Jul – Aug 2024

Reykjavik & Oslo 2024

A 18-day adventure by Kim Read more

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Trip start
July 30, 2024
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Day 1
Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 12:40 PM
☁️ 95 °F
Altitude: 5,348 ft
United States Denver International Airport 39.861449, -104.6704939°51’41” N 104°40’14” W
Denver International Airport
July 30, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 95 °F
We were a little freaked out by whatever vapor poured out of the vents before takeoff. However, United made up for it by providing fun bits of info about the towns & counties we flew over on our way from Wichita to Denver, including Brenham, Greensburg, & Mullinville. Otherwise, the Denver International Airport was as chaotic as ever with all of its construction, but we managed to find our gate pretty easily. I was glad I'd scheduled such a long layover in the first place so our delay in Wichita didn't hurt us.Read more
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Day 2
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 5:27 AM
🌬 52 °F
Altitude: 112 ft
Iceland Keflavíkurflugvöllur 63.985048, -22.62672563°59’6” N 22°37’36” W
Keflavik International Airport
July 31, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 52 °F
It was a pretty uneventful flight. People stayed awake and talked more than they did on my last two trips. McKelvie and I were able to sleep a little bit, mainly because we had the row to ourselves! I watched a little bit of Despicable Me 3, but couldn't get interested in it or any other movie, so I read Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel instead. It's interesting, but not as good as Station Eleven, in my opinion. We'll catch the Fly Bus to Reykjavik. It's cloudy and misty this morning. We never closed the window during the flight, and as we traveled east, the sun never fully set. It was a 6 and 1/2 hour long sunset.Read more
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Day 2
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 8:35 AM
🌬 54 °F
Altitude: 43 ft
Iceland Grímsstaðaholt 64.135376, -21.95064164°8’7” N 21°57’2” W
We're here!
July 31, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 54 °F
The view from McKelvie's apartment is one of my favorites! Her apartment is in pretty good shape - just a little dusty. We're going to rest for a couple of hours and then hit a grocery store.

We walked from the BSI Bus Terminal - it wasn't terrible (just a little under 2 km), but it's windy today and 50° cooler here than I'm used to. I'm a sleepy girl. We'll do most of our cleaning tomorrow so we can sightsee a little and make arrangements to sell or give away her furniture. This has been the BEST little studio for her. I know she'll miss it.Read more
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Day 4
Friday, August 2, 2024 at 10:30 AM
☁️ 52 °F
Altitude: Sea level
Iceland Skerjafjörður 64.116465, -21.94643564°6’59” N 21°56’47” W
Sky Lagoon
August 2, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
This morning, McKelvie & I returned to the Sky Lagoon (we went last August), where we participated in the Seven-Step Ritual for the first time. We floated around in the 38-40°C (100-104°F) lagoon for about an hour before taking a 10-12°C (50-54°F) "cold plunge," which lasted all of 10 seconds before we scurried into the sauna, where it was about 80-90°C (176-194°F). We stayed in the sauna for as long as we could - mainly to enjoy the beautiful view of the ocean. From there, we stepped directly through a 5°C (41°F) cold mist before exfoliating with a very fancy Sky Body Scrub containing sea salt and almond & sesame seed oils, which we wore into the steam room (46°C/114°F) for Step #6 of the ritual. The final step was a 40°C (122°F) "warm and gentle" shower. Feeling completely relaxed, smelling great, and ready for a nap, we returned to the lagoon to float around for another 45 minutes. We also tried pina colada beer at some point while there.Read more
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Day 4
Friday, August 2, 2024 at 2:29 PM
☁️ 59 °F
Altitude: 89 ft
Iceland Tjörnin 64.142768, -21.92763964°8’34” N 21°55’40” W
Hotel Leifur Eiriksson
August 2, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
At one point, we were told that McKelvie would have to turn in her apartment keys today in person during office hours, so we scrambled to find a hotel room for the weekend only to discover a few days later that she could actually just leave her keys in a drop box on Sunday evening before we leave for Oslo on Monday morning. I was unable to cancel our reservation, so Kelv and I will be enjoying the hospitality of the Hotel Leifur Eiriksson for the next few nights, and I think it's safe to say that we're okay with it. The view alone is worth it. Plus, this allows us to be a little more comfortable as we have been giving away or selling her apartment furniture since we got here, and I'm far too old to sleep on a concrete floor. This is MUCH better.Read more
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Day 4
Friday, August 2, 2024 at 3:25 PM
☁️ 59 °F
Altitude: 79 ft
Iceland Rauðarárvík 64.144459, -21.92560364°8’40” N 21°55’32” W
Reykjavik Fish Restaurant
August 2, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
Fish and chips—the best! We also saw a few sights (the Althing, City Hall, and Tjörnin Pond on our walk back to the apartment to grab a couple of suitcases before returning to the hotel for the evening.

