I’m going to go ahead and write this post now, even though I’m kind of tired of writing today. I think it will be a short post, and when it’s done, I’ll have one or two left to do before the blow by blow part of the Iceland series is finished. I don’t know why I’m in a hurry to finish. It’s not like I always have so much material to put out there. I think it’s mainly because I don’t want to forget anything.
So… Thursday, September 5, was technically our last activity day with Iceland Luxury Tours. They did book our return transfer to the airport on Saturday, the 7th, but that didn’t involve anything other than a very nice car ride.
When we booked our trip, we told the folks at Iceland Luxury Tours that we like spa activities. Many people, when they come to Iceland, make a point of visiting The Blue Lagoon, which is a famous geothermal lagoon near Grindavik. It’s about 45 minutes or so from Reykjavik, and tends to be rather crowded.
Instead of going to the world famous Blue Lagoon, Iceland Luxury Tours recommended that we visit the newer and closer Sky Lagoon near Reykjavik. Like the more famous lagoon, the Sky Lagoon is warm pool of “healing waters”, heated by geothermal energy. It’s right next to the sea and styled like an infinity pool, so you can look at the water while you soak in soothing hot water. We were told this newer lagoon would probably be less crowded, and it would require less travel time. We were fine with that explanation, so we agreed to try the Sky Lagoon.
Our appointment was at 11:00 AM, and our driver arrived promptly at 10:30 AM to pick us up. He was a very tall, handsome, Nordic looking man who was friendly and professional. The drive didn’t take long at all, and soon we were standing in line behind other people who had pre-booked, as well as those who had just shown up. It was a little confusing, at first, because there didn’t seem to be a separation between those who had pre-booked and those who hadn’t. Fortunately, the line moved quickly.
I did see one group who, I think, ended up disappointed. Children under 12 are not allowed in the Sky Lagoon. Those between 12 and 14 must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years old. They brought several youngsters with them who looked younger than 12. I didn’t see them in the lagoon later, so they were probably refused entry.
There are two tiers of service at the Sky Lagoon. There’s the cheaper Saman, in which participants use a communal locker room. Then there’s Ser, which allows patrons their own private changing area, locker room, and shower. Once you finish getting into your bathing suit, you put all your things in a locker so the changing room can be used by others. Towels are included, and there’s no point in bringing a robe or shower shoes, since shoes aren’t allowed in the locker area (except by employees).
A lot of people brought their cell phones into the lagoon. I thought about bringing mine, but decided not to. After all, I was there to relax, not worry about my phone falling into water (even though I’m about to upgrade it). If you want to see what the lagoon looks like, you can easily Google it. Lots of people recorded their visit when we were there and at other times. Below is an ad for the place…
When you go into the lagoon, you are given two wrist bands. One allows you into a “hut” where you undergo the treatments that come with your visit. The other allows you to charge purchases at the bar. They sell a broad array of drinks there, but there are also things like sunglasses and waterproof cases for phones.
The water in the Sky Lagoon was very pleasant, and I didn’t find it to be overly crowded at all. It was fun to watch the people who were there. I saw a couple of young women who appeared to be trying to model, although they, or the man who was with them, were taking photos with cell phones. Both wore bikinis and were doing all sorts of poses that were not that original. I actually got a little concerned for one of them, as she was a bit underweight, and the poses were looking a little sexual… as if maybe they were less for modeling and more for trafficking. But, for all I know, the whole thing was perfectly innocent. It wasn’t my business, other than the fact that it was happening in front of me.
The treatment hut could have been more relaxing and kind of felt a little hokey. There was a sauna area. One was supposed to be technology free (no phones), while the other was supposed to be quiet. The saunas weren’t very hot, and people weren’t particularly respectful. Then after the sauna, you move to an area where cold water drips on you. I found it drafty and unpleasant, and quickly moved to the next phase, where you slather a salt scrub all over your body, then sit in a steam room, which was crowded enough that there wasn’t enough seating. Then there’s a shower and you drink a shot of crowberry juice, which was nice. Outside the hut, there’s a cold plunge pool. Someone was in it when we came out, and he was somehow smiling. He laughed when I touched the frigid water with my toes and said, “Not a chance!”
We got back into the water and drank at the bar. Each patron over age 20 is allowed a maximum of three alcoholic beverages per visit. Naturally, I maxed that out. I’m sure the limit is to prevent people from getting too drunk and obnoxious. They have beer, wine, champagne, sparkling wine, cocktails, and a variety of non-alcoholic drinks served in plastic drinkware. I noticed later that the salt scrub had made my skin very soft.
Our driver had agreed to meet us at 1:30 PM and told us to let him know if we needed him sooner or later than that. We were done right at 1:30, so it worked out great. He took us back to the hotel, and later, we went out for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, of all places. I wanted a cheeseburger in the worst way. I wanted it to taste good… as I have discovered that sometimes European restaurants can’t do decent burgers. Below are some photos from our visit to the Sky Lagoon and Hard Rock Cafe.
After we ate lunch, we walked around a bit more, and then ended up at The Downtown Bar, which was just steps away from our hotel. We spent some quality time in this establishment, where they played really good music that I kept Shazaming and downloading. I have missed good bars! They just had mostly beer and wine, but the service was very friendly, and again… the music really made the atmosphere. I guess I should thank Spotify for that!
By the time we were finished at the bar, it was well into the evening. We picked up more Sbarro at the market and went back to the hotel room to watch the news. Yeah, we’re boring… but we’re also middle aged. And cold, windy, rainy weather has a tendency to make us sleepy. It was our last Sbarro run, though. I might not have it again for the rest of my life!
That about does it for Thursday… Stay tuned for my post on the last full day, and then the journey back to Germany!
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