Fire and Ice

Brace yourself, because this post is going to be a big one, but mostly it's going to be photos.  Lots and lots of photos.  Due to some technical difficulties (the story of my life this week) I'm going to combine days one and two into a massive post. 

So here we go.  Saturday started off with some sightseeing in Reykjavik.  It's a cute town, but don't expect tons of history like you would in another European city.  It's charming, but fully prepared for tourists.  And I'll say this once.... it's expensive.  So those nights (days) out at the pub will set you back.  First thing this morning we headed out to the massive Hallgrimskirkja.  AKA the giant church that overlooks most of the city. 

You're able to go to the top of the tower for some amazing views.

We did a lot of wandering around after that.  Would have done lots of shopping but again... expensive.  :-). Last thing for the day was watching the sun set... at midnight.  Yep 12:03 to be exact.  So now I can check off seeing the midnight sun.  It never truly gets dark this time of year.  So it seems to be messing around with our internal clocks, but it sure is pretty to see.

On to the fun stuff... Sunday.  I'd love to say we covered tons of ground and left no stone unturned, but I can't.  I managed to leave Barcelona with a dreadful cold.  So today I did only one thing... our pre-booked helicopter tour.  And honestly if it was the ONLY thing I did on this trip, it would have been worth it.  Just a quick side note... I'm not going to try to label everything possible on this trip.  I can't spell or begin to pronounce most of the words, so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

On the helicopter tour, we first headed out of the city.  A few minor notes on these pics... Sometimes I was close to the open window of the helicopter and sometimes I wasn't.  So some photos may have window grime or reflections.  You'll probably see the edges of the window frame as well as occasionally the helicopter blade blur.  Somehow, I don't think all these imperfections are going to bother you.

On our way to a glacier, it just kept getting better.

One of the most beautiful things I think I've ever seen, is this lake that was a perfect mirror to the sky.

What I didn't think could top even that... landing and walking on a glacier.  Oh and our delightful pilot brough along some sparkling wine for us to share at the top. This flight was worth every penny. 

Last stop was the geothermal area. Boiling water bubbles from the ground. The smell of sulphur hangs in the air. One again, it's like another world.

 

I'll leave you with the last few images of the trip.  I hope to have more adventures this next week.  I also hope I get over this cold! Wish me luck and safe travels!