Ring Road Iceland - Reykjavik

It's been a great first day. When I arrived in Iceland at Keflavik International Airport, instead of going straight to Reykjavik, it was recommended that I take a side trip to the geothermal spa named Blue Lagoon. It is located in a lava field and the water is supplied by the nearby geothermal power plant. This man-made lagoon has a milky blue colour which is largely due to the high content of silica (a chemical compound containing oxygen and silicon). The lagoon is also high in algae and salt. Bathers with psoriasis have found it beneficial to their skin to bathe in the lagoon.

Having spent a couple of hours in the lagoon, a great way to rejuvenate from my flight, I headed into Reykjavik for some exploration. Reykjavik is the capital city of Iceland and the world's most northernmost capital. The first settlement was in 874AD and the city itself was founded in 1785 as a trading town which steadily grew and expanded to become the national centre it is today.

I headed to Grandi Harbor as several points of interest are located there and started with a visit at the Whales of Iceland, a wonderful museum exhibiting 23 man-made life size models of various whales. I was particularly taken by the 25m (82ft) long blue whale model. It's a tactile experience as each hand-painted model is designed to be soft and squishy and accessible to visitors.

Nearby is the Maritime Museum exhibiting Iceland's maritime history including displays of 100-year old fishing boats. What makes this visit interesting is the decommissioned Coast Guard and rescue vessel Óðinn moored near the museum providing visitors an opportunity to see and learn about its custom design and special duties patrolling Iceland's territorial fishing grounds. During its service (1960-2006) the vessel towed 200 ships to safety, rescued stranded crews and twice saved the lives of crews from sinking ships.

At the north-east edge of Grandi is a small dome shaped hill with an encircling path to the top. This art installation with a fish drying shed on top is a lovely contemplative spot with a terrific view of the harbour and the glistening honeycomb design of the Harpa Concert Hall.

As I made my way along the shore, I came across the Sun Voyager, a stainless steel sculpture designed by Jón Gunnar as a commemoration of the city's 200th anniversary. Often mistaken as a Viking ship, the artist describes the work as "...a dream boat, an ode to the sun. It symbolizes the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom."

With that in mind, I forge ahead and commence my 1,332km (828mi) round-the-island journey on Route 1 better known as Ring Road.

Take care and I'll write again soon.



See ya,

Richard

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