The new IcelandAir route from San Francisco to Reykjavík made this a quick journey, not even 8 hours transit time. Like last year our arrival in Reykjavík was early in the morning, this time just before 6am which means nothing is open yet and our hotel room is not available for quite a while. We were lucky to once again have the same driver as last year Magnús Thoroddsen who knew how to distract by taking us to a harbor area in Keflavik that had a nice view of the bay. It also had an interesting building built into a cliff that turned out to be Skessuhellir, the home of the troll Giganta. Icelandic author Herdís Egilsdóttir wrote 16 stories about a little girl Sigga and her friend Giganta a troll. The last one describing her migration to the Town of Reykjanes where she now resides. I read if you come to the cave at the right time you can hear Giganta burp and fart. Giganta is a gentle one and loves children. There is a tree decorated with pacifiers, children leave them with her when they have outgrown using them. A nice distraction to start the trip.
Next up was Bláa lónið or Blue Lagoon. Between the airport and Reykjavík it is a geothermal spa and a nice place to shake off jet travel. When the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power station was under construction it was noted that workers with skin issues had their symptoms eased when they washed in the mineral rich water from the plant. It quickly built up from there. The spa is meticulously maintained and very sanitary. A new section, the Retreat Spa open recently offering a bit more privacy and more detailed treatments than in the main section of the lagoon which we visited last year. Recommended.
Jet lag finally caught up with us and it was time for rest at the hotel. IcelandAir Hotel Reykjavík Harbor was one of our favorites last year, this time we were able to book a harbor view. Nice to be back.
