2018 ICELAND Reykjavik 23 - Shopping

Back at the apartments, the guys relaxed and read. The gals went their separate ways to explore and shop.

My first stop was the Hallgrímskirkja (pronounced hati-krims-kirk-ya...oh my!!) Lutheran Church, one of Iceland's well-known landmarks. The first sketches of the structure appeared in 1937. Construction began on the Gothic Revival building in 1945 and it was completed in 1986. I proceeded up the hill a few blocks from our apartment to check it out.

Just steps from the entrance the 16:30 bells began chiming. As I entered the church, they stopped. That also marked the end of the day for the church tower tour. At 74.5 meters (244 feet high), it must be the best view of Reykjavik and I had missed the last elevator by seconds. Oh, well, we had seen the city from the Perlan just minutes ago, so I got the idea of what it looks like.

I was able to go into the church nave though and it was beautiful. The architect was Gudjón Samúlsson, who was inspired by the columnar basalt seen in nature throughout Iceland. The church was named for Hallgrimur Pétursson, a 17th century minister whose poetry is one of the most revered in Icelandic literary history.

Here is the interior. The photos really don't do justice to the place in reality. Looking to the front first and, below that, looking back toward the doors and the organ. The organ faces the back corner.

The church's organ is a beaut. Artists worldwide come to play this instrument. It was constructed by Johannes Klaus Organworks in Bonn, Germany. For organ enthusiasts, it has four manuals and a pedal, 72 stops, and 5,275 pipes. It is 15 meters (49 feet) high and weights 25 tons. The largest pipes are 10 meters (32 feet) tall.

The organ was financed mainly by private gifts. People were offered the opportunity to purchase individual pipes and given a deed to certify the patron of a particular pipe. At the church entrance a collection pipe can be found to support the maintenance of the organ. I dropped in my change.

Just outside the church in a prominent spot is a statue of Leifr Eirícsson looking down to the waterfront. He was probably the first European to visit North America (in spite of the tales of Christopher Columbus' visit centuries later). It might seem an odd place for the statue, but actually the statue was there five years before the church was a glint in the architect's eye.

I headed back down hill toward the sea. The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering to see Reykjavik life and window shopping. I really don't need stuff any more.

The houses and other buildings were plain in design, but colorful, often cheery red.

 There were modern apartments also.

I found this cute kitty watching the door handle and waiting to get in for dinner.

There were some interesting shops, pubs, and cafes, of course. 

Most Icelandic sweaters are this traditional half circle design.

But one place had a unique design inspired by lava flows. This modern take was more to my taste, but I am allergic to wool, so buying one was out of the question. Too scratchy, itchy!

One jewelry store almost snagged me for a purchase. I had to go in just to see the clever and unusual ring display. There were holes in the Lucite table and rings remained in place by the weights falling underneath. Worked well to secure the rings also.

My only purchase was shoelaces. No kidding! I have some Sperry dockers that have been my faves for years, but have not been able to get the right length replacement shoelaces. I have found the right size in leather and in synthetic material, but those never seemed to stay tied. I wanted cotton.

I figured here they might have what I needed because of the many sporting boots and shoes being worn. And they did. I purchased and immediately replaced the ones on my shoes. A perfect item for me.

There were lots of colorful paintings and murals around the city.

What do YOU see here?        I see a hsifdrows (spelled backwards).

And I did see a number of public water closets. I didn't need to use one, but they looked clean enough from the outside.

I finally got down to the water and happened into the area where the famous Sun Voyager sculpture is located. Jon Gunnar did this piece to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the city (1990). It depicts a "dreamboat" trip to the sun and the promise of hope and undiscovered territory. The size is 30 x 23 x 59 feet and is made of steel.

Back at the apartment, we had leftover pizza and the tomato tortilla from lunch. Relaxed, blogged, and watched a bit of TV (Mash and a travel show). We were looking forward to tomorrow at the Blue Lagoon.