Day 2: Blue Lagoon & Videy Island

We woke up early this morning to get to the Blue Lagoon for our 8am slot (the first of the day) which was definitely worth it because there were barely any other people there AND it was one of the cheaper times to go (the other cheap slots being 3pm and 6pm but we wanted to get our day started early). We weren't sure what to expect as it had mixed reviews- some people saying it was overrated and others saying it was the highlight of their trip but we really enjoyed it! The lagoon was much bigger than we had expected, they had complementary silica mud face masks that made my skin feel amazing, and it was overall a very relaxing way to start the day.

It was a BEAUTIFUL day in Reykjavik today so we wanted to spend the remainder of our last day here outside. Caroline researched for a few minutes once we got back to our apartment and found a ferry that was only a 10 minute drive away that took people over to a place called Videy Island and back to Reykjavik every hour on the hour. We went and got a quick slice of pizza beforehand at a little hole-in-the-wall downtown called "The Deli" (which was delicious) and sat out on a patio on the main street listening to a local musician play a few feet away.

Our decision to go to Videy Island was mostly based on us not wanting to waste a sunny, 12 degree day (which is pretty warm for here) visiting museums or art galleries. The ferry ride over to the island took less than five minutes but it allowed us to see Reykjavik from another viewpoint which was pretty cool. Once we were actually on the island, we found a little church and the oldest stone building in Iceland. Despite the very interesting historical sites on the island- it was the site of one of the most illustrious and prosperous monasteries in Iceland before it was shut down during one of many religious reformations in this country's history- we mostly explored

the Videy Island for its beautiful flora. The rest of Iceland's vegetation is pretty much limited to the lichen that grows on rocks and the trees that have been imported from other countries so the flowers and long grass found on the island were a welcome sight. We spent the better part of our two hours following foot-wide footpaths which lead us to a few nice peaks, some small inland ponds, and even a couple of beaches. Videy Island was a nice change of pace from the semi-busy city life that we have been experiencing on the mainland in Reykjavik- we're excited to do some more rural exploration over the next 8 days!

Tomorrow we'll be exploring the infamous "Golden Circle" which is right outside of Reykjavik and includes a national park, a huge waterfall and a geyser that are all in a very close proximity. We are really looking forward to starting our quest around the entire exterior of the country!