“The only thing that stands between a person and what they want in life is the will to try it and the faith to believe it’s possible.” -Anonymous
Category Archives: Iceland 2012
Things to know about traveling to Reykjavik/Iceland
As a follow-up to posts about my trip to Iceland, I definitely wanted to tell you a couple of important things to know if you plan on going there.
Reykjavik is a HUGE party town! If that is your thing you will love it. And by party town I mean that the party goes until 6 in the morning on Friday and Saturday nights. And it’s crazy. And by crazy I mean people screaming at the tops of their lungs and breaking bottles.
You don’t have to choose a hotel/apartment based on location alone. By that I mean that Reykjavik is a VERY small town and almost all hotels are within only 1 mile of the city center. You can literally walk from one end of the main part of town to the other in 10 minutes or so. There are some places that are outside of walking distance, however, so make sure you’re within 1 mile. If you do choose to be in the center of the city, you will definitely hear the parties that take place on the weekend.
It is also a very expensive town. I never paid less than $12 for a glass of wine. And a cup of coffee alone will set you back at least $3. Don’t get me wrong, there are places where you can find cheap eats but I never found any cheap drinks 🙂
If you plan on walking outside – even down the street – bring a waterproof jacket. They say if you don’t like the weather in Iceland, wait 5 minutes. I know many towns use that phrase but in the case of Iceland, it is definitely true. It would pour on my head and then 10 minutes later the sun would be out. Out of the 7 full days I was there, it rained on 6 of them. And it’s not a sprinkle! So bring a waterproof jacket and if you plan on doing any outdoor activities, bring waterproof pants and boots too.
If you have problems walking on stone in heels, leave your heels at home.
Ask your tour guides questions. They are a wealth of information. I’ve found that some of them aren’t as forthcoming with information right off the bat and need to be asked questions. You can find out so much about not just your tour but the country in general or something specific.
Guys, the women are just as beautiful as you’d think they’d be. Stereotypically Scandinavian – blonde, blue-eyed, porcelain skin – the works.
Get out of the city! The scenery outside of Reykjavik is extreme and beautiful and even creepy – but it’s so much more impressive than the city alone.
Finally, for anyone traveling abroad, use Skype. It’s awesome. Anywhere that you can get WiFi, you can use Skype with other Skype users for free. Yes, free. I was sitting in the Blue Lagoon talking on the phone with my mother in Lockport, NY for free. It doesn’t get better than that. Oh – did I mention it’s free?!
And if you have any questions, please just ask. I truly love sharing what I’ve learned during my travels.
Sea Kayaking at Hvalfjörður fjord
Sea kayaking at last! It seems like I booked this trip so long ago and it’s finally here. Unfortunately, that means it’s also my last night in Iceland.
It was an early morning as the trip left the city at 9. We had a short ride to Hvalfjörður fjord where we were to kayak. As most of you know, sea kayaking was one of the big reasons that I chose this trip to Iceland over others. And I really, really wanted an opportunity to see some whales while I kayaked. But…I didn’t see any. Which is interesting, seeing as the name Hvalfjörður is derived from the large number of whales which could be found and caught there prior to the 1980s. And until then, one of the biggest whaling stations in Iceland was located in this fjord. But still…no whales. But the fjord was as breathtaking as the rest of Iceland has been. And it was fascinating to learn that during World War II, a naval base of the British and American navies could be found in this fjord because it offered them some protection. You could still see the remains of some of the buildings used during the war and our guide explained that there were submarines docked in the fjord during the war.
I had one of the same guides for this tour as I did for the Blue Ice tour on the glacier – Simmi. He and Rowan, a Brit who had a summer to kill, explained the trip and how to gear up. I’ve been kayaking before but this was my first time in a proper kayak with proper gear. We wore wetsuits and spray jackets and a flotation device as well as spray skirts – which is what straps you into the kayak. We were taught to paddle and spent a few minutes learning how to escape if we capsized. Yes, those were the words used. But I wasn’t scared! Ok, I was a little scared. You had to have the mind to figure out where your spray skirt was attached to the kayak while underwater in order to escape. Luckily, I didn’t capsize – although one of the men in our group did. Finally we were off.
