Blue Lagoon
This is the blue lagoon: misty, warm, snowy with added alcohol and face mask. Lush.
The Blue Lagoon
Caught a bus from the airport straight to the Blue Lagoon for some silica hot baths relaxation time. Got there in time for sunrise (11:15am!)
Reykjavik
Hallgrimskirche is this big cool cathedral in Reykjavik which we visited in the last full day we had to walk around.
It is a lot like Grundtvik’s Church…I preferred Grundtivik’s.
On the last day we walked to this church, down around the old harbour, to the lake and then to the 871±2 Settlement Exhibition. The 871±2 exhibition is pretty cool. In 2001 an excavation found a Viking longhouse. Because of a layer of volcanic ash found above the house, the construction date of the house was pinpointed to 871±2. So the exhibition is (literally) centred around this longhouse with all kinds of other Viking and establishment-of-Iceland exhibits. The next day we wake early and drive to the airport, by 11am we’re in London. Summary of Iceland: freezing, windy, incredible, wild. Will return.
Plane wreck
We pack up to leave Hvoll in the morning and make a list of places to stop off on the way back to Reykjavik.
The first of which is this plane crash.
We turn off the road onto a plain of black rock with no path. Our view is split in two: the upper half is grey sky and the lower half is black rock. No amount of light from the car gives any more detail than that.
Very faintly there are specs of light in the distance: small fluro poles. For about 15 or 20 minutes we are guided by these little poles and just over a tiny rise there is the plane in from of us!
Such an eerie way to find such a thing, and exploring it is even stranger. The tail is missing, as are the wing tips. No instruments remain and the plane is peppered with holes. What happen to the crew?
There is no information except for US military markings on the side.
Later on I found that it was a US transport plane which crash landed in the 70s (possible ran out of fuel). All crew survived, but recovery of the plane was abandoned. A local farmer (may have) sold all valuable parts of the plane long ago. Strange.
Seljavallalaug
Our next stop took us on a rainy cold walk in this valley along this river. Another huge field of black rock without a trail or markings. But maybe there was a pool here. A hot spring pool. Seljavallalaug.
Fully rugged in thermals, woollen jumper, boots and wet-weather gear we set off for a swim. (Swimmers in a bag).
In various places along the river were ag-pipes releasing steaming water. Promising?
About 20 minutes up the river a naked man darted out way ahead of us and ran down out of sight. He must have had his ears picked up! Haha. But a good sign that there was a pool this way.
Two wet heads craned from behind a rock just in front of us and looking up from inside my hooded jacket I could see that they were in a pool (clothed). Their mate returned with some boardies on, said hello and jumped in the pool.
The pool is incredible, but I failed to even take a photo. It’s a 25 meter pool, very similar in style to Merewether Baths.
A couple of Christmases ago I was in Japan. One of my favourite experiences was sitting naked in an onsen (hot spring pool) looking out over the snowy mountains before us and having snow fall onto the face and into the pool. So warm and pleasant. This pool was pretty much an identical experience.
The pool was made in 1923 and was used for compulsory swimming classes from 1927.
We talked to the guys who’d slept nearby overnight and were recovering in the pool. We found our way to the warmest places, where the spring water came in. Swimming away from the spring inlets was cold and unpleasant, but amusing to watch someone else do!
We probably stayed for about half an hour, until Kerrie was completely cold, having stood waiting for us in the elements.
Getting dressed got easier as the shivering subsided and the walk back to the car felt strangely warm to me.
We had planned to visit the blue lagoon hot spring on our way to Reykjavik but at the advice of the guys at the pool we decided to give it a miss. Apparently this pool was much better – and free.
We arrived back in Reykjavik in the mid afternoon and spent most of the rest of the day looking through op-shops.
