoot its beauty in ice and snow. I may come up with a write up on iceland in winters again..
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Iceland really is the land of Ice as it seems through the pictures in your post. A good dose to sum up the series.
Thanks.
tks mukesh ji
A travel company in Delhi “Indian Routes” have joined hands with Icelandic tour operators and they may soon be coming with a European package tour with Iceland in it.
“Indian Routes” is in Saket Delhi and they can be contacted at 011-46162630
Dear silent very good series and thanks for taking us at ICELAND………………
Again superb city , only one word to describe beauty ……………………………
pics are amazing and magnificient buildings………………………….
thanks for taking us there………………………
Keep travelling and posting…………..
Vishal thanx.. for encouragement. I have travelled a lot.. but do not have fotos with me so cant really write much about those travels. Now I have come up with a novel idea, which you will soon see in near future.
Dear Silentsoulji
Thanks for this magnificent tour to Iceland. Could you please write more about Northern Lights? I am keen to know more on this.
SS – Thank you for the marvelous series on Iceland.
The stories have traveled far and wide and I am sure that over next many month, more and more people are going to read about it. Also thanks for posting details about ‘Indian Routes’.
You were a little anxious on posting as many stories on Iceland (I know, we merged two into one as well) but here is some data slice-n-dice
1. The forgotten heaven. 800+ views (rounded off to closest 50). 22 comments (includes yours).
2. The moving continents. 550 + views. 11 comments.
3. The land of waterfalls. 600+ views. 14 comments.
4. Glaciers. Green and Blue. 450+ views. 12 comments.
5. Reykjavik. Capital. 250+ views. 15 comments.
You have a fan following building SS. :-)
Nandan… tks you were missed. If I continue getting encouragement, i will come with some more stories
thanx all
@Pradeep : this place is not right place to explain northern lights. In short when charged particles enter earth’s area, due to peculiar magnetic strength in North pole, the charged particles after colliding with gasses in atmosphere, give illumination to the atmosphere. There are ample details on net
tks for comments
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S.S. Ji
Very Nice & Cool Story & Picture is very excellent.
If u don’t mine, Can I ask your original Name?
Thanks
Tks Ritesh….soon u will know my name :)
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Dear SS,
First of all, please accept my apologies for a very delayed response to this post. Especially considering that Iceland is on the top of my list of the must-visit places. It was very thoughtful of you to put videos for us to experience at least a fraction of what you experienced in this magical country.
Aurora Borealis (northern lights) have interested me ever since I was a child when I read about them in an encyclopedia my father had gifted to me. Can you tell us what is the best time to visit Iceland if one wants to see Aurora? They vary in intensity over the year I believe.
Also, if one plans a one week long trip to Iceland from India, how much money can one expect to spend? What kind of food do they cook?
Once again thanks for taking us to the wonderful place. I hope I can get there myself someday soon.
??? ??? ??????? ???… I was amazed not to find any comment from you on any of my8 posts ! tks ! I am grateful.
aurora borealis is seen only during winters that too when it is not cloudy. 2013 everyone is waiting because it will be a feast of Northern Lights in Iceland due to increased solar activity. It is sheer luck because even with my two winters here I could witness it only once.
If u r in UK, then it is just in yr neighbourhood. Indian restaurants are available here.. for non-veggies, it is a heaven of fish dishes. I am a strict veggies so dont know much abt non-veg food.
tks for yr comments again
SS ji, very nice series of posts. It is little upsetting watching all these beautiful places and being stuck in a mundane life. I even looked up fare ex-Mumbai and it is Rs 50k+, a tad higher than other european destinations. Wish I had more money so I could immediately plan a trip there :) Surprised to hear that there are Indian families & restaurants in Iceland. Since you live there may be you could throw some light on life of Icelanders like what are their priorities in life, what do they aspire for? Being a cold, island nation I guess it would be very different from even european countries. Thanks again for wonderful series.
Tks Rupesh ji. yes fare is high because of No-Indians traffic on this sector. However with any other European tour it can be arranged by tour operator, i have given one address above too.
Iceland is same as any European country. Iceland is not cold as name suggests. Canada has more snow fall than Iceland and Russia is colder than Iceland. People are simple and friendly. Their main source of Income is tourism, fisheries, medicines and aluminium. I wish god that you come one day here and see this wonderful nation.
Those going to USA, can visit iceland enroute because in that case fare difference is just a few thousand rupees. The route can be Delhi Amesterdam-Reykjavik-New York
Aha, loved reading this post sir… The snap of opera house is good,so is that of the church!
Sir,aap ne apna naam nahi bataya! Ab toh bata deejeye! ;)
tks Naman !
Mazedaar pictures ………….. smokin !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Loved the post
Shant Aatma .sahab ……… just like namit even i’ld like to know your good name
Hi SS,
sorry for a late response to this fabulous series on Iceland.
My first unadulterated feeling (my darker self just taking over the reigns of whatever else I though I was) on going through them, ‘you are so lucky and how I envy you’ .
Very informative, well described posts with nice pics fully supporting the text.
Northern lights from the backyard of your house – I won’t ask you to comment on thousands of visitors to these areas, who, after spending a fortune come back to tell that northern lights have eluded them (yet again, for many).
Iceland was on our horizon last year till we realised the prohibitive charges of the airlines; we then shifted focus to Helsinki (thanks to benign Finnair fares) , followed by a drive or train to Rovaniemi and beyond to Ivalo. Of course, finally nothing of it came through.
Going through this series, we are once again inspired to atleast explore the feasibility of such a journey.
Great going.
keep writing, keep inspiring,
Auro.
Tks Aurojit for the comments…. Yes the Northern lights are elusive and tourist spend hours in the mid night to watch them and 50% always disappointed.
The case is not so for the one who lives here. Aurora borealis is normally seen in winters, which is not a tourist season.
since I am here for more than 1 year and will stay another 2 years, it was possible to see Northern lights many times, sometimes from the backyard… although they are faint due to street lights.
Once I went out in the dead of night, just 2 KM from my house to see NL and found them dancing and sparkling.
Dear SS,
With so much ice around, Icelanders must be selling and eating a lot of ice creams and that too quite cheap? :D
Well, as I said earlier, it is all a fairy tale for me. Thoroughly and vicariously enjoyed your tour as if I was also sitting beside you in your car and was watching everything with great fascination.
Instead of working for a bank, I should have tried a career similar to yours. There would have been everything official about it then!
Sushant
SS-ji. It was great reading your experiences with Iceland. Visiting this jewel has always been my dream. Finally this year we have planned a trip to Iceland, 10 days in Aug-Sept. It was during my web search that I found your writings.
Lucky that you get to stay in such a heaven. Again, thanks for posting this.
Spectrum