We kayaked around the shore of this gorgeous fjord for about an hour. Mostly people were spread out so you couldn’t hear anything but the sound of the wind and your breath and your paddle hitting the water. It was very peaceful. And the weather turned out to be perfect. It was a bit windy but that only made the trip more exhausting and exhilarating. And a bit painful; my arms and shoulders are still screaming at me!
After an hour or so we stopped for lunch on a little beach and then headed back. All in all we kayaked for about 2 hours and it was as great as I’d hoped – except for the fact that I didn’t see any whales. I didn’t even see any fish unless you could the enormous jellyfish that we saw near the shore.
One of the guides, Rowan, had lived in New Zealand last year. I told him I was heading there for a 40th birthday trip next year and asked if he’d mind recommending some spots. He proceeded to draw a map of both the North and South islands, complete with where to go and what to do. He also completely changed my mind on what time of year to go. It was awesome! And it makes me even more excited for that trip!
Probably needless to say, by the time I got back to my room I was tired and very, very sore. I need a rest from this vacation! So I took a quick nap. I woke up at 5, however, and remembered that most of the non-tourist stores here in Reykjavik close at 6. I needed to get moving in order to purchase some artwork. I made my way down Laugavegur which is one of the main shopping streets in Reykjavik and found what I wanted in a store called Art 67. I had seen this store on my first day in Iceland and knew I’d find something incredible there. I bought a glass bowl and 2 glass candlestick holders from a local artist that will always remind me of this harsh, yet gorgeous place. The proprietor also helped me find a restaurant for my last night in the city. I told her I wanted something that had Scandinavian food, was frequented by locals, that had a good atmosphere and of course, good wine! She pointed me to Grillmarkadurinn.
Grillmarkadurinn literally translates to the Grill Market. It was the sassiest restaurants I’ve ever been to. It was hidden in an alleyway and I never would have found it without the recommendation. I sat at the grill bar, which is the bar surrounding the grill. It was fun to watch them grill the food. And all I ordered was fish soup and it was the best fish soup I’ve ever had. Filled with BIG chunks of lobster and shrimp and mussels. That the and (loaf!) of bread with it was more than enough for a small army and it was an absolutely perfect last dinner in Reykjavik.
Riding Icelandic Horses
Well, it’s official – I am finally…lonely. I can humbly admit that last night was difficult. This country is so amazing and I’ve done so many once-in-a-lifetime things and last night it really hit me how much I wish I had someone to share that with. Don’t get me wrong, I did’t let it get me down but it was the first time that I felt that ache since I’ve been here. In some ways, its a good thing. It means I’m ready to go home. Enough about that…more about another incredible day yesterday.
My morning was spent wandering around Reykjavik. I haven’t spent much time getting lost in the city so decided to do that. I also haven’t spent ANY time shopping and am now feeling a little pressure in that area. For those of you that know me, I always bring back some piece of local art from every place that I travel to. That way my home is filled with memories of all of the places I’ve had the fortune of going to. So I was able find a couple of places that I’ll go back to today and pick up a memory of Iceland.
In the afternoon, I was off to ride Icelandic horses with Islenski Hesturinn – a company that was recommended by Trip Advisor and by more than one person that I’ve met while here. The stable – which is run by a woman called Begga. She grew up in Reykjavik but has traveled the world. I’m not even sure how many languages she spoke. More than 4…Anyway, she was absolutely fabulous. She had a smile that could light up a room and was so passionate about what she does and her horses and that passion was contagious. She sat us down for around 30 minutes and spoke to us about what we’d experience and how to ride. There were only 4 of us on the tour so it was very intimate.
