Here is a greeting from our weekend in Reykjavik! We experienced a lot in just a few days, from swimming and nature to food experiences and ... meeting the President! We present some of the highlights.
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A weekend in Reykjavik
We are spending a long weekend in Reykjavik for the "Food and Fun" food festival. We are here with a bunch of other Swedish and Finnish bloggers, on a press trip with Food and Fun, and Icelandair.
The programme has been really packed - lots of good food of course, but also a lot of other things! It is difficult to blog during the trip, but here are some snapshots from everything we have been through.
City walk in Reykjavik
Even though this trip is a press trip, you can also do things on your own! One morning we went on our own little city walk around Reykjavik to see some of the city's sights. We checked out various famous buildings and strolled along the main street Laugavegur. We also went to Lake Tjörnin, which is full of swans and other birds.
At Tjörnin we saw a bunch of Asian tourists feeding all the birds. We also came across a man who looked very heavy ...
Icelandic design
Icelanders are not only good at food, but have also long been prominent in things like music, art and design. We visited the designer Steinunn, who worked in New York for many years and designed Icelandair's uniforms. We checked out her stylish collection during our weekend in Reykjavik, and here you can see a small sample!
Boat trip to Viðey
We have also had time to take a boat trip in the lovely (well) weather. The trip went to the island of Viðey, located just outside Reykjavik. There we got both good food and hear exciting stories.
Reception at the President's residence
Visiting the presidential couple was definitely the biggest surprise of our weekend in Reykjavik. This item was in the latest version of the programme, which we missed reading. So the visit to the presidential couple came as a total surprise to us! As part of the Food and Fun festival, we were invited to visit President Guðni Jóhannesson and First Lady Eliza Reid at the President's residence in Bessastaðir.
It is fascinating that there is almost no need for security guards or similar around the Icelandic President's residence. Incidentally, the Icelandic presidential couple are extremely humble and relaxed.
We talked to both of them for quite a while, which was very nice. Our crazy faces during the conversation with the President? Hmm, I hope we didn't appear quite as crazy as it looks... Thank you Christian from Food and travel blog for the photos!
The President spoke warmly and humorously about the Food and Fun festival, now in its 18th year in Reykjavik. This was followed by a few hours of mingling at the Icelandic presidential residence ...
And much more during our weekend in Reykjavik
As you may have realised, this weekend has been fast-paced and there's no way we can tell you everything at once. We have tried several restaurants with different tasting menus as part of "Food and Fun",
We also went on a tour of classic sights such as Geysir, Gullfoss and Þingvellir National Park. And of course we visited the geothermal spa Blue Lagoon! Here you can read more about things to do during a weekend in Reykjavik:
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Mr Steve says:
Wow, so many exciting things have happened to you.
03 March 2019 - 8:54
Helena says:
Indeed! An exciting and intense long weekend! 🙂
03 March 2019 - 13:20
Lena - good for the soul says:
Not bad for a dinner in a presidential residence! Haha, nice faces. But he looks at least as crazy as he does 🙂 .
Hug Lena
03 March 2019 - 9:43
Helena says:
It felt solemn to get to the president's residence! 🙂 But the faces then, haha ... Mine is absolutely the worst ...! 😉
03 March 2019 - 13:22
Ama de casa says:
WOW!!! Cool to visit the presidential couple! If you had read on so you knew about it, you might not have looked quite so crazy... 😉 😀 .
03 March 2019 - 9:47
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
What a fun weekend with many nice meetings, both with other bloggers and presidential couples!
Good food and fun experiences don't make it worse.
03 March 2019 - 11:21
Helena says:
Britt-Marie, yes a very nice weekend! And fun to meet both blog colleagues and presidential couples 🙂 .
03 March 2019 - 13:23
Helena says:
Ama de casa, Very nice to visit the president's residence! 🙂 But the faces (especially mine!) ... I'm dying 😉.
03 March 2019 - 13:22
Ditte says:
How exciting and so much fun. It will be fun to read more.
03 March 2019 - 13:36
Helena says:
More to come this week! 🙂
03 March 2019 - 15:21
Liniz Travel says:
Wow what a fun trip! Is so jealous! Hugs
03 March 2019 - 14:24
Helena says:
It will surely be Iceland for you too at some point Lina!
03 March 2019 - 15:21
Travel Friday says:
Great Helena! And extra fun for you to go back - having actually lived there! Did you get to speak any Icelandic?
03 March 2019 - 15:50
Helena says:
Yes, very funny! And yes, there was some Icelandic! Even with the president 😉
04 March 2019 - 19:45
diana's dreams says:
So lovely looking forward to reading more as Iceland is on my bucket list hugs
03 March 2019 - 16:20
Helena says:
Iceland is really worth a visit! 🙂
04 March 2019 - 19:45
BP says:
WOW! Soooo much you have done. The visit to the Icelandic president's residence and meeting the presidential couple must have been an absolute highlight. What a memory. I guess it was the first time you mingled "on that level" - WOW!
PS. Couldn't help but laugh at Peter's face at the dinner table. He looks a bit "worn out" - poor guy. Also, I loved the statue that looked cloth. How delicious. Googled the statue and it is called "The Unknown Bureaucrat" - an absolutely perfect name.
03 March 2019 - 18:18
Ruth in Virginia says:
Yep! Absolutely perfect!!!
I have not met any president, but I had the (tea) with the
Mrs Nixon and her daughters at the White House. Yes, it wasn't just me,
of course. 🙂
03 March 2019 - 19:04
Helena says:
Ruth, wow, tea with Mrs Nixon wasn't bad! What a memory! 🙂 How did that happen?
04 March 2019 - 19:47
Helena says:
BP, we don't often mingle with presidential couples ... so to speak 😉 Truly a memory! And what fun that you googled the statue! Really good name! 🙂
04 March 2019 - 19:46