The Hot Golden Circle

After taking a large tour bus to see the Northern Lights, Darin and I opted for a small coach to experience the Golden Circle. Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park which is situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.







Our second stop was at the geothermal active valley of  Haukadalur where we were able to see the large Strokkur geyser erupt.





The third stop was the Gullfoss waterfall. Because it was overcast and eventually started snowing, we were unable to see the famous rainbow over the waterfall but it was still an amazing site to see.



Our final stop was at a hot spring nature bath which locals named the Secret Lagoon because up until now it had only been known to a few.







You will never believe that these last two photos were snapped through the window of our moving coach.



We were gone for over nine hours and drove many miles through desolate farmland. The natural landscape often looked as though we were on the moon.

The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa located about 24 miles outside of Reykjavik. It has been named one of the 25 Wonders of the World. The lagoon is man-made and is fed by the water output of the nearby geothermal power plant. The water is completely renewed every 40 hours. The water temperature in the lagoon averages from 99 to 102 degrees. The water is rich in minerals and is said to have healing properties - more on that later. The Blue Lagoon is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. Two weeks prior to our visit the Blue Lagoon started requiring reservations and now closes due to capacity.

You enter the lagoon on a foot path cut out of lava rocks.



The water is such as amazing color of blue, the pictures just don't do it justice.  There is a nature path to enjoy before entering the more "touristy" swimming lagoon.



Visitors relax and float in the mineral waters.  There are caves, bridges, waterfalls and steam baths to enjoy. You can actually enter the warm water from inside the building, no need to step outside in the freezing temperatures just wearing your swimsuit. There are large containers of  white silica mud to put on your body which you rinse off after it hardens in 5 to 10 minutes.



Prior to our visit I had read about the healing properties of the Blue Lagoon. Once again, I was a skeptic. The Blue Lagoon is said to help some people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis. Since everyone else was using the white mud, Darin and I decided to give it a try.The following morning at breakfast I was shocked at how amazing Darin's skin looked. I have since read that the mud-packs have rejuvenating characteristics. They stimulate the skin's natural collagen production. Even Mackenzie noticed Darin's skin when we used FaceTime at the hotel. The day I got back to Florida my mother mentioned my smooth complexion.  Our only regret is that we didn't purchase any of the Blue Lagoon spa products.



On a humorous note, I wish I had taken a picture of the lifeguards because they were bundled up like Eskimos while I swam in the warm water wearing only a bikini.  We were told to schedule our visit late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds.  We arrived at 5 pm thinking that we would be ready to leave after a few hours.



Boy were we wrong, they had to kick us out at closing time.  The Blue Lagoon is even more amazing at night.



Next Post - The Hot Golden Circle

The Northern Lights

The possibility of seeing the Northern Lights was one of the reasons we chose to visit Iceland for Darin's 50th birthday.  That being said, the Northern Lights can be elusive and unpredictable - so unpredictable that the larger tour companies let you re-book free of charge if you do not see the lights. There are relaxing ways to see the lights such as floating in a secret lagoon or more adventurous ways such as riding on a boat, however, Darin and I chose a tour bus instead. The tour bus offered the re-book option and buses are more mobile and able to quickly change locations at the last minute for a better sighting.

To see the lights you need a very clear dark sky away from the city lights. A severe solar storm hit two days prior to us leaving for Iceland. We were just two days short of being able to view the Northern Lights without having to leave the city of Reykjavik. Each morning, hotels in Iceland will predict your chances of seeing the lights that night using a scale from 1 to 9. We were rated at a 3 the night we attempted to see the lights.  I'll be the first to admit that I was a pessimist.  I thought we were going on "a wild goose chase." I thought our chances of seeing the lights were so slim that I decided not to pack a tripod (big mistake).  Our tour bus picked us up at 9:30 pm and we headed south over an hour in search of clear skies. Much to my surprise, the minute we stepped off the bus we could see the lights.  Below are my pictures taken without a tripod.  Our tour guide helped everyone with the settings on their cameras although he did warn us that without a tripod we wouldn't get a clear picture.  On the other hand, our bus driver encouraged everyone to put away their cameras and just enjoy the light show.

