Independence Day
By BrendanI was lucky enough to be in Iceland for National Day, their version of an independence day, which was Friday, June 17th. Heading out onto the streets of Reykjavik the city appeared as I had never seen it before. The others who had been there many weeks longer also assured me that it was a unique sight.
There were just so many people.
Police blockades turned major two-lane avenues into pedestrian only malls. Festival rides and games appeared out of thin air. Cotton candy and droves of small children scurried underfoot, as seemingly out of the woodwork as the legendary Huldufólk (the Icelandic version of gnomes). The city was alive with families and laughter in a jovial atmosphere I could never have anticipated.
Throngs of celebrants crowd the streets of Reykjavik for Iceland's National Day.
I worked from the Polish-couple-owned cafe "C is for Cookie" during the afternoon, enjoying free wifi and free refills. Even there, slightly out from the city center in a more residential neighborhood, the extra population in town for the day could be felt, a gravitational force alive with jubilation.
On National Day the parliament building is actually open to the public, and we took advantage of that, arriving for a self-guided tour just before they closed the doors. The Iceland parliament, called the Alþingi (in English, literally "All Thing") has a rich history that spans back a thousand years. There's even a gift from the U.S. in the form of a Leif Ericson statue in the city to commemorate the millennial anniversary. Though the main thing I couldn't wrap my head around was how any group could govern an entire country from a building that small.
A view from inside the second floor of the modern addition to the Alþingi.
That night we pre-gamed with many rounds of Seven Eleven Doubles imported straight from Ann Arbor, and a single game of King's, played according to house rules. Then we joined the Icelanders in celebrating their country, first at a place called Vegamot, and then later at Koffibarrin. The latter is of particular note not just for its role in the film "101 Reykjavik" but also because I got in trouble for trying to use a camera there - it is known for being a hangout for Icelandic celebrities, and thus photography is prohibited.
After the bars we walked home as the sun rose, full of alcohol and life.
Monica stands on a mound overlooking the bay in Reykjavik as the sun rises.