On the plane, I befriended a flight attendant who was gracious enough to offer a two day best-hits itinerary of Iceland/Reykjavik/surrounding area for us. From the airport and at the recommendation of the flight attendant, Gabe and I went directly to the Blue Lagoon, a natural hot spring heated by the exhaust of a nearby geothermal plant. It sounds toxic, but I'm told it is sustainable, and I can attest the experience is very natural and relaxing. The ride over to the Blue Lagoon is an experience itself, as Iceland is very topographically unique. The endless black lava fields look like the surface of the moon. In addition, there are no trees -- the area is a spartan, but beautiful.
At the Blue Lagoon, Gabe and I had some serious R&R, floating through pools, applying the homeopathic silica to our faces, and exploring the surrounding area and hot springs. The whole facility is really high end and modern. Having relaxed for a few hours, Gabe and I caught the bus to Reykjavik and checked in at the REYKJAVIK DOWNTOWN HOSTEL, which, consistent with our experience in Iceland, was pristine in every way.
Following a quick lunch at the famous Bæjarins beztu pylsur hot dog stand, Gabe and I walked through Reykjavik, along the waterfront, and eventually to the Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral (if you're thinking to yourself how did we manage Icelandic, the answer is we did not), from which we had a 360 view of the entire town. Despite being the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik is quite small. It is actually very similar to Newport, with two major streets of interest and a lot of charming side alleys. That night for dinner, Gabe and I had sushi, and of particular interest was the delicious Mink Whale (I hope they're not endangered, and I won't even dare to find out).
Given its location so far North, Iceland has midnight sun, which is to say, it never gets dark. Gabe and I were out until about midnight, returning to our hostel at a sunlight equivalent of 7:30pm in Boston.
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