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Reykjanesbær

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    • Kati T.Island, Feuer und Eis
      2
      12
      Day 1

      Ankunft in Island

      May 15, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

      Nach einem relativ entspannten Flug mit 2 h Zeitverschiebung kommen wir auf einer Insel an, auf der wir scheinbar die Schöpfungsgeschichte erleben. Eine erste kurze Tour abseits der Touristenstraße erleben wir schwarze Steine, schwarze Strände, wild dampfende (und schwefelig stinkende) heiße Quellen. Eine Mondlandschaft. Eingetaucht in dicke Wolken. Und mittendrin die Spalte zwischen Nordamerikanischer und Eurasischer Kontinentalplatte. Es sieht hier aus, als wäre die Erde noch nicht fertig.Read more

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    • TravelerIsland
      Day 1

      Blue lagoo

      May 21, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

      Nachdem wir unser Auto endlich bekommen hatten, ging es direkt zur Blauen Lagune.
      Als Erstes konnten wir trotz Vorbuchung wieder einmal anstehen. Nach dem Umziehen genossen wir das blau-milchige thermal gewärmte Wasser. Sauna und Dampfgrotte waren natürlich ein muss. Und die Haut wurde mit einem Peeling verwöhnt.Read more

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    • Simon and Jackie AnnalsThe Iceland Ring Road
      1
      Day 10

      Day 10 - Saving the Best for Last

      May 20, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

      Over breakfast I discovered that my brother, Jonathan’s works boat had docked in Reykjavik the previous day. After breakfast, we packed up & drove out to Skarfabakki Dock, where we found Cable Ship, CS Durable. It is 140 metres long and can carry enough cable to lay between Iceland and Ireland in one go, about 1700 kilometres.

      We then headed out of Reykjavik & picked up Route 1 & drove anti-clockwise back to Hveragerði to visit something I had missed first time round. We parked up at the town’s botanical gardens & walked down to the river to find waterfall, Reykjafoss. It wasn’t particularly big compared to some we have seen on this trip, but it was well formed & we get up close to it without getting wet.

       From Hveragerði we drove south down the 38 to Þorlákshöfn, a small town made of mainly portacabins. We looked round, but couldn’t find anything going for it, so we drove away without taking a single photo.

      We drove west along the 427 which was through an enormous lava field with the sea on our left & vast cliffs on our right. The next stop was Strandarkirkja church in Selvogur (Seal Cove), originally built in the 12th Century. We got out & found the little wooden church was open, so Jackie left a message in the visitors book. We also walked up onto the sea wall to unsurprisingly see seals lying on the rocks in the cove.

      We continued to Grindavík, that again didn’t have much going for it, apart from being a local base to visit the Blue Lagoon. Due to it’s proximity to the Blue Lagoon, Jackie insisted on going for a recce, because we had booked to visit it at 6pm. We were able to sus it all out & we took the opportunity to walk around the walkways on the outside.

      With Jackie now happy, we picked up the 425 to drive around the far south-west corner of Iceland. We stopped at a circular rock pool & blow hole. We got soaked, not by the sea but by the rain.

      I also got out to visit the Bridge between Continents, which is a 15 meter (50 ft) footbridge spanning a rift between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Jackie sat in the car whilst I got soaked again!

      Next stop was Keflavik International Airport, where Jackie jumped out to reclaim her tax on her new rucksack purchase. I couldn’t stop & didn’t want to pay car parking fees, so I drove around the block & 15 minutes later returned to departures just as Jackie was walking out after a successful mission. About £15 would be credited to her bank card.

      We then drove to Keflavik town for a look round & then checked into the Jazz Hotel. We had an hour to empty the car & repack our rucksacks, before driving back to the Blue Lagoon for our 6pm slot.

      The photos probably paint a better picture of the Blue Lagoon than I can with words. The blue cloudy 9 million litres of geothermal seawater was a warm to hot 38 degrees having travelled up from a depth of 1981 metres. The lagoon totally renews it’s water every 40 hours.

      The changing rooms were probably the most problematic, with signs requesting that everyone shower naked before entering the lagoon. Some showers were in cubicles but others were open plan. Not many men obeyed the rules, but I understand Jackie was surrounded by unabashed naked women.

      In the lagoon we wallowed & applied the free mud mask that was going to nourish & soften our skin like never before. The girl handing out dollops of the white silica mud warned that we should avoid getting mud in our eyes. I immediately wiped the mud into my left eye & it stung like buggery for about 5 minutes whilst I frantically tried to douse it with fresh drinking water.

      We stayed in the lagoon for about 70 minutes, which effectively equates to a pound a minute. It was definitely an overpriced attraction, but very glad that we had experienced ‘1 of the 25 wonders of the world’.

      We returned to our hotel & refreshed with a couple of cold beers we had bought in a Vínbúðin two days earlier. We then rushed out to source some food. We had a choice of pizza, kebab or Thai. We chose pizza & against my better judgement Jackie ordered us the medium sized Volcano Pizza & a large Gull beer each. It was very nice & a pleasant end to our Iceland adventure.