We'll go back to the apartment tomorrow to finish cleaning and packing everything and then have a final day to visit the Harpa Concert Hall and the National Museum before flying to Oslo on Monday.Read more
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Day 4
Friday, August 2, 2024 at 9:18 PM
☁️ 54 °F
Altitude: 33 ft
Iceland Lækjartorg 64.146967, -21.93716864°8’49” N 21°56’14” W
Reykjavik Hard Rock Cafe
August 2, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
It's not where we wanted to eat tonight, but the City Centre gets busy on the Friday night before Commerce Day, so we're making due. We'll eat somewhere more Icelandic before we leave.
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Day 5
Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 11:13 AM
🌬 61 °F
Altitude: 36 ft
Iceland Grímsstaðaholt 64.135459, -21.95106764°8’8” N 21°57’4” W
Eggertsgata 24
August 3, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 61 °F
This morning, McKelvie & I took a lovely short walk from the hotel back to her apartment to clean, do laundry, and sell & give away furniture, pots & pans, and an assortment of dishes, curtains, and other household odds and ends we can't take with us to Norway. After a single Facebook post, we started placing items outside her door, and they disappeared throughout the day. I've never liked washing windows, and my old knees certainly did not appreciate the fact that I had to be on them while washing her floors by hand. However, her little studio apartment is clean and ready to go for the next tenant. We'll go back tomorrow morning to give everything one more look and turn in her keys before saying goodbye to a seriously wonderful little studio apartment. She couldn't have asked for a better living situation - an ocean view from her front door and the Hallgrimskirkja and Perlan from her balcony.Read more
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Day 5
Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 8:08 PM
🌬 57 °F
Altitude: 59 ft
Iceland Austurvöllur 64.147946, -21.94069664°8’53” N 21°56’27” W
101 Bistro
August 3, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 57 °F
Despite the sign outside, they make really good pizza here. We also like the calamari. 😊
Ha! [Janet West]
8/3/24Reply
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Day 5
Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 8:40 PM
🌬 57 °F
Altitude: 144 ft
Iceland Hallgrim's Church 64.141795, -21.9267164°8’30” N 21°55’36” W
Hallgrímskirkja
August 3, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 57 °F
I took a ridiculous number of pictures of the church as we walked back to the hotel from 101 Bistro tonight just because the sun came out, the sky was beautiful, and it made me happy to see it. I started at the bottom of the Rainbow Road and stopped at every street corner to take a pic, though I didn't include every image here. It's about a 7 block walk from the bottom to the top of the hill. The last image is right outside the door to our hotel. The angry kitty was adorable, which is why s/he is included.Read more
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Day 6
Sunday, August 4, 2024 at 11:05 AM
🌬 57 °F
Altitude: 26 ft
Iceland Harpa 64.150433, -21.93285464°9’2” N 21°55’58” W
Harpa Concert Hall
August 4, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 57 °F
McKelvie & I spent part of the morning repacking our bags to ensure we'd be ready to leave bright and early tomorrow, and then we went out to make the most of our last day in Reykjavik. We started with some cronuts at the Kol Restaurant (Tiramisu for McKelvie & Strawberry Cheesecake for me) and then took one last walk down Skólavörðustígur, which is full of boutiques, art galleries, and cafes. We did our best to soak it all in. Our first real stop was the Harpa Concert Hall. I had hoped to actually tour the auditorium, but not for $40 per person, so we decided to keep moving toward the Sun Voyager Sculpture. Along the way, we enjoyed seeing the cairns near the Harpa and the ocean view.Read more
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Day 6
Sunday, August 4, 2024 at 12:23 PM
🌬 57 °F
Altitude: 13 ft
Iceland Rauðarárvík 64.147607, -21.92226264°8’51” N 21°55’20” W
Sun Voyager
August 4, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 57 °F
According to VisitReykjavik.is: "The Sun Voyager is a striking steel sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason, made to resemble a Viking ship but is, in fact, a dream boat and an ode to the sun. Standing by the sculpture during sunset, at any time of the year, is an unforgettable moment. The epic view of Mountain Esja and Faxaflói Bay makes this a favorite romantic destination for travelers and all of those who appreciate the beauty of nature. It is also a wonderful spot for photo opportunities whether enjoying a midday stroll or taking in the full significance of the artwork’s name during the summer’s Midnight Sun in Reykjavik."

