Landing early in the morning in Iceland was still very late at night for us, so we fought the jet lag by staying awake all day and wandering around Reykjavik.
Vintage Icelandic PhotoKEX, ReykjavikThe KEX patio, ReykjavikDistressed numbersAn old gameVintage BINGO?Jazz night at KEXThe Wpg2Isl gangSept 2015 KEX menuKEX bar, Reykjavik
KEX IS THE ICELANDIC WORD FOR “BISCUIT” AND A SOCIAL HOSTEL IN REYKJAVIK
Housed in an old biscuit factory in downtown Reykjavik and furnished with salvaged materials and found objects from various places, KEX is an organic concept blending a vintage industrial feel with an eclectic, contemporary touch.
More than just a hostel at KEX you will find a variety of dorms and rooms for up to 142 guests along with a café and bar, lounge area, heated outdoor patio, tourist information desk, laundry room, old school gym, guest kitchens, meeting room, free WiFi, and more. http://www.kexhostel.is/about
Sound and noises piped into the bathroomNewspaper on the walls in the bathroomBowl-A-LaneVintage Deco lamp in KEXWe will tow you away: IcelandIcelandic Graffiti, ReykjavikAaron, Jeope, Ian and Hugh.10-11 ReykjavikOn the Icelandic bussattbar, in the Reykjavik Natura HotelCamera DoorstopReykjavik rainbow streetReykjavik window styleThe oldest restaurant in ReykjavikKraun house of Icelandic DesignKraun gift shopSalmon Skin ShoesThosklampi; fish skin lamp shade. Icelandic DesignFish skin lamp shadeExaggerated Icelandic window drip capThe cemetery at Hólavallagarður, 1838, ReykjavikGrasping hands, Icelandic TombstoneIcelandic GraveyardThe cemetery at Hólavallagarður, ReykjavikGrand house in ReykjavikReykjavik City HallIan McCausland, beneath sea levelReykjavik City HallThe giant topographic map of Iceland in Reykjavik city hallVinsamlegastGiant map of IcelandChurch and Gull, ReykjavikHARPA, ReykjavikHarpaHarpa ReykjavikHARPA’s beautiful windowsHarpa is a concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavík, Iceland. The opening concert was held on May 4, 2011. Harpa was designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in co-operation with Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. The structure consists of a steel framework clad with geometric shaped glass panels of different colours.[2][3] The building was originally part of a redevelopment of the Austurhöfn area dubbed World Trade Center Reykjavík, which was partially abandoned when the financial crisis took hold. The development was intended to include a 400-room hotel, luxury apartments, retail units, restaurants, a car park and the new headquarters of Icelandic bank Landsbanki. The completion of the structure was uncertain until the government decided in 2008 to fully fund the rest of the construction costs for the half-built concert hall. For several years it was the only construction project in existence in Iceland. [4]The building was given its name on the Day of Icelandic Music on 11 December 2009, prior to which it was called The Reykjavík Concert Hall and Conference Centre (Icelandic: Tónlistar- og ráðstefnuhúsið í Reykjavík). The building is the first purpose-built concert hall in Reykjavík and it was developed in consultation with artistic advisor Vladimir Ashkenazy and international consultant Jasper Parrott of HarrisonParrott.[5] It houses the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the offices of The Icelandic Opera. Harpa is operated by Portus, a company owned by the Icelandic government and the City of Reykjavík.HARPAHallway reflectionHARPA ReykjavikHARPAAmazing WindowsHörputorgSun Voyager (Icelandic: Sólfar) is sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason (1931 – 1989). Sun Voyager is a dreamboat, an ode to the sun. Intrinsically, it contains within itself the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom. The sculpture is located by Sæbraut, by the sea in the centre of Reykjavík, Iceland.Reykjavik skylineBilliardstofan, Skulagotu, ReykjavikBig red house, Reykjavik#82 ReykjavikIcelandic Entrance with buttonsThe Icelandic love of Chocolate and Black LiquoriceTiny WindowReykjavik Roasters, coffee beansReykjavik RoastersReykjavik Roasters makes good coffeeReykjavik door sill.Karastigur, ReykjavikIcelandic corrugated steel architectureHallgrímskirkja church with the Leif Ericson statue
“Hallgrímskirkja church is Reykjavík’s main landmark and its tower can be seen from almost everywhere in the city.
It was designed by the late Guðjón Samuel in 1937, who was often inspired in his endeavours by the fascinating shapes and forms created when lava cools into basalt rock.
Construction of the church began in 1945 and ended in 1986, with the tower completed long before the rest of the building. The crypt beneath the choir was consecrated in 1948, the steeple and wings completed in 1974 and the nave consecrated in 1986.”
A prized Latte for jet lagged travellers landing in Iceland, KeflavikAirport Architecture, KeflavikInternational Travel Photographer Ian McCauslandRuri “Rainbow” at Keflavik
RAINBOW
“The sculpture is positioned in front of the International Air Terminal Building (Leif Eirikson Air Terminal) at Keflavík Airport. Installed; 1991. The height of the sculpture is 24 metres. Material: stainless steel and stained glass.
Huge tiles of natural stone form a low platform around the base of the Rainbow.
I like to think of the Rainbow as an unfinished construction, and imagine that maybe one day – after some one hundred or one thousand years or so – someone might decide to continue the work.
The construction would reach higher and higher up into the sky, then decline again … until at last it would become a complete rainbow.” from http://ruri.is/2011/09/29/rainbow-2/
Fantastic staircase at Reykjavik Natura Hotelsatt bar and restaurant with wooden sheep, Reykjavik Natura HotelFlora Islandica, with 271 real-size drawings by Eggert Pétursson of flowers in Icelandic natureA lovely Icelandic interior“A vital staging-post on Eggert Peturson’s journey from his early bookworks with pressed flowers and photographs of plants to his paintings is a collection of 271 illustrations made for the field guide Icelandic Flora with Colour Illustrations, published in 1983. In this volume, Petursson’s magnificent drawings are published for the first time in their full size at A3 420 x 297 mm arranged by taxonomic order (family, genus).”–NHBS website.Egbert Pétursson’s flowers and floraFjallasmariStuffed Chicken“Inside Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura you’ll find a warm and inviting atmosphere, filled with thoughtful details inspired by the beautiful nature that surrounds the property itself. This is no cookie-cutter Reykjavik hotel, Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura embraces its legacy – its distinctly Icelandic roots, including works from local artists, the freshest local organic produce, a geothermal indoor pool and all the modern conveniences.” http://www.icelandairhotels.com/en/hotels/naturaÁsmundur Sveinsson was an Icelandic sculptor, was born at Kolsstadir in West Iceland on May 20, 1893 and died in Reykjavík on December 9, 1982. Gegnum HljóðmúrinnReykjavik Natura HotelGather round the Elf StoneElf StoneGegnumThe Elf Stone, which must be respectedReykjavik trafficNorthern birds, taking a rest
