Blaine and Felicia at Iceland's Famous “Blue Lagoon”
Felicia's debuts her stylish monokini at the Blue Lagoon
Blaine enters the cave at the Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is a comfortable 98° to 102° F (36° - 39° C)
Strokkur erupts every 3 to 5 minutes in the town of Geysir (the namesake of all other geysers)
Gullfoss (Golden Falls) falls in two stages
The second section of Gullfoss drops 105 ft (32 m) into a narrow channel
Perlan (The Pearl) is a revolving restaurant overlooking Reykjavik
The Perlan restaurant has 792 windows
We had a delicious 4 course meal as we slowly revolved
By dessert time we had completed about 3/4 of a full revolution
It's 11pm on the viewing deck, with still an hour before sunset
Sólfar is a sculpture, near Reykjavik harbor, representing a Viking boat
Blaine stands along Reykjavik's coastline
Skógafoss, along the south coast, is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland
Skógasafn is an Icelandic folk museum
The outdoor museum has a turf farmhouse, a schoolroom and a church
The black sand beach at Vik was included in “Top Ten Most Beautiful Beaches” by Islands Magazine in 1991
Sheep graze freely all around Iceland
Svínafellsjökull Glacier is part of Skaftafell National Park
Erin was our guide hiking up the glacier
Crampons were very useful in gripping the ice to avoid falling into crevasses
Svínafellsjökull was no match for Felicia
Svínafellsjökull was a filiming location for “Batman Begins”
The view from the glacier was well worth the 5 hour hike
Jökulsárlón is a famous glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland
Jökulsárlón was a filming location for two James Bond movies and “Tomb Raider”
Under certain conditions the ice takes on a beautiful blue glow
We cruised around the lagoon in an amphibious vehicle like this one
Vatnajökull Glacier (background) is the largest glacier in Europe
Typically only the top 10% of the ice is visible above water
Jökulsárlón was also a waypoint in the Amazing Race, Season 6
This picturesque harbor is in the fishing town of Höfn
Gravel roads were more typical in Eastern Iceland which meant we had to slow down
Views like this were common on the way to Egilsstaðir on the east
Ferries and cruise ships arrive in Seyðisfjörður, in a valley carved out by a glacier
The distance from Egilsstadir to Myvatn is about 90 miles (144 km), all uphill
The lava field in Mývatn has many interesting formations
This lava formation is nicknamed the “picture frame”
The area was called Dimmuborgir which literally means “dark forts”
Mývatn (Midge Lake) was formed by a volcanic eruption
Formations around the lake include these “pseudocraters”
Goðafoss (waterfall of the gods) is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland
We arrived at Goðafoss at a perfect time of day
We were able to go right to the edge of the falls
Goðafoss was our favorite waterfall in Iceland (and we saw many)
This is a view as we were heading toward Akureyri in the north
On the east side of Eyjafjörður, you can see the northern capital of Akureyri
Icelandic horses are unique breed with a size close to a pony and five gaits
The bay in Húsavík is a popular place for whale watching
We couldn't resist taking a “whale watching” tour of the bay
Blaine keeps the video camera at the ready in case a whale surfaces nearby
It was sunny, but windy. Gloves would have been a good idea
Thar she blows!
We saw minke whales as well as this larger sperm whale
A sailing schooner joined us searching for whales
Native Icelanders will swim year-round at the local “sundlaugs”
Most swimming pools have an assortment of slides
This slide ends with a splash into the warm water
That was fun! Now for the big tube!
A large splash is imminent
Felicia takes a turn up the slide too
This slide went up about 4 stories and the ride down included many twists, some in complete darkness
“Someday I'll look like that”
We had a four-course “surprise” meal in Akureyri
The dessert at Frederick V came in a specially designed box
This sculpture and much of the restaurant decor was made by a local artist
The botanic gardens in Akureyri had plants and flowers from all over Iceland
This was the section on Icelandic flowers
We had fun strolling around
Look! A decorative cabbage!
The Hotel Tindstoll is the oldest hotel in Iceland
We took a detour along a bumpy dirt road north of Sauðárkrókur
The end of the road leads to a small farm and a natural hot pool called “Grettislaug”
The sod-roofed building and the farm have been abandoned
A little rain wasn't going to deter us from swimming
According to the sagas, Viking hero Grettir swam the nearby channel
Grettislaug (Grettir's Pool) was where he recovered after his cold swim
There was a larger rectangular pool nearby
It made for a very relaxing soak
Snorri Thorfinnsson (the first European child born in North America) lived here at Glaumbaer
Today Glaumbaer is a museum showcasing life in sod-houses
The living quarters included numerous rooms and living space for a couple dozen people
Glaumbaer's church continues to attract worshippers
The harbor at Hofsós is silouetted
The wind along the coast didn't phase these Icelandic horses
Hofsós is one of the oldest trading ports in Iceland dating back to the 16th century
Thordarhofdi looks like an island but is attached to the mainland by two thin gravel banks
Sunset brings out beautiful colors along Iceland's north coast
The island of Drangey is visible in the distance
Iceland is dotted with farms
To maintain the breed, once a horse leaves Iceland, it may not return
The sun was in the process of setting at 10:30 pm
Here you can see the ”three pearls“ of Skagafjordur; Drangey Island, Malmey Island and Thordarhofdi
Classic Icelandic architecture reflects the Norwegian ancestry of the Vikings
Blaine is standing next to a traditional lighthouse near the harbor town of Stykkishólmur
Stykkishólmur became an important trading site by 1550 on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula
When the skies are gray, head to the local public swimming pools
The slides in Borgarnes were particularly fast
Glub!
The hot tubs were 96°, 100° and 104°F (37°, 39° and 41°C)
Felicia enjoys one last typical Icelandic breakfast
The “Puffin Express” is an hour-long tour out of Reykjavik harbor
The island of Akurey is a quick 15 minute boat trip from Reykjavik
Most of the world’s puffins are found in Iceland, where sixty percent of the population breeds
Akurey is home to 15,000 pairs of Arctic Puffins, as well as other sea birds
A puffin can fly 48 to 55 mph and beat its wings up to 400 beats a minute
A first course at the famous Fjalakötturinn restaurant offers both lamb and lobster
We bid farewell to Iceland early the next morning
