And we're back! Sorry for the radio silence last week, but it was for a good reason! We were on vacation in Iceland! I most definitely don't have the forethought to write posts ahead of time and schedule them, so . . . sorry about that!

On Monday, we arrived bright and early at the Keflavik airport, to a lovely snowstorm. Upon picking up our rental car, we were informed to stay far away from the southern coast because the roads would be closed and a blizzard would be moving through the area. They stressed that we check Road.is as frequently as possible, and keep track of the weather. Welcome to Iceland!

We started by stopping in a small cafe for breakfast, before attempting to find the Hafnarberg Sea-Cliffs. Upon turning off the main road toward the cliffs, I quickly aborted the mission as the road and GPS were not agreeing. As in, the GPS said there was a road where I didn't see one. I didn't want to start the trip wrecking the car, so sadly, I did a 40 point turn in a lava-rock field, and headed back to the road. Instead, we pressed on to the lighthouse at Hopsnes, which was SUPER windy. This area was quite beautiful though, being right on the ocean with the waves crashing, the snow flying, and the rocky fields all around us. There was a couple of ship-wrecks in sight as well. After watching Ellie get blown around by the wind, we decided it was time to warm up. The Blue Lagoon!

First, is the Blue Lagoon worth going to? This seems to be the main debate. It is quite expensive, especially compared to the free natural hot springs around the island, or the relatively inexpensive options available in most towns. But, I think the three of us agreed that it was a once-in-a-lifetime visit, and we absolutely enjoyed our experience. There were a ton of people there, but the amount of room in the lagoon itself didn't make it feel too overwhelmingly crowded. It is extremely touristy though, so keep that in mind. There will be plenty of young travelers posing for instagram and drinking beer, and older tourists on their bus trips causing a ruckus. Just find a quieter spot in the lagoon.

From there, we went onward to our first hotel, the Hotel Viking, which was a lovely stay outside Reykjavik. It was, in a way, a themed hotel with a themed restaurant, but it was in no way over-the-top. We stayed in our own little cabin which was a little cramped and had a loft, but worked well enough for what we needed it for, a warm place to sleep after a long day of travel and soaking in the blue lagoon.