The Land of Fire & Ice - (LL)

Reykjavik = cute stores with a premium for Icelandic wool garments, interesting and often amazing street art, unique architecture ranging from brightly painted corrugated steel buildings (not your average corrugated metal, this is a staple for construction in Iceland) to those with dramatic modernistic curves and even some with an old Nordic log cabin feel, lots and lots of coffee shops and people in public spaces drinking coffee and shoppers walking around with coffee, and an international cosmopolitan and bohemian mix that equates to great people watching. Throw in puffins, trolls, Vikings, Icelandic chocolate, fish served every way possible (“mashed fish spread for your bread?”), Game of Thrones merch, and even a Phallological Museum (we didn’t visit, but its very existence had us laughing like middle schoolers), and you have (literally) a very cool place.

Grindavik = The Blue Lagoon. Yes, there are other sites in Grindavik, and I am sure we will regret not spending hours in the Icelandic Saltfish Museum, but the geothermal spas are the big draw here and The Blue Lagoon is the mother ship. We enjoyed THE best day of relaxation visiting this incredible place — one of the 25 wonders of the world. In the middle of a lava field, it felt like we were visiting the moon! The Blue Lagoon’s geothermal water originates 1.2 miles below the surface, where freshwater and seawater combine at extreme temperatures. On its way to the surface, the water picks up silica and minerals, and by the time it emerges it is an ahhhh-inspiring 98-104 degrees fahrenheit. (The blue color comes from the silica.) Enough with the Science lesson…just know that it is bucket-list worthy and it did not disappoint! We did the silica mud mask, the algae mask, the swim up bar, the LAVA restaurant, the Icelandic fresh water…and it was just the relaxing kick off to our trip that we hoped it’d be.

“Living in the moment, I’m living my life…just taking it easy, with peace in my mind.”

Jason Mraz, Living in the Moment