It’s my 4th week-end in Reykjavik. And I’m each time more suprised than the others. I’m thinking of two possibilities: Either friday and saturday are the official free days of Reykjavik Asylum (if there is any). Or all Icelanders have been abducted by alien during their youth to be subjected of experimentation for some brain modifications. Don’t take it wrong. I’m not saying that in a bad way, on the contrary I’m totally seduced. Anyhow, I’m going to explain a bit what can happen on an average week-end by describing my lunch break excurtion tour.
We’re friday, I’m leaving the office for lunch at about 1pm.I’m walking down ‘Túngata’ and ‘Garðastræti’ joining the big place right behind ‘Austurstræti’. Here, where usualy kids gather up for skating, I could see people building smalls areas to play the usual game you can find in a funfair: gambling games, shoot games or others fishing games. Sweet ! It looks like a big party organised by pre-schools. I haven’t stayed there for long and rapidly continue along the ‘Laugavegur’. Next corner 3 guys we’re playing some very nice raggae with their guitars, bass and drums. Lots of people were surrounding them and enjoying the show. This time as well, I haven’t stayed for long. (The thing is I was pretty hungry and willing to take something to eat :D.) By chance I dodged mimes who were all over the street following pedestrians and acting like them. Basically If you see people around laughting at you. Be sure that you are fooled by a mime right behind your back. I don’t know exatcly where they come from but every saturday evening this street (Laugavegur) is flooded by mimes or circus people. Before reaching the little restaurant I was aiming. I’ve been really shocked to see a quartet: 2 violins, and 2 cellos at a SHOP window. YES! ‘Illgresi’ is one of Reykjavik’s most unique shops. Surrounded by walls that double as a graffiti gallery. This shop was filled by 4 young musicians playing like if they were in a rehearsal for a concert. That, definitly, enhanced the viewing experience. I was like: "What the hell is this ? A clothes shop? but instead of clothes on their windows, you see a quartet ? hu ? About half an hour later, When I left the place, I could enjoyed for a while a parade of drumers up the street that were playing to promote their new Cd. That was actually nice. Maybe a bit too loud for digestion thought. So I haven’t stayed their for very long. Down that same street where I walked to come back to my office I’ve seen probably the strangest thing I’ve ever seen in a street. It was that kind of artistic stuff that only artist can understand. Behind Landsbanki’s buildings, one of the biggest bank in Iceland, 4 girls wearing Pig’s disguises and staying in front of a big oilskin print were waiting wisely (for the artist?). A guy was actually preparing his paint’s brushes. I’ve waited there for few minutes in order to understand the purpose of that comedy. finally the guy started to throw colored painting right on the 4 pigs-disguised-girls. I haven’t seen the whole stuff, but I guessed that the beauty of that work was the painted oilskin print behind them. Back home, I’ve thought of all this and I was like: "Well, I have walked outside on the street for about 10 to 15 minutes at most. what would have happened if I have walked for an hour ?" This was friday mid-day. Now that I’m writting that stuff it’s already 6. I’m just zaelous and enthusiastic to see what the evening will let.
