The Creatures from the Blue Lagoon

Last day in Reykjavik today. Shows how quickly this trip will fly by. Nick and I are still two zombies seeking any semblance of a sleep pattern. Try snoozing when you see sunlight through the curtains at 3 o'clock! We begrudgingly dragged ourselves out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to pay a visit to the much acclaimed Blue Lagoon about 40 minutes outside of the city. Waiting outside the bus station in 40 degree weather, the wind howling at our faces, didn't do much to amp us up for swimming. Nonetheless, we managed to brave on and suck it up for adventure's sake.

Iceland is very strict about hygiene in public pools so we took a quick shower and made our way to the lagoon. You can tell standing in front of the door that you are about to freeze your barely clothed little tail off. A few courageous souls boldly pushed the door open and a few less courageous souls came scurrying back inside. The cold hit you to the bone. Nick darted for the lagoon not even realizing he had his towel still around his neck. Once you got inside this milky, crystal blue water, you are instantly at ease. The lagoon is equivalent to a gigantic hot tub, only this hot tub is said to work wonders on your skin! A geothermal power plant down the road pumps superheated water near a lava flow through turbines and a heat exchanger to make this creature what it is. It works brilliantly. To add to the lagoon's mystique are the mammoth volcanoes that surround it. A girl we met told us that some 90% of the landforms in Iceland are actually volcanoes. Fear not, these did not erupt. I cannot imagine how beautiful this place must look when the landscape is covered in a blanket of snow. A future adventure maybe?

Free from frostbite and our spirits healed by the lagoon, we spent the rest of the day wandering Reykjavik. Our last meal was at a popular seafood restaurant dubbed Sjavargrillid. Instead of ordering fisherman Jon's catch of the day, we dined on catfish and two Viking beers that tasted as awful as Pabst. I still haven't earned my Viking cred I guess. The meal was a hit until the check came. Nick and I are still having some problems with our conversions apparently.

Tomorrow we tumble along to Stockholm, Sweden. Our good mate Bill Ryan becomes our latest companion on the trip, joining us from Ireland. We will leave Iceland in awe of its beauty and with a high opinion of the Nordic people. Such great culture, talent, and kindness.