Reykjavik, Iceland

Aug 14 - 16

My first impression of Iceland, when stepping off the plane at almost midnight, was that it was very cold, very rainy and very very windy!

Luckily, it improved in daylight. Still cold, rainy and windy. Just less extreme.

We started our first day in Reykjavik by picking up our car in preparation for our roadtrip. Once the car was tucked away in a cheap little car park, we set off for a free walking tour. Our guide, who had the most loveable Icelandic accent in the world, informed us about local culture and history. Some things I found really interesting:
-Icelaners don't have surnames, as such. Their last name is their father's first name plus 'son' for men and 'dóttir' (daughter) for women. 

-Gender equality is better in Iceland than almost anywhere in the world. 29 out of 63 members of parliament are women! 

-Iceland loves the gays! During the recent pride festival red lipstick was painted onto a famous statue and remains there to show their gay pride.
-The crime rate in Iceland is ridiculously low... Only 1.2 murders per year!
-The high tax rates in Iceland provide free health care and free education.

After the tour we had a look at the concert hall. It is designed to look like fish scales, because fishing is a huge industry in Iceland.

Then we walked up to the Hallgrimskirkja church, the design represents a geysir. Very cool!

In the evening we drove out to the Blue Lagoon: the #1 tourist attraction in Iceland! And it's not hard to tell why. The Blue Lagoon is a massive naturally-heated pool, full of silica that gives it the magical milky blue colour. The 38 degree water was perfect for the very cool evening. We swam around and covered ourselves with silica mud masks, waiting for the sun to go down (behind the many, many clouds)

It was almost equally as stunning in the dark, lit up along the edges and under bridges.

Next morning... Roadtrip time!