The next two pictures were taken by our tour guide using a tripod. You can see what a difference a tripod can make.

I can't find many words to describe the Northern Lights other than they were truly AMAZING! Darin and I feel so fortunate to have seen them. Our young hotel desk clerk told us how discouraged he feels when guests re-book night after night and end up having to leave Iceland without seeing the lights. I still can't believe that we lucked out and were able to see the lights on our first try.

Next post - the Blue Lagoon

Reykjavik, Iceland

I would love to say the Reykjavik has always been our on bucket list or that it has been one of the top ten cities in the world that we have wanted to visit but truthfully it wasn't - we just happened to find an online deal that we couldn't pass up.  We were able to purchase a package deal that included airfare, four nights in a hotel, and breakfast. The icing on the cake was the fact that we could fly directly out of Orlando. Speaking of cake, we would be celebrating Darin's actual 50th birthday while we were in Iceland.

I knew the minute the airplane's cabin door closed that this trip was going to be something extra special. All the seats in the airplane were filled except for the seat next to us. We were able to stretch out and sleep overnight on our way to Iceland. Since we were scheduled to arrive in Reykjavik at 7:00 am, I contacted our hotel hoping for early check-in but was told that the hotel was filled to capacity. However, as we entered the Hotel Klettur, the front desk clerk said "Mrs. Morgan, I have good news for you."  Once again, I knew this trip was going to be exceptionally good.

While in Reykjavik, we visited Hallgrimskirkja Church where we were able to go the top of the tower and see a 360 degree view of the city.









We were able to participate in a free two hour walking tour of Reykjavik. Our tour guide, Marteinn Arteinn Briem, was a 25 year old history graduate of the University of Icland. Marteinn explained that prior to 2007 Iceland was a very expensive country to visit because of the high value of its currency. Due to Iceland's 2008-09 banking crisis, the country finally became affordable to foreign travelers. Iceland's tourism has exploded in the last few years; last year they welcomed over one million visitors. For the first time ever tourism brought in more revenue than commercial fishing.





After our walking tour we had just enough time to visit the Sun Voyager sculpture.



While visiting the sculpture, we got caught in our second rainstorm of the day.  Little did we know that our entire trip would consist of  drastic changes in the weather - from sun to rain to sleet to hail to snow to wind and back to sun all within minutes of each other. Since we didn't rent a car or use public transportation the weather made our walking very comical at times.

Next post - The Northern Lights

Solo and Ensemble

Last weekend Mackenzie participated in the annual FBA Solo & Ensemble District Festival. In this festival students (winds, percussion, dance and auxiliary) all prepare solos and small group numbers to perform for judges and receive ratings. The highest honor being a Superior rating followed by Excellent and Good. Mackenzie received an Superior rating!  This has qualified her to take her solo to the State level in March. This is such a testament to her hard work and dedication considering she never played a drum until she started high school.

17 Precious Years

Mackenzie celebrated her 17th birthday this weekend. She hosted a bonfire at our home on Friday night with 16 of her closest friends. We couldn't have asked for better weather. How much noise can 17 teenagers make on a lanai? A lot! I was sure a neighbor was going to complain but they didn't.  On Saturday night we had our family dinner at her favorite Thai restaurant followed by dessert at her favorite ice cream shoppe.



Happy Birthday, Mackenzie!

What's new with us?

Darin and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary back in August.  It was a low key midweek dinner out but it did start us on a trend. We now take time out of our busy schedules to meet for drinks and/or appetizers once a week without the kids.

In November the four of us had the honor of attending another Bat Mitzvah. The host teased us that as a family we do "clean up nicely."
 


Darin will be turning 50 in March and we have a unique celebration planned - more details to come.