Iceland Day 4. Blue Lagoon

So today was my very last day in Iceland, and my very last day before I set off back home!

After a deliciously long lie in I woke up and head off to Loki Cafe, a traditional Icelandic Cafe specialising in 'Icelandic delicacies'! I opted for the Icelandic Platter...

 Featuring: 2 slices of  rye Bread one with mashed fish, another with smoked trout. Flatbread with smoked lamb, dried fish with butter and…. a bit of fermented shark (the menu didn't list fermented shark as I wouldn't have ordered it but the chef found out I wanted to try some traditional Icelandic food and added it on for me to give it a go!)

The meal was… interesting. The dried fish with butter was surprisingly good, as was the rye bread with mashed fish while the Rye bread itself was just amazing. The fermented shark was definitely not something I'll be recommending… urgh. 

 Right outside the Cafe is the Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral which is made to reflect the cliff faces I saw yesterday and it's really rather beautiful and startling. 

 I booked my bus to the Blue Lagoon for the early afternoon so I spent the rest of the morning pottering about Reykjavik for the last time as it really is a lovely city with lots of quirky corners

 There was an art exhibition going on in the middle of the city with photos from the mountains

 And I also spotted some lovely graffiti dotted around which really added to the community feel 

 It felt like I'd only been walking around Reykjavik for a few moments before I set off to get my bus and all I can say about the Blue Lagoon is wow. 

The Landscape around the Blue Lagoon is pure volcanic rocks and they just look amazing with the milky turquoise water that's naturally heated to around 40 degrees!

 I decided to completely pamper myself with this day at the Blue Lagoon and after getting my bracelet (which allows you to buy drinks and lock your locker) I didn't hesitate to make the most of the beautiful  pool and surroundings.

 I spent about an hour simply pottering about before I headed back into the locker room to grab my camera so I could get a couple of shots of the blue lagoon. 

 The water was lovely and warm, which given that every so often there was as cool freeze the contrast was amazing.. needles to say I spent the majority of the day in a luxurious state of bliss! 

despite it being quite busy, there were always deserted corners you could go to and just relax on your own - they also have a max so it never actually gets all that busy

I loved how the spa was a mix of natural ruggedness and modern stylishness so the bottom of the pool was smoothed but it was still kept 'authentic' so you often snubbed your toes since the floor was uneven and rocky! 

 The view from the pool more than made up for a couple of snubbed toes and bruises!

One of the best bits was that they had free mud available for face masks - needless to say I did several face masks and spent the day alternating between doing some lovely face masks and sipping a drink from the swim up bar! 

 I had the most amazing last day and I left completely relaxed ready for my crazy sleepless night and early morning getting back to the UK. The way back to reykjavik was pretty cool too as it was over the lava fields!

Iceland Day 1. Reykjavik

After some drama with my bank - yes I know, again. 

I paid for my accommodation, stored my luggage and set out to wander about the city. 

Although it's summer it was pretty drizzly, but I guess I should get used to that before coming back to the UK!

 This is the hostel cat who was dozing in reception when I checked in - complete cutie and just loved getting paid attention! :)

Reykjavik shopping was really fun, there were lots of touristy shops offering tax and cut free bits and pieces, as well as quite a few selling souvenirs. 

 But what I loved most was the great blend between modern european sleek designate that was really reflective of nordic style (think norway, sweden and finland), with traditional elements of Icelandic tradition 

There were quite a few of these big polar bears outside a couple of shops in town!

 I loved these graphic, almost boutique, shops - the downside was I wanted to buy everything!

These are a well known 'landmark' for Reykjavik!

 After wandering the streets for a bit I decided to treat myself to brunch in the oldest cafe in Reykjavik!

 Since I'd been awake ridiculously long I ordered the 'Hangover Sandwich' as I was feeling a bit hungover from lack of sleep! 

 Reykjavik is ridiculously expensive, so I'm not going to mention how much this cost, but it was a lovely treat to read my book (pride and prejudice) in the warmth before venturing out into the rain!

 I really, really liked Reykjavik with all the different restaurants and shops - it just had such a unique character and feel to it!

 This cafe had an interesting board outside!

 I think the Iclandic accent adds to me liking the city so much - it's just hilarious!

 After spending some time at the city I headed to the Marina and to the view point out over the bay

 There was this particular view point with a lovely feature, I think it's really appropriate to the Iceland's history as I thought it was a great mix of a viking boat, the nordic history as well as the reliance on fishing to survive!

 The view out over the bay was really lovely from this spot too

 random tie mural!

 All the streets in Reykjavik are just adorable as the majority of houses are painted such lovely pretty colours that they brighten the place up regardless of the weather!

 after spending quite a lot of time in Reykjavik I headed back to the hostel to the lovely hostel garden where I sampled some Icelandic sweets which were… interesting!

 I finally got into my room and was pleasantly surprised to find my 'dorm' only had one other person! Makes me feel a bit better about how much I'm paying! 

Travelling Day 68. To Iceland!

So I'm not really sure where to start todays post from, but I'm going to go from spending an hour going through security again in Reykjavik. On the plus side since I have an EU passport they barely glanced at me and just ushered me through

I had a bit of a nasty shock when my suitcase came out though. Complete. State.

I'm actually a little (more than just a little) mortified to be pushing/dragging it around.

So to recap: It's missing a wheel. As in the wheel just isn't there anymore. Another wheel doesn't do what it's told and makes terrible squeaky noises. The front is massive frayed from NZ. The edges are coming away from the frame after LA. The are several little tears from San Francisco.

And now, there is a massive rip in the back from Iceland!

I'm so glad it only has to survive one more trip because honestly I don't think it can make any more.

Aside from that… I found the bus booth and booked my return bus ticket and then I hopped on the bus to my hostel. I arrived at about 9am (having landed at 6am) so I couldn't check in yet but that was fine, and expected, so after rummaging round in my suitcase and getting a change of clothes I headed into Reykjavik centre to explore the city a little bit.