      Song of the Day: Blue Water by Public Image Ltd.      Read more

    • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
      2
      Day 1

      Gunnuhver Hot Springs

      June 20, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

      Just a short three minute drive away things are very different. Here the air is filled with the smell of sulphur and as you move along the boardwalks the smell gets much stronger. You know the one ... rotten eggs. Yummy.

      You can get really close on the boardwalk but there are many signs warning not to stray from it. The ground is very hot here, though at one time it wasn't so bad and there was a house here where an artist lived, making pottery from the clay and painting.

      It was quite warm standing by the vent, watching the boiling water and steam, then every now and then you'd get surrounded by the drifting cloud. If you stayed too long in it, you would quite wet but I avoided that to be honest. I loved it here though.

      I then noticed the time and decided to head back to find my accommodation for the night. I was really glad I'd hired the car and never realised how much there was to see within 30 miles of the airport ... and I hadnt seen all there was to see either. Amazing.      Read more

    • Chantal RuppenIsland & Färöer 2022
      Day 18

      Halbinsel Reykjanes

      June 27, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

      Auf der Halbinsel Reykjanes, welche im äussersten Südwesten Islands liegt, gibt es mehr zu entdecken als wir dachten. Ein weiteres Thermalgebiet neben dem Krísuvík ist Gunnuhver, die aktivste Schlammquelle Islands, die eine eindrucksvolle Dampfsäule in den Himmel schickt.
      Ebenfalls befindet sich der Vulkan Fagradalsfjall auf der Halbinsel, der letztes Jahr im März ausgebrochen ist und per Dezember 2021 offiziell als beendet gilt. Die Wanderung auf einen Aussichtspunkt, bei der man die ausgebrochene Lava sah, war sehr eindrücklich.
      Die „Brücke zwischen zwei Kontinenten“ verbindet symbolisch die Kontinenalplatten vom Nordamerika und Europa. Die Spalte entstand durch eine tektonische Plattenverschiebung.
      Zum Schluss durfte Marco mich dann mit grosser Freude noch in einen kleinen Vikinger verwandeln.      Read more

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    • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
      22
      Day 1

      Exploring the Coast Road

      June 20, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

      As I drove away from the old lighthouse I didn't really have too much idea about what to expect. I'd never explored this peninsula before and assumed it would be just a pleasant drive until I discovered there is so much to see in this area.

      It wasn't too long before the views became very Icelandic as I drove through old lava fields consisting of all sorts of shapes, with flat slabs of granite and volcanic vents. I was in my element here, stopping at various parking stops to take-in the views.

      My first proper stop was at the Bridge Between Continents, which is exactly that - the place where the North American and Eurasian continental plates are joined. I photographed the diagram for you to see.

      The wind was still very strong here and I was constantly sand blasted as I explored the site so I decided to give up trying to use my 'big' camera. Using the phone was much easier given the conditions.

      Footnote: please be patient as I know I am many days behind in writing the footprints for this adventure. My time in Greenland is very much full-on with no time to even catch my breath ... there's so much to show you so I'll try and catch-up as soon as I can.      Read more

    • TravelerTime off!
      122
      Day 49

      Birthday Boy!

      May 31, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

      Beim vierten Island Besuch war es dann doch so weit. Robert wollte in die Blaue Lagune. Gesagt, getan! Man ist jetzt eben doch im Alter von Spa und Wellness statt Festival und Bier-Pong angekommen.

      Kurz heruntergebrochen ist die blaue Lagune eine Art ganzjährig geöffnetes Freibad mit einer wunderbaren Badewannenwassertemperatur zwichen 37-41 C. Im Prinzip resultiert die gesamte Anlage aus einem “Abfallprodukt” des daneben liegenden Geothermalkraftwerkes Svartsengi und das silikathaltige Wasser ist nebenbei noch wunderbar heilsam und pflegend.

      Die Nacht zuvor verbrachten wir in Grindavik, also nur einen Schafssprung von der Lagune entfernt. Nach schnellem check-in ging es direkt duschen (wichtig! viel Conditioner benutzen und drin lassen!) und dann auch schon ins blaue Wasser. Umringt ist die Lagune von dem riesigen Lavafeld Illahraun und der aufsteigende Dampf des Wassers lag wie Nebel in der kühlen Luft.

      Das Angebot an Gesichtsmasken und Getränken, welche direkt an den im Wasser befindlichen Theken ausgegeben wurden, war reichlich. Darüber hinaus fand man Zeitvertreib und Entspannung in Dampfbad, Sauna und Café.

      Wir haben nahezu den gesamten Tag hier verbracht - und die surreal blaue Farbe des Wassers bleibt für uns unfassbar einprägsam und einzigartig!

      Wir gönnten uns also unsere Gesichtsmasken, ein paar Getränke, standen unterm Wasserfall und schwitzten in der Dampfsauna.

