Poetry, Swims & Sunsets: Ragnheiður Harpa’s Perfect Day in Reykjavík

Ragnheiður Harpa is an artist, musician and poet. She was recently published in an Icelandic-language book with four other poets that has gained notable attention. The book is called “Ég er fagnaðarsöngur,” or “I am a song of celebration,” in English. Here’s how Ragnheiður would spend her perfect day in Reykjavík.

First thing in the morning
In the morning I’ll walk up to the sun, a rare and very missed friend this summer! I’ll take my pup, Bella, out for a walk around the block. She’ll find some hilarious places to do her business and try to eat as many daffodils on the way as she can. When we get back, our home will be filled with the smell of coffee. Birkir, my boyfriend will have made coffee for himself and lavender tea for me. We’ve just moved house and the walls are still empty with promise of what’s to come, sawdust is on the floor and we’ve just finished installing doors, but on this dream day we’ll be very close to finish and are excited to settle in.

For breakfast
We go for breakfast at Coocoo’s Nest and sit outside. There my sister, Rakel, will have magically flown in from London that night and we meet there along with my other siblings, Íris and Viktor. There we’ll share stories of plans, dreams and what’s going on.

In the midday
Midday we’ll go to Vesturbæjarlaug and there, soaking in the tub, will be my poetry collective, Svikaskáld. Þóra will get us laughing about something as she has a special knack for and we’ll talk writing, poetry and life. Next to us we all of a sudden find sitting Steinunn Sigurðardóttir, who was our editor for our new book, “Ég er fagnaðarsöngur.” She lives abroad and we haven’t been able to thank her for her amazing work in person but there she is—she took the same flight as Rakel—relaxing in the pot. We are so happy to see her.

For lunch
Ending the pool trip in Kaffi Vest we find a seat outside. I’ll be diving into their amazing avocado salat as I meet someone who’ve I’ve missed dearly and not realized. That person will join us and we’ll chat and laugh and remember odd things.

For dinner
In the evening I’ll meet some friends for a premiere of a new dance piece in Tjarnarbíó. The piece will be moving and we’ll all be pretty emotional afterwards. We’ll make it to Skúli bar for a drink, where a night of poetry that Fríða Ísberg is managing has just begun. We enjoy the poetry and talk until we realise how late it has become.

Late at night
As midnight is just upon us the sky turns bright red. Birkir and I take Bella out for a walk down by the Grandi’s beach. We’ll search for gems and ceramics the ocean has made smooth as Bella runs after her ball or in the waves.

Read more perfect days here.