One of the tallest buildings in Iceland and most recognizable churches in the world is Hallgrímskirkja, commissioned in 1937 and designed by the Icelandic architect Guðjón Samúelsson. Like many of Guðjón’s projects, it is an homage to Iceland’s natural geology, in particular its columnar basalt formations. The work was completed in 1986—compare to the duration of the Duomo of Como’s construction, which lasted from 1396 to 1770! (More on that later…)

As it happens, August is Pride Month in much of Europe, so the main street leading to the church was painted with a giant rainbow.

Dees, our lovely local friend and tour guide.

We wandered the square at Skólavörðuholt while the sun set, watching the reflections on the church windows.

Walking back to our hotel, we picked out the bakery we would go for breakfast the following morning, stopped for ice cream, and met a cat.