      Und wie es ein amerikanischer Mitbesucher der Lagune so schön überschwänglich auf den Punkt brachte:
      “that’s what we are living for!” : )

      Am Abend ging es dann noch zurück nach Grindavik zu Papa’s Restaurant bei lecker Fish and Chips.      Read more

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    • Worldschooling Year
      Day 293

      Blue Lagoon + Geothermal Heat (by Lewis)

      June 6, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

      While in Iceland, we went to the Blue Lagoon for the second time. The Blue Lagoon is heated by geothermal heat. The geothermal heat boils the Blue Lagoon up to 100.4 F*. Iceland's geothermal heat can also bake bread by burying the bread in burning dirt. We tasted some of the rye bread, and it was delicious with local smoked trout. Did you know that the water in Iceland has to be cooled? Before it's cooled, the water is boiling! This is my last blog post, so I hope you liked the blogs!Read more

    • TravelerIceland!
      Day 2

      Day 2- Attendees Arrive & Blue Lagoon

      July 16, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

      Once again, writing to you past midnight but it still feels like 7pm because the sun is still setting! Attempting to wind down as I have to be up at 7am for breakfast and prepping for our first education session for the participants!

      Today was a wonderful day!! The participants arrived and I finally got to meet them all in person :) I had only known 1 prior to arriving here besides Ellie. But we all quickly moved from strangers to friends, international travel really has that effect!

      Ellie and I woke up at 8am and reviewed all our content and logistics for the week before meeting up with everyone. I am thrilled to be co-teaching 2 of the workshops! One of the relationship between planners and photographers and another on multi-cultural weddings. We see completely eye to eye on all things weddings so comparing notes and merging our ideas was quite enjoyable! We then packed up from our hotel close to the airport and headed to our home for the week, the Silica hotel! It is connected to the Blue Lagoon, one of the 25 Wonders of the world… just insane!! It was absolutely breathtaking and our rooms are unreal, overlooking the lava fields. The hotel even has a private portion of the Blue Lagoon for guests to enjoy! When we arrived, I helped to coordinate checkin (assigning room numbers, overseeing paperwork signing, placing gifts for the attendees in each room, reviewing our itinerary with the hotel manager, etc.). I am absolutely loving my role as it feels like the perfect mix of seminar logistics (that feel oh so familiar from my days of coordinating the Baha’i inspired educational seminars and camps), wedding planning, and teaching - 3 of my passions! PLUS being in a luxury setting in a new country?! What a dream. I would definitely love to serve in this same role for future seminars of Ellie’s and others!

      After check-in was complete, we headed to the main area of the Blue Lagoon to kick the workshop off with a bang! It was a really fun way to get to bond with one another. There was an engaging “story teller” who educated us on the beautiful history of the Blue Lagoon, Iceland facts and even a hysterical story about their strong belief in elves! I honestly wish I could have taken notes the entire time so I don’t forget but here are a few highlights to the best of my memory:
      - Over 800 years ago, this area used to be all trees and a community. Due to volcanos and magma pits, it was destroyed and is now a massive lava field.
      - The community referred to the area as the evil lava. I can’t remember the details of the middle part but the water is geothermal and they were puzzled to why it wasn’t breaking the lava rocks down but just staying afloat. They discovered that the silica (a mineral) is the water was creating a sealant that blocked the water from draining and created the Blue Lagoon. The color comes from a mixture of the algae and silica and how it reflects light!
      - As they started to use the water for bathing (as is a huge part of Icelandic culture) a man with psoriasis discovered the water was healing it! When he told his doctor they came to take samples and indeed discovered that the mixture of minerals treated psoriasis and other skin diseases. The doctor purchased it in 1992 and in 2012 it was named one of the 25 World Wonders!
      - My very favorite fact is that still today any Icelandic person with psoriasis can use the facilities free of charge 😭
      - When I see you in person if you want to learn more, I can share what I learned about how it stays clean (drains every 40 hours and algae eats the bacteria!), the full elves story and how they use geothermal energy (the country generates 99% of its electricity from renewable sources 🤯)!

      We ended our time at the Blue Lagoon with face masks and some refreshing drinks! I had a delicious green smoothie with mango :) We headed back to the hotel to get ready to head downtown for dinner (where I got to learn how to operate a Super 8 camera!!) and then back to our hotel for the Meet and Greet (I enjoyed a yummy sparkling tea 🥂) as our final participants arrived! After that was done, Ellie and I went to the classroom space and reviewed all the logistics with the staff. It’s insane that even at 10pm everyone is still in full swing due to the sunlight! The final photo is what it looks like outside now. We came back and reviewed our sessions one last time and had a really good conversation reflecting on our own opportunities for growth, personally and in business. Now I am ended the night with my new roomie Jen watching the volcano live feed 🤣      Read more

    • Ice Ice Disney
      111
      Day 2

      Beyond Blue

      December 11, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ 🌙 0 °C

      We arrived at Sunset just in time to make our Blue Lagoon stopover between Keflavik airport and our hotel. At this hour it was more dark witches cauldron than Blue Instagram backdrop, but it was still amazing.Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Reykjanesbær, Reykjanesbaer

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