After a fortifying breakfast of eggs, toast and cereal in our own little kitchen, we went to the Botanical Gardens. This time we traveled by car, which may have made it feel less like an adventure but was appreciated on this chilly and misty morning. Though relatively small grounds in all compared to some city’s gardens, it was nevertheless a quaint and enjoyable space around which to wander, featuring cute bridges and paths, duck ponds and a sod-covered hut, and a cafe, greenhouse and fish pond in addition to all of the flora on exhibition. M and I managed to get our morning cups of coffee at the cafe, which we sipped while the girls tried to make friends with the goldfish and explored the rest of the greenhouse we were in. Have I mentioned that the coffee here is wonderful, rich and dark?!
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The girls enjoyed checking out the goldfish in the greenhouse while
M and I sipped our coffee. Life is good! |
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| Hanging out at the Botanical Gardens. |
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| My sweet little sunflower. |
Icelandic fish and chips were the order of today’s lunch at a great spot near the harbour, and we ranked the battered fish as the best we’d ever tasted. The cod was perfectly light and flaky, while the golden coating wasn’t too greasy or starchy, just crisp and tasty. Mmmmm!
The afternoon’s outing was one we’d all been eagerly anticipating: the Blue Lagoon. What an absolutely marvelous time we had at this gorgeous spot that National Geographic lists as one of the 25 wonders of the world! The creamy blue waters of the lagoon, appearing that way due to the high levels of silica meeting sunlight, were wonderfully warm and soothing. The sensation was all the more wonderful as the warm waters were juxtaposed against the much colder air touching any skin above the surface. Both the silica and algae masks that we tried revitalized our skin yet further, and we certainly had a day we’ll not soon forget! This popular tourist attraction in Iceland is highly worth the visit, and makes for an ideal stop even for those doing a relatively brief stopover at Keflavik, due to its proximity to the airport. Beware that you should definitely book your visit ahead, as we saw some very disappointed visitors who had failed to do so and were unable to enter the pools as a result. This was the one outing that we booked ahead of time. Visit their website for more details.
http://www.bluelagoon.com/
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| Ready for an afternoon at the Blue Lagoon! |
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| Much to E's chagrin, all children eight and under must wear arm floaties while at the Blue Lagoon. Though she trains as a competitive swimmer like her sister now, there are no exceptions. She wound up being quite happy bobbing along the creamy waters, as the floaties helped her avoid the often rocky and pebbly bottom of the pool :) |
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| What a wonderfully memorable afternoon we shared! |
We chose vegetarian fare for supper, and I do believe that even the carnies in our party were happy with ‘Glo’, the great restaurant which offers not only vegetarian options but also vegan, raw and gluten-free.
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| At 'Glo' restaurant in Reykjavik. |
On Day Nine we leave terra firma for a look at some of the world's largest mammals . . .yup, whale-watching we go! Stay tuned!
My wonder: Have you ever been to Iceland's Blue Lagoon? Have you been to any noteworthy spas or pools in any other locations? I greatly appreciated this relaxing part of Icelandic culture and would love to know of other people's experiences in other societies where communal bathing in pools or springs is a regular part of the culture.
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