Day 17 -- Iceland

Could not come to Iceland and not sample the thermal baths.  Last night, the girls recommended Vesturbæjarlaug pool, which they and their families use. They said it was a nice neighborhood facility for local and not tourists. We walked to the bus terminal and took bus #15.  At the pool, there were separate changing rooms for men and women. Bo learned the ropes from an elderly Icelandic woman in the locker room. First, you had to take a shower naked and wash yourself with provided soap; then you put on your swim suit, left the towel in the shower room and went outside to the pools. The facility has a big swimming pool, a children’s pool, five hot tubs of varying temperatures, a seam bath, sauna and a gym. We initially ended up in small round pool.  After a bit we migrated to the next pool which was 104 degrees.  It was amazing.   Bo did 2 laps in a bigger pool. After 45 minutes of soaking we left.  It was a small trial to find the bus back.  There was no busstop across the street from where we got off.  We got on the bus at the same place that we got off, since the route is circular. The amazing thing was that for the rest of the day we felt really warm in spite of the weather. Geothermal pools are Icelanders’ secret to surviving this wretched climate. After lunch we walked to the penis museum.  They have a collection of 1800.  We decided not to pay the exorbitant entrance fee and left. We then took a walk along the water and ended in the Reykjavik’s concert hall called Harpa (Harp). It’s an amazing building of stunning architecture. It won the European Union architecture prize in 2013. The entire building is made of glass windows, most of which are clear, but some random ones are colored. The interior walls are dark grey, but there are many yellow accents – doors, furniture. Overall, it is a beautiful piece of modern architecture that incorporates the surrounding landscape.