Tag Archives: Iceland

Blue Lagoon Spa

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It was almost a year ago that we went to Iceland for the summer solstice.  Needless to say, we won’t be going back this year as the trip would take way to long.  I have to say Iceland is really a special place – I highly recommend it to other travelers.  The people are great. The land is like nowhere else I have ever seen. They have some of the most magical natural wonders.  I’ve previously posted about Thingviller and Skógafoss, but I’d like to go back to the Blue Lagoon.

I’m not sure if this was the inspiration for the really bad 80’s movie of the same name. I can’t imagine so, as that was meant to be on a tropical island. That’s something that even I cannot say resembles Iceland. However, it was a great treat for us.  There’s something in Reykjavik that the locals affectionately call ‘the runtur‘, which is essentially an all-night pub crawl.  Most of the bars stay open until 4 AM with a handful staying open until 8 AM or later.  The situation is complicated even more by the summer solstice. During this time, the sun dips below the horizon around midnight. It then starts coming back up around 3 AM.  We finally made it back to our apartment around 7 AM and woke the next afternoon around 3 PM.  We stopped for some sandwiches to calm our stomachs. Then, we went to the Blue Lagoon spa. It is a naturally heated, geothermal pool. There is mud you can put on your skin to naturally exfoliate.  The pool is naturally heated to around 37-39°C / 98-102°F.  Even better, they have a small bar on the edge of the pool. I was able to enjoy sparkling wine while nursing my hangover from the runtur the night before. I soaked in a 102°F public bath.  All in all, an outstanding experience.  The photo below shows the entrance to the spa. The designers did a great job of making the building appear just a part of the natural surroundings.

Canon 7D | Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 | 50mm | f/13.0 | 1/80th | ISO200 – 3 image HDR

Small waterfalls at the edges of continents

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Today we’re back in Iceland for a quick stop.  This waterfall was along a path just outside of Thingviller.  We stopped at the main Thingviller site and walked around a bit.  After visiting the tourist spot, we walked down and around the main rocks. A much smaller waterfall appeared behind a little cliff.   We spent so much time here because it is one of the two spots in the entire world. Here, you can see the joining of two continental plates above ground.  It really is fascinating. Once you understand, you realize that you are standing on two continents.

Thingviller, in Icelandic, means Parliament Plains.  It is where, for two weeks each summer, the would hold Parliament, resolve any disputes and pass laws. Really a remarkable place.

 Canon 7D | Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 | 14mm | f/11 | 1/50th | ISO100 | 3 image HDR

Where the fairies live

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In Iceland, most people won’t admit, but they believe in fairies.  In Iceland, they turn roads so they don’t disturb the fairies. They skip erecting buildings to respect these beliefs. They generally respect things which the rest of the world doesn’t believe actually exist.  It’s sort of a fascinating cultural phenomenon.

The more interesting question is ‘where do the fairies actually live’?  Here’s an example.

Canon 7D | Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 | 24mm | f/4.0 | 1/250th | ISO400

Perspective on Size

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Not too much of an explanation needed here.  I believe this waterfall is Skógafoss, which we hit on our way back to the city from Jökulsárlón.  We were pretty road weary, but we kept on trekking to get the trip complete.  Officially,  Skógafoss waterfall is a width of 82 feet and a drop of 200 ft.  I can’t say this photo gives the grandeur the justice it deserves.

Canon 7D | Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 | | 44 mm | f/4.0 | 1/125th | ISO100

Be Free!! Be Free!!

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On our recent trip to Iceland, we decided to drive for nearly a full day. It took about 5 or 6 hours by car. We wanted to get out to the Ice Lagoon at Jökulsárlón.  Vatnajökull is a glacier where it descends off the mountains and the volcano. It flows into the ice lagoon, called Jökulsárlón.  Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Europe, and covers approximately 8% of the island.

You have this scene. A glacier is coming down off the hills and into a lagoon. As the water warms up the ice, large ice chunks break off and float around in the lagoon.  A river connects the lagoon with the Atlantic Ocean. Many of these icebergs float out to the ocean. They are washed back onto the beach by the waves.  Of course, this is Iceland, so it’s not just a normal beach, it’s a black sand volcanic rock beach.  So you have these enormous, man-sized chunks of ice washing up on a black sand beach.  It’s really something to behold.

Today’s shot is over the river. A few of these icebergs try to be free. They make their way out to the ocean.  More of the lagoon to follow!!

Canon 7D | Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 | 49mm | f/18.0 | 1/160th | ISO100

Where the Continents Collide

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During our trip to Iceland, we rented a car for a few days. We explored the part of the island outside of Reykjavik, which is most of the island.  There is a ‘tourist Golden Circle‘, which includes stopping in Thingvellir where the world’s oldest parliament was established in year 930, Gullfoss, one of Iceland largest and most powerful waterfalls and Geysir, the one and only original geyser which all others take their name from.  All three can be done in a single day trip from Reykjavik, but if you have crazy people taking a million photos, you may not get back into the city until after the restaurants and shops have closed, and will have a very grumpy group of travelers.

One interesting fact about Thingvellir is that it is where the North American and European tectonic plates meet. More specifically, it is where they are pulling apart.  If I remember correctly, they pull apart at between 1 and 10 millimeters per year. This movement is not too drastic. However, the plates do cause frequent earthquakes.  You can see the ridge of rocks in the photo below.  Absolutely amazing place.

Canon 7D | Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 | 14mm | f/11.0 | 1/160th | ISO100

Blue Lagoon

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Well, back in June I promised some photos from Iceland.  It’s now October.  I intended to post much more frequently, but life sometimes gets in the way.  In fact, we have finally achieved a long dream of an overseas move.  We will be leaving Seattle by the end of the year and will be relocating to Sydney, Australia.  We’re both super-excited. However, as you can imagine, there are a lot of decisions that have to be made. We have to sell or give away a lot of stuff, and manage the eventual move.  Sometime around the new year, I’ll start posting from Oz. I hope to highlight Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Southeast Asia.  Looking forward to it.

Today’s photo is from the Blue Lagoon, just outside Reykjavik, Iceland.  A natural, geo-thermal bath, it’s a really nice spa as well.  Also, there is a small bar on the edge of the pool. Imagine me sitting, squatting, or floating in water up to mid-chest. The water is this milky-blueish/white color. It is naturally heated to approximately 100° F. I am sipping on sparkling wine.  It was glorious.  This photo is looking over the pools outside of the actual spa, with the building just off in the background.  More of the actual spa to come later!!

Canon 7D | Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 | 14mm | f/11.0 | 1/25th | ISO100