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A Walk Through Iceland’s Capital, Guided Only by Music
A journey through the world’s northernmost capital city
It had to have been around 2:45 AM when my seat-mate switched on his reading light. Sprawled on his tray table was an array of travel guides, maps, and snack wrappers. A Lonely Planet book, entitled Iceland, found itself at the top of the pile, filled with dog ears and highlighter markings. The man in the seat, who seemed to be in his late twenties, studied the page as if he had just finished a final exam and was checking over the answers. At the center of the glossy page a colorful, erupting geyser caught my attention. It was circled with pink marker, with the note “Must see!!” written adjacent.
Although I’ll admit I am enticed by Iceland’s natural wonders, this time I was going for another reason. On my tray table, the travel guides and pamphlets were replaced with a copy of the Reykjavik Grapevine and the address of a small shop on Skólavörðustígur. This time, I was going to Reykjavik to immerse myself in the music.
My first stop was the Kex Hostel — a biscuit factory-turned-social-hangout kind of place — situated a minute’s walk from Reykjavik’s harbor, a minute’s car ride from Hallgrímskirkja, or a minute’s helicopter ride from the fishing boat just departing for Greenland’s Narsarsuaq port. It’s the type…
