This morning, we boarded a bus and rode to the Blue Lagoon. In 1976, a pool formed from the waste water of the recently built Svartsengi Geothermal Power Station. In 1981, people started bathing in it because of its supposed healing powers. The Blue Lagoon Company was established in 1992, and the bathing facility was opened for the public.
The warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur, and bathing in the Blue Lagoon is reputed to help some people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis. The water temperature in the bathing and swimming area of the lagoon averages 99–102 F and is renewed every two days. The Blue Lagoon also operates a research and development facility to help find cures for other skin ailments using the mineral-rich water. The building in the right/center of the photo is a bar for the swimmers.
There are about 70 of us touring Iceland, and the majority of the folks actually swam in the Blue Lagoon this morning. I only got as far as putting my hand in the milky turquoise water. It was wonderfully warm and would have been very relaxing, but I was a bit of a wimp.
In the afternoon, we explored a variety of interesting sites in and around Reykjavik. Our first stop was the house of the President of Iceland. The flag was flying to the left of the house, indicating the president was in residence.
Arbaer Open Air Museum is an open air museum with more than 20 buildings which form a town square, a village and a farm. Most of the buildings have been relocated from central Reykjavik. The museum tries to give a sense of the architecture and way of life and lifestyles of the past. The building on the right is an old church (notice the turf roof). The road is said to be the old road that led to Reykjavik.
The museum included farm animals. I just can’t get enough of the Icelandic horses and fell in love with this little colt.
Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheran parish church in Reykjavík. At 244 ft. high, it is the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. We were not allowed to go into the church because the Viking Squad was inside the church arresting someone. Police in Iceland are not armed so when there is a serious threat, the Viking Squad is called. This group of about 55 officers is Iceland's elite counter-terrorism unit, specializing in various types of armed and unarmed infantry combat. Iceland has no standing regular military and never has.
The church stands out wherever you are in Reykjavik.
Perlan (The Pearl) is situated on Reykjavik’s highest hill where there had been hot water storage tanks for decades. In 1991 the tanks were updated, and a hemispherical structure was placed on top. Inside the Perlan, the Wonders of Iceland exhibition explores volcanoes, glaciers and geothermal marvels of this country. The Observation Deck on the fourth floor of Perlan lies on the top of the hot water tanks and encircles the entire dome to give an amazing 360 view. I took the above picture of the church from the observation deck.
We are home safe and sound now after being up for 24 hour on our travel day yesterday. It was a great trip with so many beautiful sights, both natural and manmade. I hope to have a slideshow of our trip to post within a couple of weeks. Thanks for joining us on our journey.
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