The Icelandic horse is different from any other horse in the world. They are smaller than other horses but very, very powerful. The real difference, however, is how purebread they are. No horses – in all of Iceland – are vaccinated. And, if a horse leaves the country they are not allowed back in. Iceland is very proud of their horses and rightly so. In addition, the Icelandic horse has 5 gaits. Most horses have 3 – walk, trot and gallop – which should sound familiar. The other 2 gaits are the unique tolt and the beautiful flying pace. We would be riding using the tolt on the tour but Begga showed us photos of horses using both the tolt and the flying pace. In photos of a horse using the tolt you can see that only one hoof is on the ground at a time. Unbelievable, right? And with the flying pace, NO hoof is on the ground at a certain point. Even more unbelievable – and gorgeous! The tolt is unique because the ride is smooth. Icelandics joke that you can ride and sip a glass of champagne at the same time – with no spilling. It sounded amazing and we were off.
My horse was named Ljosbra – a gorgeous white and brown female. We mounted the horses and were given a little direction before we left the gate. We were told to have our heels down and sit in the saddle like you sit on a couch – ‘heavy’ is what Begga called it. That’s how you communicated to your horse that you were ready to tolt. Well, it took me quite a while but I finally got the hang of it. I’m sure most people have trotted or galloped on a horse; you really do bounce quite a bit. But when you are tolting, there is honestly no bounce! Its the most incredible feeling in the world. So smooth and fast. I would go between trotting and tolting because my form would change and the horse would know and the difference was so stark. So yes, I was walking around last night like I’d spent time on horse 🙂 But by the end of the ride, I was like an old pro – thanks to Begga and her instruction and of course, practice.
The ride itself was over 2.5 hours long. We rode around some lava fields near the stable and by lakes and mountains made of volcanic ash. As with everything in Iceland, the scenery was fantastic and wild. Begga took photos of us the whole time and, although I don’t have any right now of me on one of these beautiful creatures, I will have some within 2 weeks and I’ll make sure I post them here.
This tour was definitely another highlight of my trip here. I think that I had a huge grin on my face the entire time I was riding – especially when we were going fast and I had the tolt down. And like I said, Begga’s passion was contagious and the horses were so beautiful and sweet.
I got back to my hotel for a quick shower and decided to take in the local art scene. There’s a show currently on at the Harpa in Reykjavik called ‘How to Become Icelandic in 60 Minutes’. It’s a one-man comedy show that makes fun of all things Icelandic. I had wanted to take some time to see the concert hall called Harpa and thought the show might be enlightening and entertaining. So off I went.
Harpa is a stunning concert hall near the harbor in Reykjavik. It was originally funded privately but when the financial crisis occurred in 2008, construction on the hall stopped. Finally, when things started to look up financially, the government decided to complete the construction. It is something the Icelandics talk about with a good bit of sarcasm because the development was intended to include a 400-room hotel, luxury apartments, retail units, restaurants, a car park and the new headquarters of Icelandic bank Landsbanki but now just includes the concert hall. Regardless, it is a stunning building and the show was so funny.
The show was put on by a Reykjavik local who provided 15 lessons on how to be Icelandic; all of them poking fun at the Icelandic. Some of the lessons included ‘Love the balls’, which refers to the tradition of eating Ram’s balls and the pronunciation for Eyjafjallajökull, which is the volcano that erupted in 2010. We also learned that on the weekend we should get drunk and have sex. It reminded me of an offer I got earlier in the week…the show was very funny and it ended with a video montage of why we love Iceland. The images of glaciers and volcanoes were stunning as you could imagine.
I made a quick stop at The Icelandic bar for a glass of wine and to watch the world go by. But by 11, accounting for the loneliness, I was asleep in my own apartment.
Below is an awesome video of the horses scratching their backs after the ride. They look like they are in heaven!
I’m also including a beautiful picture of a garden outside Parliament (not too much security, huh?) and a picture of the Settlement Exhibition. Notice it says 871 +- 2. That’s because they’re not positive of the year the Vikings arrived.
