Reykjavik for The Romantics: a Friday-to-Monday weekend

A steel ship skeleton facing Esja across the bay; at golden hour in summer or the blue hour in winter it is the quiet start the weekend needs.

A candlelit French-leaning bistro below Hallgrímskirkja: mussels, steak frites and a cold glass of something white; ask for the window table when you book.

From September to mid-April a coach takes you out of the city glow; clear skies decide everything. In summer the sky never gets dark enough, so walk the harbour instead.

Take the lift up the basalt-column church for the painted rooftops, then wander down the rainbow street Skólavörðustígur arm in arm; the tower opens at nine.

The Reykjavik Art Museum branch with Kjarval's lava-and-moss paintings and a calm café; the one ticket also covers the harbour branch Hafnarhús the same day.

The splurge: the first Icelandic kitchen with a Michelin star, a New Nordic tasting menu of smoked, fermented and foraged things. Book weeks ahead and allow two and a half hours.

A lighthouse on a tidal island at the end of the peninsula, walkable at low tide; the island is closed 1 May to 15 July for nesting, so then walk the shore.

An infinity-edge geothermal pool facing the open sea, with a seven-step ritual of cold plunge, sauna and steam. Book a late slot for sunset in summer or aurora in winter.

The Fish Market: Icelandic seafood with Japanese touches, a dim low room and a tasting menu that suits two; the langoustine tempura is the dish people mention afterwards.

Cinnamon snúður straight from the oven and a flat white at the orange-fronted bakery below the church; the queue forms by ten, so go a few minutes early.

A last slow lap of the city pond past the ducks, City Hall and the little Fríkirkjan, flat and free, with time left before the Flybus to the airport.