October 19th, 2015

Destination? Blue Lagoon, Iceland, Geothermal Spa, Grindavik, Southwestern Iceland, One of the 25 Wonders of The World

This is the perfect post on this chilly evening in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.  Visiting Iceland at the beginning of September was quite an experience.  The weather can be tricky.  You better take your raincoat.  It did rain the whole time we were there but we managed to do most everything, including a most visited attraction, the Blue Lagoon.

Please note that the Blue Lagoon will be temporarily close for renovation from January 5th through the 21st.  They are also expanding…a new luxury hotel will be opening in 2017.

There are plenty of tour operators that will be able to assist you in your tour to this pretty amazing place.  We used the Gray Line http://www.grayline.is.

The water is not really blue.  What happens is that the waters are rich in minerals; silica, sulphur and algae.  The water is supposed to help some people suffering from skin diseases.

It was raining but we were determined.  My photos might show some of the drops on the lense.  The water temperature in the bathing and swimming area of the lagoon averages 98.6 degrees F to 102.2 degrees F.

The Blue Lagoon is fed by the water output from the nearby Swartsengi Geothermal Power Plant and is completely renewed every 2 days in a natural way.

There is a restaurant inside and also a shop selling skin care products.

The Spa is used by many….massages right on the lagoon.

There are plenty of different packages available.  We purchased the Standard package and were there for a few hours.  For more info., please visit http://www.bluelagoon.is

The age of the lava field surrounding Blue Lagoon is 800 years.

Then it was time to go to the next adventure.

September 15th, 2015

Destination? Reykjavik, Iceland, Geysir, The Golden Circle, Tour, Geothermal Energy, Welcome to Geysir

Generating electricity with geothermal energy has increased significantly in recent years in Iceland.  For space heating, Iceland is a pioneer in the use of geothermal energy.  Geothermal power facilities currently generate 25% of the country’s total electricity production.

Iceland went from what was one of Europe’s poorest countries during the course of the 20th century.  They were dependent upon peat and imported coal for its energy.  It is now a country with a high standard of living where practically all stationary energy is derived from renewable resources.  In 2014, roughly 85% of primary energy use in Iceland came from indigenous renewable resources.  Thereof 66% was from geothermal.

Traveling with the Gray Line to see the Geyser….this was the Golden Circle Tour.  This part of Iceland is the southwest and it is the warmest part of the island.  The most important horse breeders are also in this area, as well.

The Geysir geothermal area is the home of the Geysir, after which all geysers are named.  Water blasts out every 4 to 8 minutes.  Also there are signs warning visitors not to touch the water.  It is 176 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

It is called Iceland but in reality it is one of the hottest places on the planet.  Volcanic activity still continues to feed hot thermal springs and spray gushing steam from the geysers.  You can really smell the sulfur.  This smell is due to the minerals that the water brings to the surface as it is heated.

The ultimate goal is to see the explosion…

This Little Geyser does not explode; it just keep bubbling up.

This is a must see when visiting Iceland.

Note:  Information for this post was taken from chiff.com, and from nea.is.