White Night Hike
Last night was the first night that I was way too exhausted to post. But, again, it was a wonderful day. I finally did the free walking tour of Reykjavik. It is a tour put on by a company called Goecco Outdoor Adventures. A student does the tour for tips only. I definitely should have done this tour days ago because I learned a lot about the city and the country. And it was the same company I’d signed up to do the White Night hike with later on in the day.
The White Night hike is supposed to be to a ‘secret’ location so I can’t even say where it was that we ended up. But we passed lava fields covered with the softest, cushiest green moss you’ve ever seen. It was only a 30-minute drive and then we set off for the hike. We hiked about 3 km through fields filled with geothermal steam. It was a beautiful sight – deep green mountains and cliffs with steam rising from them. And little pockets of geothermal activity where the mud was so hot that it was boiling. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was gorgeous and creepy at the same time. And with the sun setting it was even more surreal. To make things a little more interesting, it started to pour down rain. And of course I was unprepared for the weather. But fortunately, the rain wasn’t cold and we were going to bath in a geothermal river shortly so getting wet wasn’t a big deal.
We made it to the river where we were to bathe and the rain really started to come down. At this point all of my clothes were soaked anyway so everyone stripped and made a mad dash for the river. The water was so clear and pure and wonderfully hot! It felt like paradise sitting there in a natural hot tub with the rain pouring down surrounded by the most amazing natural sights. To make it even better, our guides, Taylor and Tatur, provided us with wine 🙂 I didn’t think it could get better but, there you go, I was wrong. So we sat in this river drinking wine and telling stories.
The group consisted of 3 couples and me (story of my life, right?). But they were all such nice people and we got along famously. My favorite of the group were Kay and Metam. She is from Vienna and speaks like the queen of England. Apparently her grandmother taught the elocution lessons growing up so she’d have proper speech. It was lovely to listen to. And her best friend, Metam, is from India originally. They met working for the UN in Kabul. He still works there and she now works in Tripoli. Yes as in Libya. They both do this extremely dangerous job on a daily basis and had come to Iceland for R&R. They were absolutely fascinating as you can probably imagine. Their stories were extreme and dangerous and sad and exciting and inspiring. Again, I feel lucky to have met and spent some time with them.
After more wine and shots of Brennivín which is a brand of Schnapps that is Iceland’s signature liquor, we were given homemade soup and sandwiches. It was perfect because at this point we were starving. Then I finally got to try shark. I was nervous about it because the smell is extreme – and not in a good way. But it was actually very tasty. Rich and dense and not too fishy.
It was getting dark and time to get started on the 3k trek back. Luckily, because my clothes were soaked, Teitur gave me his nice, warm, dry coats to wear back. And gloves! Thank goodness for amazing guides. And then we were off. About 30 minutes into the trek back, it was completely dark. Taylor and one of our fellow hikers lit torches and we all had headlamps. Again, with the steam and the fog rolling in it was so surreal. And beautiful and very, very peaceful. No sounds of traffic or people. Its times like those where you realize how small you are. And you appreciate all of your surroundings! And the people you get to share the experience with.
It was around 11 when we got back to the van and we were all physically exhausted. It was a great feeling to just sit back and watch the world go by on our way back to the city. And now you can all understand why writing last night was impossible.
Today I’m off to ride the unique Icelandic horses. It should be quite an experience as Kay and Metam rode them 2 days ago and said it was quite a highlight. Either way, you’ll all hear about it soon!
Check out the pictures below. Such fun!
Trekking Sólheimajökull Glacier
Today I did one of the coolest things I´ve ever done in my life (and I´ve done a lot of cool things). I went ice trekking. I decided since I´ve never seen a glacier in real life, I needed to do that while in Iceland. So I booked a tour with Arctic Adventures called Blue Ice. I didn´t really know what to expect. But it was un-freaking believable!!! I know I won´t be able to put into words how incredible it was. But I´ll try to at least give you an idea.