It took a little work to get pictures, thanks to the wind and the tourists crawling all over the sculpture. Still, I'm glad we took the long walk down the "Sea Road" (Saebraut) to see it. It was beautiful!Read more
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Day 6
Sunday, August 4, 2024 at 2:38 PM
🌬 59 °F
Altitude: 20 ft
Iceland Tjörnin 64.14401, -21.9424464°8’38” N 21°56’33” W
Tjörnin Lake
August 4, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 59 °F
After seeing Sun Voyager, we wandered all over the City Centre, looking at murals and park sculptures and generally enjoying ourselves. We found a Cat Cafe and eventually made our way back to the University of Iceland and the National Museum of Iceland.Read more
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Day 6
Sunday, August 4, 2024 at 3:25 PM
🌬 59 °F
Altitude: 26 ft
Iceland Austurvöllur 64.146067, -21.94251464°8’46” N 21°56’33” W
Reykjavik City Hall
August 4, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 59 °F
Just some interesting murals, architecture, etc., that we saw on our way to the National Museum of Iceland at the University of Iceland. I'm always entertained by the tractor signs.
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Day 6
Sunday, August 4, 2024 at 4:00 PM
🌬 61 °F
Altitude: 33 ft
Iceland National Museum 64.141954, -21.94816364°8’31” N 21°56’53” W
National Museum of Iceland
August 4, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 61 °F
I enjoyed this museum. Paired with Reykjavik's Settlement Museum, a person can learn A LOT of very interesting history about Iceland. There were many beautiful historical pieces, and I was able to learn more history to take back to my British Literature class, especially, when we study Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Literature this fall.Read more
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Day 6
Sunday, August 4, 2024 at 7:06 PM
☁️ 59 °F
Altitude: 36 ft
Iceland Grímsstaðaholt 64.135459, -21.95106764°8’8” N 21°57’4” W
Eggertsgata 24...one last time
August 4, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
After the museum, we walked back to McKelvie's apartment, but there wasn't anything left to do but take a few pictures and turn in her keys. It was the perfect little studio for her! I know she'll miss it!

