July 21, 2019

July 21, 2019

Our flight arrived in Iceland very early.  The airport is on the Keflavik Peninsula and not surprisingly it was built by the US during WWII. It is cold as we deplane on to the tarmac. I don’t think we are ready for it being this cool. To help us adjust we have our driver take us to the nearby thermal baths known as the Blue Lagoon.

Set in the middle of a moss-covered lava field, the baths are the runoff from a Geothermal Plant that taps into the Vulcanism that underlays Iceland. We shower, change into bathing suits, and enter the warm water.  The steam and the mineral-rich blue tinged water surrounded by lava rocks gives it an aura that makes the Blue Lagoon a top tourist draw. Iceland milks it by charging outrageous prices. Fortunately we have it almost all to ourselves.

The water is very relaxing. Aimee gets a silica mud mask to keep her youthful appearance. We add to the experience with both of us getting a glass of hard cider. Deciding we are prunes, we leave after about an hour. On the way to the locker room, we spot a relaxation area and try to catch a cat nap.

Showered, we meet our driver in the parking lot. We are leaving just in time. The tourist crowd has arrived. We head to the capital city of Reykjavik but we are still too early to check-in.

We dropped our luggage and walked along the harbor front past a statue of Ingolfur Arnarson, the first settler from Scandinavia. Our next stop is the new Harpa Opera House. It is an interesting construction of modern glass blocks. Our last shore stop is a modern stainless steel artistic rendition of a Viking ship called Sun Voyager. We walked back to our hotel inland passing the City Hall and Parliament buildings.

We took a short nap after checking into our hotel. We need the recharge. For dinner Aimee and I both have Lobster Bisque at a dive restaurant by the hotel. It is delicious and came with lots of chunks of Icelandic Lobster (Langoustine). Afterwards I followed Aimee while she window-shopped. Since Iceland has more sheep than people, wool yarn and sweaters are everywhere. We climbed one street that ended at the ultra-modern Hallgrimskirkja, the largest church in Iceland. Its design is inspired by the basalt columns abundant in Iceland. In front is a statue of Leif Ericson, a gift from the US. Legends says Leif was the first to discover America (Vinland).