Upon meeting the group at their office, I immediately met some new friends – David, Richard and Joe from Florida. I knew off the bat that the day was going to be extraordinary with them. They had me laughing within 5 minutes!
We drove for about 2.5 hours from Reykjavik past Eyjafjallajökull, which was the volcano that erupted in 2010 and caused all the air traffic issues from Europe. You could just see the top of the crater peeking out from the clouds. That alone was worth the drive! But all around the dramatic mountains that we drove by were small – and not so small – waterfalls. You´d pass one that would be gorgeous just to pass another more beautiful one 5 minutes later.
We finally got to the glacier and I´ve never seen anything like it. I won´t say it was beautiful but it was. But more than that – it was massive and HARSH looking. Absolutely amazing. It made me feel very, very small. And it was surrounded by huge green cliffs and ash. I´ve included a picture below but it will never give you the idea of standing there and seeing it for yourself. As soon as we started walking to the glacier I felt like I was walking on another planet. The black ash and the blue ice were other-worldly. To add to the craziness of the experience, it began to rain/hail. I wasn´t prepared for the weather regardless and when this started, I was a little worried. But it did add to the atmosphere.
We spent a little while putting on our crampons and getting a lesson on walking on ice and using the pick ax. Then we were off up the glacier.
Our guides were amazing – Simi was studying geology at the University of Iceland and was full of knowledge on glaciers; this one in particular. He explained how the ice was melting so fast and how the glacier kept moving and how the lines of black ash were formed via the crevasses in the ice. It was fascinating and kind of spooky. He kept pointing out a website where we could we could see time-lapsed video of the changing of the glacier – www.extremeicesurvey.org. Pretty cool. We walked the glacier for about 90 minutes, stopping periodically to hear more explanations of the massive thing – and to take pictures of course. I can´t even count how many times I just stopped and my mouth dropped open and I was absolutely in awe! It was such an amazing, unique sight.
Finally it was time to try our hands at climbing an ice wall. Everyone got to do it and the guide said I was ‘like an expert’. I told him he probably said that to all the girls 🙂 It was so much fun! And difficult! And addicting. I can´t wait to try it again. And we only climbed about 20 feet. I can´t even imagine how incredible it would be to climb higher. Wow – that´s all I cay say – wow…
On the way back to Reykjavik we stopped at the magnificent waterfall called Seljalandsfoss. It´s the biggest waterfall I´ve ever seen and was like a picture out of a postcard. That and the Icelandic horses that were riding at the base of the waterfall were incredible.
We made our way back to Reykjavik and my new friends invited me out to dinner with them. Who knew we were going to the ‘best restaurant in the country’. Do keep in mind that this is a small country – but still! They made reservations at the Perlan which is a landmark building in Reykjavik with a revolving restaurant on the top that does a complete 360 tour of the city in 2 hours. So here I was at a gourmet restaurant with 3 dates – lucky girl or what?! Needless to say, we had an absolute blast – eating and drinking and telling stories. It was the perfect ending to an absolutely unforgettable day! And it was made all that much better by these 3 men. They were so kind and funny and thoughtful and really made my day one of the best ever!
How is it that each day gets better and better?! It certainly can´t continue, right? I´m hoping it does…
Tomorrow I´m off to go white night hiking – a hike to some natural hot springs at night. Can it be more amazing than today? Here´s hoping!
The Blue Lagoon
I finally got some good rest last night and slept in – woo-hoo! I had planned a big day at the Blue Lagoon so went to a traditional Icelandic cafe for breakfast/lunch. I had Skyr – which is their yogurt-like food. It reminds me of Greek yogurt and is soooo tasty. I also finally got to try Icelandic rye bread – which is so rich and hearty and really, really good. So I was fueled up and ready for what everyone says is a must-see in Iceland.
