Kolaportid

Kolaportið is Reykjavík's answer to flea market culture. Located down by the harbor (actually just across the street from where the tall ship was berthed and just a few steps from Bæjarinns Bezta), this indoor marketplace is a good place to stroll through on weekends when you've got nothing else to do. Just like flea markets all across the globe, Kolaportið offers everything from treasures to trash. Fifteen years ago when flea market culture was new here, my sister Addy sold really cool goods from Africa at Kolaportið (in its old location). Her and her business partner did so well that they eventually opened up a store on Laugavegur, the main shopping street. During that time you could find absolutely fantastic antiques at Kolaportið, things that had been hauled out of attics where they'd been gathering dust for decades. Now the pickings are much slimmer, and classic Icelandic treasures have unfortunately been for the most part replaced by total junk imported from places far far away.