IcelandAir designates themselves as an "economy" airline. They are very strict about the size and weight of carryons. We had planned to check our large AWAY bag and then carry-on a smaller AWAY roller bag. That second bag needed to weigh under 10 kg and that wasn't happening!! So we took out our swimsuits, placed them in my backpack, checked that second bag and hoped for the best.
It was a smooth five and a half hour flight. Unlike some economy airlines, they provided you unlimited non-alcoholic beverages. But any food you wanted had a charge. They made a little time up in the air and we landed at about 6:30 AM local time. Iceland is four hours ahead of EST.
The immigration process was smooth and only took about thirty minutes once we got to the line. Then to baggage claim where both our bags were thankfully enjoying a private moment together on the conveyor belt!
Since we couldn't check into our hotel until 3PM, our plan today was to go to the Blue Lagoon. This is a large thermal bath area about a 30 minute car ride from the airport and one of the top attractions in Iceland. Taxis are very expensive here. That 30 minute ride was 13950 ISK (~$100 USD).
They have a "general admission" section. And you can also access a special area by using the spa at the Retreat which is a very fancy hotel. We had decided for this trip to splurge and use the Retreat.
We checked into the spa, given bracelets to wear and we were shown to our own private room which had a large shower, sink, clothes rack and changing area Most importantly, it had space for our luggage and could only be opened by our bracelets. Perfect for a first day in a new city!! We had a five hour time slot to enjoy the Blue Lagoon!!
The use of mobile phones was prohibited so I didn't take any pictures of the Retreat area.
We changed into our bathing costumes and then checked out all the small connected thermal pools of the Retreat. The water is from 2000 meters below and has a temperature of 36°. The outdoor air temperature was about 11° so it was a perfect blend of warm water and cool air. You'd be in one pool and access to the next required you to use a ramp or stairs. They also had an outdoor pool bar where you could get fresh juices, smoothies and other beverages. Our stay included a complimentary beverage. I had the green juice (spinach, banana, orange juice and kale). Angie went with a carrot juice which had ginger. Both were very good as our first "meal" in Iceland.
There are also several small spa rooms you can visit including one that had a fireplace and another completely dark room in a cave that had a translucent ceiling where you could see the water above. Thermally heated water apparently makes you sleepy. We may or may not have had a 30 minute nap in the fireplace room. The Retreat also connects to the main "general admission" area of the Blue Lagoon so we made our way there. That is an overall larger area. Essentially one large thermal pool separated into some smaller areas by some bridges. They also have a pool bar as well as a station where you can get different facial masks.
At about 12:15 we headed back to our private changing room and got ready for lunch. We had 1 PM reservations at Lava which is one of the onsite restaurants.
Starters were smoked arctic char and cod croquettes.
There was a mixup on our order so the wait staff also brought out a complimentary order of the liver parfait.
All three were very tasty. The Arctic Char was slightly smoked and such a large portion for a starter. And the liver was light and fluffy, perhaps combined with some creme fraiche. And served on this deliciously sweet blueberry compote with nutty crackers. And codfish croquettes!! Really more like a fish cake. Perfectly fried!!
For mains we got the Cod and the Fish of the Day. I tried hard to understand the name of the latter but let's just say it was a white flaky fish - as most fish of the day tend to be!! :-)
Both dishes were very good. The FOTD had this large dollop of amazingly frothy hollandaise sauce. Hints of lemon and I think it was saffron into. Served with some lightly sauteed cabbage and diced seasoned potatoes.
After lunch it was time to head back to Rekjavik and check into our hotel for four nights. This trip was a bit further into Rekjavik and was 19830 ISK (~$142 USD). Once we checked in and got to our room, we decided it was time for a mandatory rest period. We both went down for a 4+ hour nap!! As I write this post, it's 9:15 PM local time but still as light as it was when we checked in. Much like Alaska, this area doesn't see a lot of darkness at this time of year.
On Monday we'll have a more relaxing "chill" day. Our hotel is near the water so we will likely try some exploring on foot or maybe check out any boat excursions. On Tuesday we'll be renting a car and seeing the Golden Circle.
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