I met some people on the flight from Boston who invited me to hang out with them and we hadn´t had a chance to hook up but I managed to get on the same bus to the Blue Lagoon with them. It´s a group of about 15 runners from Boston who planned their trip around the marathon. Very, very athletic people – I believe most of them set a PR during the race and a few of them even placed. They´re pretty impressive and I had no leg to stand on to complain about my crappy half-marathon. Regardless, it was really nice to spend some time talking and getting to know them.
The Blue Lagoon…was…AMAZING! Seriously, I need a thesaurus to find more words to describe this incredible place and the things I´m getting to do here. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa and the most visited attraction in Iceland. It is smack dab in the middle of a lava field. The minerals in the spa – sulfur and silica – give it the blue hue you see in pictures. That, the surrounding lava rocks, and the steam rising from the pools give it the most beautiful, yet eerie look that I´ve ever seen. I´m attaching a picture below to give you some idea of how unique and creepy-cool it is. The silica in the lagoon is supposed to be very good for your skin and people are encouraged to slather it on their skin, let it dry and then rinse it off. So it looks like you´re sitting in a blue pool with white yogurt on your face. Did it feel phenomenal – absolutely! Will it provide my skin with healing powers – I sure hope so! It was a wonderful excursion added to by some new Boston friends who were very kind and accepted me into their group with open arms.
Yesterday I told a story of hearing my name called out in a park in the middle of the city. A similar thing happened to me today. I´ve read that this is a very small town and it seems to be the case. After the excursion, I decided to go to a Haitian cafe that I´d read about. I got my beer and was outside looking at the harbor and talking to a very drunk local man when one of the Bostonians came out to the patio and asked me to have dinner with them! Definitely a small town. We had a nice relaxing meal with wonderful Icelandic fish soup and local beer. They are off to camp for the next few days but I´m hoping to hook up with them when they return to the city. Again, I love, love, love that I get the opportunity to meet these incredible people! It´s why I travel.
Tomorrow I´m off to a glacier. I´ve never seen a glacier so it should be exciting! We´re going ice hiking and rock climbing and then to see one of the beautiful waterfalls this country has to offer.
Stay tuned…and thank you for reading…
Reykjavik Marathon and Culture Night
Have I told everyone that my apartment sits right across an alleyway from 2 nightclubs. Does everyone know the kind of partying one does (well, one that´s younger than this woman) in Reykjavik? According to my ears, the party gets started around 12:30 am and goes until at least 5:00 am. So…that´s when I was finally able to take out my earplugs and get some sleep! Yes, I am old 🙂 But this morning I was able to make my own coffee and relax before the run in my room. It was a gorgeous day for a run – around 55 degrees and overcast. But the run itself was not so gorgeous. There´s nothing like a solo half-marathon to put a self-proclaimed ‘fit’ person in her place! Let´s just say that the ONLY thing that didn´t hurt was my lungs. Even my elbows hurt after that! But – one thing that I´ll try to bring back to a run in the states…around mile 11, instead of sports gels, they gave out bites of chocolate! That made me very happy. Needless to say, it wasn´t my best run; but I did finish and felt wonderful afterward. Friends and family, next time I say I´m going to do something like a half-marathon on my own, please gently tell me how STUPID that is 🙂
The rest of my day has been even better than yesterday and more than made up for my tired feet and aching back. It was the Reykjavik Culture Night – a yearly party that I´m equating to our Fourth of July celebrations. There were tens of thousands of people eating, drinking, dancing and playing music in the city. It was absolutely phenomenal. After a leisurely stroll (because I could barely walk!) through the city with a local beer, I went to sit down in one of the parks with my book when I hear my name being called. As I know all of about 10 people in this town, I was shocked. But it happened to be a couple that I met on the way from the airport on Thursday. So we hung out in the park and they invited me to dinner with them.
Dinner was a traditional Icelandic lamb that was out of this world! That and good wine and wonderful, fascinating people made the dinner so much fun. And we had tons of laughs. This is what I live and travel for – meeting incredible, interesting people that I would otherwise not have the opportunity to meet! It makes me so thankful to be able to do the things I do. Sorry, that was a bit of a tangent…we then decided we needed a bit more wine and took the party to their apartment where we shared more stories and laughs.
