turning a new page on the iceland book

have you ever flown into keflavik airport? on the way into reykjavik city, there are miles and miles of nothing but volcanic rock, just like those on which i am “comfortably” perched in the photo above. it’s like a moonscape, otherworldly, like nothing you’ve ever seen anywhere else. i remember staring out at these rocks during much more uncertain days and under grayer, colder skies and started getting all of the same feelies.

i wondered, will this time be different? will i learn to really like this country as i’ve always hoped i would?

we were shuttled to the blue lagoon, which, say what you will, i think it is marvelous. geothermal water, milky and blue with silica and algae. it is a perfect thing to do on the way to or from the city because of its location so near the airport. i was wondering a bit how it would be like in high summer on an afternoon and imagined not even being able to make my way around the humongous pool through the tourists, but not so. the blue lagoon has limits on how many can be admitted to prevent this kind of thing (so needless to say, booking ahead is mandatory). three hours spent bobbing around in mineral rich 38°C sea water or laying on a sand bank is such a perfect welcome to iceland, enough to banish any uncertainty or travel stress you might have collected in the previous hours.

after getting out of the bus at the radisson blu saga hotel (which, like most other establishments in reykjavik, i have been to before, turns out – the new running joke) and walking to our accommodation, i felt sure that “the curse of iceland” has ended here.

the blue skies indicated a new day and a new time, and not only that, when walking to town past the cathedral of christ our king and the surrounding park,
a funky brass band was playing in the part to absolutely no audience.

reykjavik, you really are my kind of place.
when you come back to a city like this for a second time, i feel that’s when you really cement your love for it.
i’m pleased to say that happened with the icelandic capital.

harpa, the beautiful new exhibition center, built only months after my last time in iceland in 2011…

first meal? of course, it was the baejarins beztu pylsur stand (above)… where else?
looking forward to future hangs in reykjavik in the coming month, especially if the weather continues to be this nice!

but first, a really cool and weird thing that happened on our last evening there before west iceland adventuring: we walk into a sweater shop (because i’m a sweater fiend) and after a few minutes there, i turn around and see alex staring at someone, clearly with a weird look on his face. i’m thinking, oh lord, i can’t take this guy anywhere, can i, believing he was already involved with a confrontation with a stranger. (nice, aren’t i?)

turns out, he just recognized an old friend from back in michigan and her fiancé! in the sweater shop. in reykjavik.

iceland’s just a small village like that.

this post is part of wanderful wednesday.