We finished our evening with fish and chips (What? We like it!) at a Reykjavik Fish Restaurant location closer to the hotel. The plan is to get as much sleep as possible before tomorrow morning, although I know that won't happen for me. I'll be too worried I'll sleep through my alarms. Tomorrow will be a very long day for both of us.Read more
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Day 7
Monday, August 5, 2024 at 3:25 AM
☁️ 50 °F
Altitude: 16 ft
Iceland Hljómskálagarðurinn 64.137389, -21.93474564°8’15” N 21°56’5” W
BSI Bus Terminal
August 5, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
McKelvie and I were up at 1:45 AM because the helpful hotel receptionist told us we'd need to be at the bus stop by 2:30 for the BSI shuttle to pick us up (she lied). We thought that was a bit strange because I had scheduled our pick-up for 3 AM. SO...we both stood in the rain for 45 minutes, waiting for that shuttle (it was 15 minutes late) to pick us up to take us to the BSI Terminal to board the Flybus to Keflavik. We're soaked, our luggage is soaked. It's going to be a long day. And McKelvie and I don't even get to sit together during the trip to Keflavik. 😕 The only good thing is that we were able to cuddle up next to the Hallgrímskirkja to get out of the wind, and it DID help keep some of the rain off of us.Read more
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Day 7
Monday, August 5, 2024 at 7:54 AM
🌬 55 °F
Altitude: 112 ft
Iceland Keflavíkurflugvöllur 63.985048, -22.62672563°59’6” N 22°37’36” W
Keflavik International Airport
August 5, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 55 °F
We finally got our bags checked in. For some reason, we couldn't get our tickets and check in our bags at a kiosk. We had to wait for the travel agents to make an appearance at 5 AM, and then we had to wait for them to take care of the Saga Premium passengers and families with small children first, and then we had to try very hard not to beat up the people who jumped the line in front of us. Saw a guy with an FHSU hoodie while we were waiting. Fortunately, our ticket agent was super nice and didn't charge me for our 2 extra bags.

Apparently, I didn't look sketchy at all, so I basically waltzed through security. McKelvie's carry-on bag, though, had to be searched. Staplers...who knew? The TSA agent who had to do the searching thought the X-ray guy was stupid. While we were waiting, Kelv saw one of her cohort members, Mags, who'll be studying in Copenhagen this year, so that was cool.

Finally, they announced our gate (IcelandAir always waits until about 45 minutes before starting to load the plane to do this), and we headed downstairs to board the shuttle that took us out to the plane. We're on board now - SUPER TIRED but ready to go.Read more
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Day 7
Monday, August 5, 2024 at 12:36 PM
☀️ 70 °F
Altitude: 682 ft
Norway Låkesetertjern 60.19988, 11.11493660°11’60” N 11°6’54” E
Oslo Gardermoen Airport
August 5, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
We're here! We slept most of the flight but managed to wake up enough to take some pretty pictures of Norway from the window.

The Oslo Lufthavn is as busy as you'd expect of an international airport. We didn't have to go through customs because we're traveling within the Schengen area, so that was nice. We grabbed our luggage (it took forever because they unloaded 5 different flights on the same carousel), bought Flytoget Express Train tickets, and Ruter Metro passes, got Kelv a Norwegian simcard for her phone, and headed down to the train platform, which is NOT easy to do with 4 suitcases, a carry-on suitcase, and 2 very full backpacks. Plus, we were used to 50° weather and it was suddenly around 75°. So...we're tired, hot, stressed out, HUNGRY, and our feet hurt. PLUS, we don't speak Norwegian. Fortunately, everyone was helpful - except for that one guy who cut in front of us at the simcard place - and almost all of the signs were repeated in English.

A nice lady pointed us toward the train platform. We made it on in one piece and were able to relax for about 20 minutes before arriving at the Oslo Central Station, where all forms of public transportation (bus, tram, and train—everything but the ferries) meet. It's like Grand Central Station attached to a large mall.Read more
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Day 7
Monday, August 5, 2024 at 4:21 PM
☁️ 75 °F
Altitude: 62 ft
Norway Oslo Central Station 59.911025, 10.75313859°54’40” N 10°45’11” E
Oslo Central Station
August 5, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F
This afternoon was exhausting. Again, we are two very tired people who don't speak Norwegian. We made it off the train with four 45-ish pound suitcases, an effing 20-pound carry-on suitcase, two 15-pound backpacks, jackets, sore feet and all. The first thing we had to do was find short-term luggage storage so we didn't have to haul our stuff to the University of Oslo while picking up the keys to McKelvie's new apartment. That took a while. Too many stairs; too many people.

