Icelandic horses are different than other horses. First of all, they aren't very big. They look almost like really robust ponies. Short and wide with really long coats to keep them warm. Also, they can do a 5th gait that most other horses can't do. Apparently some other horses can be trained to do it, but the Icelandic horse does it naturally. The name of the 5th gait sounds something like, "Tut" and it involves the horse having only 1 hoof on the ground at the time. It's pretty amazing & it leads to an incredibly smooth ride.
Anyhow, we were picked up at our hotel by the owner of the horseback riding company & were pleased to find out that it was only Tony & I, along w/ a British couple about our ages on the tour. We headed to the stables, got the run down & were given snowsuits & helmets. Oh thank God for those snow suits! At the time it was pretty clear & beautiful out, but it was damn cold that day. We were introduced to our horses, practiced getting on/off (oh thank god there are no pictures of that!) & headed out.
Random Tidbit: I may be overweight, but I've always been pretty flexible. Not to self: It is MUCH more difficult getting on/off a horse, even a small Icelandic one, when wearing leggings, jeans, 2 long sleeved shirts & a snowsuit. :-/
The ride itself was beautiful. We were up in the hills overlooking the city of Reykjavik & the sky was clear. Well....then it started snowing. A LOT! It was actually super fun & kind of majestic to be horseback riding in a snow storm. I know I put a couple of these pics in my first post, but here are some more! (I'm wearing a red scarf.)
After that, Tony & I got dropped off at the bus station where we had lunch, then took the bus out to the Blue Lagoon. Now, I'd heard mixed reviews about the Blue Lagoon. Some people say, you can't miss it & others say it's overpriced & not worth the money. As for me? Well, it was totally overpriced at approx. $40 a person, but I'm SO glad we went! Especially after horseback riding all morning!
The Blue Lagoon in a giant natural hot spring pool. They've built the area into a big tourist trap w/ a spa, a restaurant, nice lockerooms, a gift shop, etc. Hell, there's even a swim up bar! The water is about chest/shoulder deep and it's fucking awesome. There's special goop to put on your face as a mask, a waterfall that massages your shoulders & plenty of room to wander about enjoying the various water temperatures.
While we were there the snow continued and it was pretty freaking rad. Imagine floating around in these incredibly blue, very warm waters surrounded by striking black volcanic rock with a beer in hand & thousands of perfect little snowflakes falling down on you. It was the perfect way to spend our last afternoon in Iceland.
After reluctantly leaving the Blue Lagoon & catching the last bus back to the hotel we relaxed, had cocktails & caught the hotel shuttle into town. We wandered around a bit, bought a couple souvenirs & grabbed dinner. We wound up back at Cafe Paris, the same place we had breakfast our first day. We had Icelandic lobster tails for an app, Tony tried (minke) whale steak & I had the fish special of the night. It was delicious!
The snow came back in full force while we were having dinner. It made for a cold walk back to the hotel shuttle, but it was worth it! Downtown Reykjavik was transformed into a lovely winter wonderland.
The next day was our last. Tony slept in, while I enjoyed the incredible view from our room & relaxed in the hot tub at the hotel spa.
After that we hit up the hotel restaurant for what turned out to be an awesome lunch buffet. We pigged out on sushi, breads, fish entrees, smoked meats, salads, all kinds of awesome stuff. Oh, and naturally desserts! Then we checked out, caught the bus to the airport, hit up duty free & flew back to Seattle.
It was a good trip. Not the trip I'd imagined, but a damn good time. Hope you've enjoyed reading about my adventures.
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