Day 1 Iceland

Well, I'm in Iceland! Feels kind of weird actually, it is one of those places you always want to go to but never actually do. The Australia of the North. So what the heck am I doing here? Biking of course! :^)

I assembled the bike yesterday at the airport. And today took off for an extended ride. Best made plans and all that... it didn't quite work out as planned. Weather turned cold and rainy. Roads turned to gravel. And *nasty* gravel at that! Think crushed lava and washboard. We, my bike and I, turned back. Then went further on to the "Blue Lagoon". A world famous spa here in Iceland. Never heard of it? Well, obviously you aren't worldly enough.

There wasn't time for me to go into the lagoon and it was too spendy for a quick dip. I am thinking I'll do it on Wednesday morning as the buses are arranged such that you can go there and then on to the airport from there. It does look pretty neat.

The photos here are first of one of the standing stone statues which are all over the fields near Keflavik. The area around the airport. They are very cool and very mysterious looking. Not sure who the artist is, but they are not old.

Next is a photo of the road I was biking on. Not much there there is there? I could have ridden the bus through this... but it would have been a different experience for sure. No cold rain for one. And I would not have turned back at the gravel. Whatever. I did take the bus on from the Blue Lagoon to Reykjavik. I was tired and the stuff I'd read said the road into Reykjavik wasn't much fun to ride on. And they were right... the shoulder on a four lane highway. I'm glad I skipped it.

And just in case you were worried that there wasn't much architecture to see here. Here is a church near Keflavik! From my hotel in Reykjavik I have a nice view of the Cathedral here. There is an excellent city hall and even a museum by Alto!

Tomorrow, the bus. Touring the Golden Circle with a bunch of damn tourists. Oh wait! I'm a tourist!

More Photos Here!