Perlan

Ron was tired and hungry, but at least the rain had tapered to a drizzle. He decided to visit Perlan (The Pearl - pronounced "pe - rt - lan") to eat, which was about 2km from the city center. Ron took a taxi to Hlemmur bus station, and from there bus 18 to the Pearl. Looking like half of a bra, Perlan was a tourist complex based around the huge hot-water tanks on Öskjuhlíð hill. It cost Ikr 250.
The main attraction here was the endearing bloodthirsty Saga Museum (Ikr900), where Icelandic history was brought to life by eerie silicon models and a soundtrack of thudding axes and hair-raising screams. This was right up Ron’s alley, he was into horror and Goth, as well as history. Some of the characters were wandering around town, as molds were taken from Reykjavík residents. Ron went up to the hexagonal viewing deck, which offered a tremendous 360-degree panorama of Reykjavík and the mountains: multilingual recordings explain the scenery. The views overlooking the bay & downtown were amazing. There were also two artificial geysers, which blast off every few minutes. An excellent Volcano Show (Ikr750), often offered in English, offered a fascinating insight into the volcanoes which Icelanders live with every day.
Where else but in the Saga Museum could you encounter Snorri Sturluson working on his Snorra Edda, or the founding of the Althingi, the oldest parliamentary in the world still extant. No such museum would be complete without its tally of horrors, and among the more gruesome events which can be experienced there are the execution of Jón Arason (Iceland´s last Catholic bishop), the burning of the stake of Sister Katrín (Iceland´s first heretic) and a taste of the famous and bloody battle at Örlygsstaðir (21 August 1238 in northern Iceland).
There was also a room for posing in Viking dress and cafe Kol og Salt. Ron got a picture done wearing the Viking clothing and ate at the café. The Saga Market offers a wide range of traditional products such as sheepskins, Viking hats, Icelandic clothing, books, movies, jewellery and handmade Viking replicas. Ron purchased quite a few things there, although they were dreadfully expensive, as he was an admirer of the fierce white Vikings. Among his purchases were runes and a beard comb, both made of bone, a Viking hat, a spoon made of horn, a lambskin pillow and a wood carved bookmark with Celtic decoration. Unfortunately, Canada would charge a hefty duty on these items, money used to appease and support the genocidal foreign invaders.
Ron had a meal at the Perlan restaurant, perched on top of the city’s water tanks and slowly revolving. The views were superb, and, he had a hard time tearing his eyes away from the city-and-mountain vista to eat. The grub was reindeer, lamb, flounder, guillemot, etc. Ron got a reindeer meal for Ikr 4000, another expensive one. He thought about ordering whale meat, which is illegal in most countries, but decided he might like the leaner reindeer steak better. The whale meat was minke whale, which is smaller than the big whales, and the meat was like a steak, red and tender and with a hint of fish flavour. Whale meat is considered to be very healthy, no fat and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
He noticed Europeans enjoy more leisurely meals. Ron tried not to get impatient about the service being slower than what he was used to in most eating places at home. Lunch and dinner are more extended experiences, a time to socialize and enjoy the food. There were usually many fewer people waiting on tables. It was frustrating until he thought that since he was in Europe, he should act like a local European as a chance to grow. As service and VAT (tax) were always included in prices, tipping wasn’t required in Iceland.Read more