Iceland 1 :Reykjavik- first glimpse of Iceland

Our arrival to Iceland was delayed by 8 hours so 

we didn't have the full day in Reykjavik we were hoping for. 

However, the sun was shining (for the first time in weeks, we were told), 

so we walked the town til the sun went down.

First stop was the iconic Hallgrimskirkja Church, the landmark Lutheran Church. 

For a fee, you could go up the tower and view the entire city.

Only 10 % of the population goes to church, so mostly this building is used for concerts;

particularly pipe organ concerts. The church was built to represent the basalt columns found around Iceland and the shape of a geyser.

View from above. Since all of the houses are built of concrete, 

the only place to really add color are the roofs!

The beautiful Harpa Concert Hall built to look like an iceberg.

Love how the colors in the glass mirror the colors of the boats and their reflections.

First lighthouse we came across. And there are hundreds in Iceland because of the fjords.

Most were bright yellow, orange or red.

The harbor.

Solfario- The Sun Voyager.

 Dreamboat and Ode to the Sun.

Loved the colors of the buildings

Two beautiful sculptures that greet you at the airport.

Guess what the sculpture on the left represents?

Answer below

                                       

 The Jet Nest shows a big steel egg where a jet wing is peeking out like a little bird breaking out of it's egg. The piece is very symbolic where it stands on a pile of Icelandic rocks. Magnús Tómasson , the designer, says that the idea first came to him many years ago. "I was working on a series on the history of birds mentioning a small egg and on it a small beak appears. I worked on it some more and the outcome was the Jet Nest, my biggest piece." It is situated north of the air terminal in a floodlight pond. "

Rainbow sculpture: Ruri views the piece as an unfinished construction that may one day be finished by another to form a complete rainbow. Rainbows hold special significance in Icelandic folklore as well as in the rest of Europe. In both areas they are seen as bringers of good luck to those who can stand underneath it.