We checked out of the Konsulat and Nevin said she would store our bags till we returned.  Off we went to the Volcano House, a mini-museum with specimens of volcanic rock and ash, and two half-hour movies devoted to the devastating volcanic eruptions in 1973 and 2010.  The latter was the one that spewed clouds of ash for weeks all across Europe, disrupting air traffic.  It seems to have put Iceland on the map.  But the 1973 movie was really captivating, as it showed the fiery lava eruption on Heimaey Island that flowed slowly down the crater and into the town, evaporating dozens of houses and threatening to destroy the important harbor.  The harbor turned out to be their salvation, as they were able to borrow huge water pumps [from the US] and cool down the flowing lava until it stopped – just short of the harbor.  [We were expecting to visit Heimaey toward the end of our cruise – but read on…]

We walked along the busy commercial shore till we reached Aurora Reykjavík, which had photos, videos, detailed explanations of Northern Lights.  We met a woman from CA who had just finished trail running [!] in Iceland and was hoping to catch a showing of the lights.  The exhibit explained that this was possible for her, but unlikely – because you need a clear night [we had mostly cloudy weather], to be in a dark area [although they had movies taken in Reykjavík, which isn’t as bright a city as NYC or Vegas…], and to be in the high point of the sunspot cycle [we are in the low point].  We didn’t see them during this entire trip, but maybe she was luckier…

Around the corner was Saga Museum in which one wears a headset and progresses station to station viewing realistic mannequins and life scenes depicting the Iceland’s Viking Settlement Age.

Museums behind us, we walked up the hill to spend prayer time at the [Catholic] Cathedral of Christ the King.  [This was the building that got the Lutherans jealous and led to the building of Hallgrimskirkja church – which was designed by the same architect.]  Well maintained and peaceful, but it would never win any awards for interior design or good taste.  [All Masses are in Icelandic, except for one Sunday Mass in Polish.  Poles are the only substantial minority in Iceland, making up 4% of the country’s population – but a much larger percent of the churchgoing population.]

We headed back to the Konsulat, walking down Embassy Row and then through a construction zone.  Iceland suffered greatly during the 2008 financial crisis but now everything is booming – especially deconstruction and (re)construction.  Just within eyeshot tonight DW counted more than two dozen construction cranes.

Upon our return to the Konsulat, Nevin greeted us and said she had called our next hotel [Icelandair Hotel Reykjavík Natura] and had us upgraded to the ‘Blue Suite’ with free spa access.  Then she called a taxi and we were off to the Natura, which is situated adjacent to the municipal airport – mercifully, they don’t fly at night.

We dined in the hotel restaurant Satt.  They serve a dinner buffet, and the chef was carving a lovely lamb roast.

DW walked a bit around the grounds.

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