Then, we got to try out our fancy new Ruter card and the T-bane. We can handle Oslo's version of the subway just fine, thank you very much. It was a pretty quick trip to the university to get her keys and then back to the Oslo S to get our luggage again, and then back on the T-bane (same train, same direction) to go to Nydalen stop. An escalator this time - very nice. Then a short bus ride on the #37 to Bjolsen Student Housing and Moldegata 17.Read more
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Day 7
Monday, August 5, 2024 at 6:06 PM
☁️ 72 °F
Altitude: Sea level
Norway Vippetangen 59.9016, 10.734359°54’6” N 10°44’3” E
Bjolsen Student Village
August 5, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
Finally. Another nice lady helped us find our way to the correct building. By the time we got there, we were an extremely hot and sweaty mess. The room is not exactly what we hoped for. The students who live here already - we haven't met them yet - are co-ed (we think, based on the decor in the shared living space). The kitchen is a bit of a mess: The food stores are well-organized, but the floor is disgusting, and there's a soccer ball left out, but there are some flower decals and girly lights on the windows. Who knows? We haven't heard anyone yet. The room itself is fine.

There's a grocery story, pharmacy, and hairdresser right next door. We'll go to IKEA tomorrow to pick up odds and ends. We'll probably also go back to the University just to check things out, find the Student Union...that sort of thing.Read more
Wow! [Janet West]
8/6/24Reply
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Day 9
Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at 1:16 PM
☁️ 72 °F
Altitude: 299 ft
Norway University of Oslo 59.941417, 10.72276859°56’29” N 10°43’22” E
University of Oslo
August 7, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
Today, McKelvie and I explored the University of Oslo a little bit. We found the buildings where she'll have her classes and even a couple of her classrooms. It's a beautiful campus!
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Day 9
Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at 5:34 PM
☁️ 73 °F
Altitude: 292 ft
Norway Bakkehaugen 59.946396, 10.75988959°56’47” N 10°45’36” E
Munch Mania for Supper
August 7, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F
We're pretty sure we had the best smash burgers we've ever eaten in our lives tonight at this little family-owned burger joint just up the street from McKelvie's apartment. The name of the place is hilarious, but the food is great! The seasoning reminded us of Duck Salt. They gave us gloves so we wouldn't get our fingers greasy.

I'm also including a few outside shots of McKelvie's apartment building & complex.Read more
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Day 12
Saturday, August 10, 2024 at 12:28 PM
☁️ 64 °F
Altitude: 33 ft
Norway Operaen 59.907524, 10.75268159°54’27” N 10°45’10” E
Oslo Opera House
August 10, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
McKelvie and I did some exploring today. First, to find the Police Station where she has her meeting with the UDI people (immigration) on the 18th, and secondly, to see some cool stuff. We found the Opera House first. All we had to do was follow the sound of the very loud music and the huge crowds. Fortunately, everyone has been very well-behaved so far, so we haven't really had any trouble navigating our way around the city. I was a little concerned when we got off at the Grønland stop because things weren't as nice as they are around Bjølsen (lots of construction, graffiti, and beggars), but a block or so, and a few corners later, there was the Oslo bus terminal and a beautiful square right in front of the police station. I think we've found a brighter, easier way for Kelv to get there on her own on the 18th. We'll try it tomorrow.Read more
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Day 12
Saturday, August 10, 2024 at 2:20 PM
⛅ 68 °F
Altitude: Sea level
Norway Paulsenkaia 59.905725, 10.75525259°54’21” N 10°45’19” E
Munch Museum
August 10, 2024 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
McKelvie And I spent most of our day at the Edvard Munch Museum. It was great! We saw a crayon-in-cardboard version of "The Scream" from the mid-1890s. The museum keeps three in rotation (a painting, a lithograph, and the drawing we saw) to protect them from light exposure. Apparently, 8 versions of "The Scream" were created. We plan to see the famous version everyone's most familiar with tomorrow at the National Museum. I had too many favorite paintings, so I'll only share a couple.Read more
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