Rewind 1 week to a beautiful layover in Iceland

I want to post about my brief trip to Iceland before I got too caught up in life here in Copenhagen. I opted for a longer layover in Reykjavik during my flights from Seattle, so that I might get out and explore while I was in such a unique country. One bizarre thing I noticed as I made my way into Reykjavik was these boulder sculptures of people that seem to be found all over the barren landscape.

I stayed up all night on the plane, and upon arriving in Iceland, caught the first bus to the Blue Lagoon, which is an amazing geological phenomenon. Much of the lagoon is now occupied by a spa facility, which is of course heavily touristed, but still lovely. The hot water cycles up from the ground and hosts a combination of minerals and algae that keep the water a pale, milky blue, and safe for bathing without the use of chlorine. Some places in the pool can be quite hot, while others are just lukewarm.

However, not all of the lagoon is contained by the spa. There are some nice hiking paths around the outside of the facility where visitors can check out the lagoon in a more natural setting.

I also had the privilege of visiting Reykjavik for a day. I spent some time exploring the main street and the waterfront. The city feels fairly small, with some bustling zones, and many quiet, unpopulated areas. I get the feeling that for much of the year the architecture is designed to reject the weather, rather than to invite it in.

The waterfront in Reykjavik feels surprisingly removed from the city. This is because it is still very much a working waterfront, and industry occupies much of the space between downtown and the ocean. Still, there are some paths out to the jetties if you work hard to find them, and I know that other parts of the city have beaches and parks with access to the water, though I did not have time to visit them.