The Culture Night ends every year with fireworks across from the main stage. So we headed down to the park and caught the last few songs from the band. I´ve included a picture below of the crowd. Absolutely amazing!!!! I LOVE the feeling of experiencing something that so many aren´t even aware of; let alone get to experience. It was soooo cool. Seeing all of these different people from so many different cultures coming out to experience and celebrate the same thing – together. Wow…I don´t even have words. And the fireworks were pretty cool too.
It´s been a long, freaking amazing day and I´m exhausted. I´m hoping to sleep like a baby but thinking the party in the clubs outside may nix that idea. But here´s to trying.
Stay tuned…tomorrow I´m going to the famous Blue Lagoon.
Reykjaik Rocks
Today was my first full day in Reykjavik and it was phenomenal. It´s the capital and a very small city in Iceland and right on the water. It reminds me of other cities in Europe with its quaint streets and cafes and bars on every corner. It was a beautiful day – sunny and around 60 degrees – so it seemed like everyone was taking advantage of the weather and enjoying their meals outside on tiny tables almost in the middle of the street. Most of the streets and sidewalks are cobblestone which is adorable. My feet, however, don´t agree.
I spent the morning walking the city and exploring the cute little homes and cottages and shops. I went to the Modern Art Museum and Hallgrimskirkja – which is a church from where you get an amazing, 360-degree view of the country from the tallest point in the city. Wow! I saw Reykjavik from the top – all of its rooftops are different bright colors – and Mt. Esja (a volcanic mountain range in Southwest Iceland) in the distance and of course the ocean. I can´t put into words how beautiful it was. But I´ll include a picture so you get a small idea.
I made my way to the Laugardalsholl Sports Hall where packet pick up was for the race tomorrow. At that point my feet were saying, ‘What the h*ll are you walking 3 miles to the EXPO for, knowing you´re running a half marathon tomorrow?!’ My feet were right – that was a stupid idea. Finally got my packet and proceeded to one of Reykjavik´s well-known thermal pools, called Laugardalslaug, for a bit of relaxation. My feet approved. There are many thermal pools in the city. To me, they look like a huge, crowded hot tub. Well, multiple huge crowded hot tubs. At these thermal pools, also called hot pots, the water is pure, coming from thousands of meters below the ground. It comes from the run-off of water used to provide geothermal electricity to the region. Pretty cool. And with it being only around 60, the water felt wonderful. And it was so clean! In fact, you are required to take a shower ‘without a swimsuit’ prior to going into the pools. There is a very specific drawing as you enter the showers as to where you must wash AND there´s a guard making sure you do! Let me tell you, guys, I saw more naked women today than I´ve seen in a year in Charlotte. Jealous??!!
With happy feet and a nice warm body I used the local bus system to make my way back to town. Again, my feet applauded me. Stopped at a little deli for a local beer and a panini. Candace, I hope you´re smiling as you read that.
I´m back at the hotel but off shortly to check out the wine scene in Reykjavik. Someone´s got to do it, right?! But it will be an early night for me as the half marathon starts at 8:40 tomorrow. Hopefully by the time my friends and family wake in the morning, I´ll be done and enjoying a celebratory beer with the rest of the finishers.
Stay tuned…
On my way
This is what the Universe had to say this morning:
“Whatever you’re going to do today, Aimee, please, do it to the best of your ability. As if it was all that mattered; as if it was all you had; and as if your very happiness depended upon it. Because these are among the very truths you came here to learn.
You rock,
The Universe”
How about that?! I’m pretty sure most days the Universe is right on and today she nailed it!
So I’m finally on my way. All packed -although I’m sure I forgot something – and set to blog via free WiFi all over the world. I’m still nervous but so ready to face the adventures that await.
Funny the things that I miss immediately. My sweet Roxy of course. And my coffee 🙂
Stay tuned…here I go!
