FROM STORM FORCE GALES TO VISIBILITY GOOD, SEA CALM, REYKJAVIK

Its 04:30 and I am sitting looking out over a calm sea. Visibility is as good as it gets and the sun looks as though it’s been floating around the corner for some hours now. There is a possibility of another warm day to come.
Still no internet connection, and I’m now wondering if I have disturbed the connection through EE. If I have then I’ll have to wait til I’m home to sort it. That’s attempting to make a connection to the ship’s WIFI, it’ll teach me!!
Anyway, this morning many trips left early so the Market Place was heaving by 07:10. Hadn’t realised and hoped to get there before the rush.
Wrong. OH, so very wrong!
Out today on a short tour of Reykjavik and quick stop offs at a few highlights.
The first was the Perlan or in English, The Pearl. We had tickets to go to the top 360° viewing gallery at the top and it showed the whole of Reykjavik. It’s huge!
But green.
Was pleasantly surprised by this. 

It appears Iceland was heavily forested with birch trees. These grew to about 15 feet tall and were self coppiced allowing them to survive the winds and snow by remaining lignin low and very subtle.
Sadly the early farmers cleared most of it very quickly using it for heating, cooking and building, although none were thick enough to make wooden houses as we imagine.
Next stop after a quick tour through the university district was the church of Reykjavik itself, Hallgríms Church.
Built in darker concrete, the shape (a stepping column concept coming off the church-building like flying buttresses) was meant to emulate the eruption of lava from a volcano.
Inside, apart from a very ostentatious organ containing over 5000 pipes, were steep vaultings and plain walls. This is a Lutheran church, so ormentation is not used.
There was one piece of glass and that was on the left hand side of the altar in a recess. It was very beautifully worked using etching techniques I’ve seen recently.
Apart from two gold icons, one each side of the altar, that was the sum total of anything.
From here we toured the Old Quarter and then onto the bankers area. Mm, a site of major recession but from all accounts, they have prospered since.
We had one more stop at a wooden building where, it seems Reagan and Gorbachev met to make an agreement on nuclear arms.
They were almost there but America's Star Wars Project was the stumbling block and in the end, was the cause of nuclear disarmament peace plan to collapse.

One other thing I did there, I touched a piece of the Berlin Wall. Yep, Iceland was affected by the Cold War and the Iron Curtain so they had a piece erected on the harbour side of the capital. Amazing.
So, now I’m back on the ship sitting on deck 12, enjoying the sunshine, which would be very hot if it wasn’t for a cold breeze blowing by.
I’m overlooking somewhere I would love to visit, Viđley Island. 

I went back off the ship to pick up a brochure and connected to the WIFI they were all using.
What pleased me is I’ve not lost that and can connect up when in port.
So, the weather. Yes, bright sunshine with detectable burning potential. It may read 15° C but it feels much warmer.
I'm about to scan the brochure on Viđay and enjoy a lemon tea, so please excuse me....