Daily Archives: June 9, 2024

Jun9

The National Museum of Iceland

Posted on by
Standard

Sunday, 19-May-2024


I am a lover of museums.

I couldn’t begin to guess how many times I went to museums in Boston while growing up. The Museum of Fine Art, the Science Museum… countless other smaller galleries and showcases… It was part of my family, and I wouldn’t trade those memories for the world.

When travelling, I keep that tradition alive.


I had two days in Reykjavik before flying out, and I planned on making the most of them. Originally I only had one, and was going to use it to see the art museum, but I got an extra day when my glacier tour cancelled on me… an opportunity to explore that I wasn’t going to pass up.


I started with the National Museum.

Throughout my adventures in Iceland, I’ve been adoring learning about the history of the country – both the history of its people and the history of the land itself. The National Museum focused almost exclusively on the former, discussing Icelandic settlement from the earliest Vikings up through the modern day. It was really interesting, though I’ll admit to one frustration that I have with many history museums… a lack of a single primary timeline. The history museum in Greenland had one, showing the various timelines, and the museum at Þingvellir had a pretty solid timeline… so my only complaint is that a similar timeline near the beginning, repeated throughout, would have been nice to give context.

Aside, though… the artifacts! They were so cool; being able to see original finds from throughout Iceland’s history… I loved it!

So sit back and enjoy, dear reader, some of the many placards and details from the Reykjavik National Museum!


Jun9

The famous Blue Lagoon

Posted on by
Standard

Saturday, 18-May-2024


So, heads up to start this post off with. I did not take pictures in the main swimming area of the Blue Lagoon. I know, I know, technically phones are allowed… but man, it just feels weird! Right? I’m not crazy, am I? It just feels weird to have a phone out, taking pictures, when everyone around you is luxuriating in the hot spring wearing bathing suits.

Fine. I’m a prude, okay. Whatever, I live my life and choose to leave my cellphone in the locker. #Cell-Signal-Free 4 lyfe.

I mean okay, I did bring my kindle. I like reading my book in the warm water.



Let’s dive into the Blue Lagoon. First off – no diving. It’s probably deep enough to dive, near the middle, but the edges are almost universally shallow. So… don’t dive. It’d hurt, and you can’t see how far you’ve got to dive, since the water is super murky.

But it’s a neat murky – Supposedly it’s from all the suspended silica in the water, which gives the Blue Lagoon its “good for your complexion” properties, but I can tell you from direct experience that it’s simply lovely feeling water, at a glorious temperature. Which is interesting – unlike all of the other hot spring resorts that I’ve been to, Blue Lagoon had a massive single pool, with small inlets and islets. Hvammsvik and Krauma (And Breitenbush back in Oregon) had multiple smaller pools, each at a different temperature, which allowed you to pick your heat… Blue Lagoon was just the single heat setting, at a lovely warm bath temperature.




I soaked, read my book, and relaxed.

I even got a “floating massage”, which was definitely an interesting one. Basically I was plopped up on a floating yoga mat, with a blanket over me, and got a massage from below – using my own bodyweight to press the masseuses hands and fingers into my muscles. Then, every 5min or so, she’d dunk me under to re-warm the blanket… which was a little weird at first, but super lovely once I got used to it.

I wouldn’t recommend it over a traditional table massage… but for what it was, it was a lovely option to have… and a good addition to my soak in the Lagoon.


So yeah. Soaked, read, relaxed. Dried off, bought some fancy face masks, and got some sushi. Absolutely lovely.