Blue Lagoon (Icelandic: Bláa lónið) and Quirky Keflavik

Day 3 in Iceland
If you want to feel luxuriated and soothed and adventurous and more, spend the bucks and book time to soak in the baths of the Blue Lagoon  (Icelandic: Bláa lónið) The reservations fill up even a month ahead.

Going to this place was on the top of the list as to why I had to go to Iceland. And yet I didn't book it the same day as I booked my flights (2 months prior). So our Appt was at 9am and that meant we had to use an alarm (gasp!) and leave our Selfoss home early. But, it was all worth it.

We showered, conditioned our hair, and stepped into paradise. Of course we upgraded to algae mask and the ability to belly up to the pool bar for a drink. First the clay mask to get a bright white face that dries and cracks after a bit. On to checking out all the warm spots in all the corners of the pool and floating on a blue noodle in the hotter pool. We then applied the algae (slimy) mask and sipped the free drink (smoothie etc). The misty air was freezing (10 deg C) and the warm water (38-40 deg C) felt so nice. The mist made it quiet and slightly surreal. Rory sad like a Fellini movie.

After a good, long, hour and a half simmer and subsequent pickling followed by a tasty meal, we had to go. 

This meant cruising around Keflavik surroundings until check in time at our Airbnb. Viking World, the weird lady giant in a cool cave, checking out rusted boats, eating a hot dog with everything on it (Iceland style), and ordering take out lobster pizza to enjoy in our new Airbnb.

Tomorrow it's off to Glasgow, the day after Great Britain voted by a small margin to leave the EU. Should be interesting.

Lupine

Fog and volcanic rocks 

Lava flow frozen in time

 Unassuming beginnings

The lagoon

Quirky...

Roundabout Viking Sword

Viking World

Viking life diarama

Viking ship that cuts through the 

water like knife.

Lamsdamdyrin 

Escapee

The cave

Beautiful Icelandic Nature

Day 2 Iceland (Thurs, June 23)
Three stops, long day, finish with haute cuisine and sleeping at a rural Airbnb next to a pasture of Icelandic horses.

The first of our Golden Circle stops was Þingvellir, anglicised as Thingvellir, followed by Geysir, and the finale was Gullfoss Falls. 

Let's get the unpleasant out of the way.
The tour busses were a bit overwhelming as they would descend upon a beautiful landmark in droves, most everyone apparently unable to understand there were other folks around beside themselves. Getting behind one of these human traffic jams became physically and mentally challenging. And like lemmings, they all immediately lined up at the WC to get some their 200 Isk Krona bladder relief. The other more minor challenge were the flies. They only come out in the warm summer months and there presence actually seems amazing became Iceland doesn't have many insects due to the cold. However they were slightly irksome as they were attracted to human warmth and human orifices and all the wild air swatting made said human look nuts from afar.

Then to the beauty. Mountains, lakes, tectonic plate and Continent shifts. Parliament meetings, religion swapping, and history. And off the beaten path small winding trails. Thingvelir.

Yikes

Fissures ran through

the land

Lava flow frozen in time

Escape route

View from below

The oldest Iceland

Church location

Looking up from below

The unbeaten path

Patience, expectation, 100 degree Celsius geothermal bursts. Lupin, climbing to the top of a mountain (steep rocky hilltop), bubbling hot sulfur smelling creeks Geysir.

Purple and luscious green everywhere

Steam came up from many

holes in the ground

View of the blast from the top

of the mountain. The elusive but magnifcent display comes every few to ten minutes. No warning. The crowd exclaims and dashes from the hot, wet mist.

Mountain conquered

Rainbows, rushing forceful water, and lots of mist. Gullfoss.

Wet from the spray and very happy

Old fishing village with a oceanside restaurant serving lobster soup and delicate lamb shanks. We had two fishing villages to choose from.

Fjorubordid in Stokkseyri won for our top delicious dining experience

But Eyrarbakki won for eclectic

The boardwalk was designed to allow the existing lava rock to stay in place.

For dinner later?

The safety flags alerting sailors about the surf in the straits between Iceland's southern coast and nearby islands

The sea

Outside the bedroom window of 

our Airbnb