We set out at 3 pm to catch our IcelandAir flight out of SeaTac. Security went well (thank you TS and Clear) and while the airport was busy we still managed to find a seat at a seafood house in the S gates. I miss Anthonys being there and look forward to the new Saltys replacing it.
I took the risk and changed out seats to window and aisle, leaving the middle seats open. As we were seate towards the back, this paid off and we ended up not having anyone on the middle seats on both ends.
The flight went OK but we learned that Colby has a pretty negative reaction to Melatonin. So we wont be giving him that again anytime soon. As worried parents, neither Steve nor i got more than 3 hours sleep, while Grady was catching winks the whole time.
We landed in Keflavik airport at 9:20 and made our way to baggage and then to the renatl car counter. My Hertz gold paid off; this counter is all located in the aiport and you have to take a number, old DMV style. Because we have gold status, our number came up about 10 before the regular line numbers. Within 30 minutes we were sitting in our Kia Sportage, navigating our way out of the aiport.
First stop is the incredibly hyped Blue Lagoon. I know there are more authentic spas in Iceland and i know people think this place is overcrowded and expensive. But honestly you cant go to Iceland and not see this place. The pool is huge, the water a milky turquiose blue rimmed in white and the facilities designed to handle large and diverse crowds. And honestly it wasnt THAT crowded. We enjoyed a drink, gooped silica on our faces and explored the pool for about 2 hours. The only time we felt crowded was when we grabbed a snack and couldnt find seating. Otherwise, it wa great.
Next stop was finding our hotel (Odinsve) in Reyjavik, which happens to be located on a street that is torn wide open for some kind of repairs. We had to park and walk a block to even reach the hotel, which is a very modest but clean space. The boys are located across the hall, in their own room. The location of the hotel is perfect as it sits a block back from the party scene but still within easy distance of anything we need.
After settling in, we hit the town for a Rick Steves guide book walking tour. We learned about the original settlement, saw some true Reykjavik residentail areas, shared a hot dog from the stand made famous by Bill Clinton, saw the ducks on the city pond and enjoyed watching the people dining al fresco all over town. After changing clothes, we trekked back to the main thoroughfare for dinner at GrillMakden, a restaurant that evokes a mossy speakeay, complete with a bartender who will make a custom drink for ou, grilled whale and puffing as appetizers and the most phenomenal fish I have ever tasted. We all enjoyed every bite at this hard to find restaurant. Truly worth the trekk.
Its a little past 8 pm now and I am fighting the losing battle with sleep. Tomorrow is a big day so signing off for now.
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