With our trip coming to a close, and this being our final full day in Iceland, we were given the opportunity to explore the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík, on our own. Our morning began with picking up sea cucumbers and trash along the shores of Garðskagaviti and then learning about the extensive research they conduct there. Students from all over the world come to Suðurnes Science and Learning Center to research marine life and the patterns of populations on the shores of Iceland and the rest of the world.
After this educational opportunity, we were dropped off in the center of Reykjavík, free to explore and shop however far and wide we would like in the city. I went around the city with one other person, as most people wanted to go to the hotel before adventuring. Our first stop had to be for some lunch. We ended up in a food hall lined with many different restaurant spots to choose from. I ended up getting a chicken burrito bowl, and it was not like your typical Chiptole bowl. The vegetables were juicy and ripe, almost like they came straight from the plant.
After lunch, we hit essentially every single souvenir shop in the capital; we didn’t venture in the opposite way of the hotel so as not to get lost but explored in the direction of the church. Being a little tired and walking around all day, before we entered Hallgrimskirkja, I went into this little coffee shop. Now, I wish I could tell you the name of this place, but I didn’t even look to see it, I just saw they offered coffee and went as quickly as possible. This is easily my favorite place in Reykjavík, which is why I regret not looking at its name. It was cozy inside, with mismatching mugs and trinkets everywhere you looked, it reminded me of places near home. The coffee shop even had a black cat that reminded me of my best friends cat, Ember. All I got here was some drip coffee, but I strongly believe you can tell a lot about the quality of a coffee shop based on how good their drip coffee is. And it was very delicious.
Swanson School of Engineering 