Wind down at the Blue Lagoon

This blanket made me smile...and be grateful that I wasn't going to be missing the HOT SPRINGS!

Icelandair first class flight service was lovely.  Seven hours next to my seat mate was highly interesting and even more so, intelligent.  A Sicilian born Environmental Physiology and Sensory Neuroscience, PhD whose research focuses on understanding how the human body interacts with our surrounding thermal environments both physiologically and perceptually. and how neurological diseases like Multiple Sclerosis alters these functions.  Yes, highly intriguing and oh so handsome, Italian with a British accent as he has lived in Australia, Berkeley and now England. I know what you're thinking...he's a family man my friends.

Once arrived at the Blue Lagoon, I donned the standard white robe and flip flops and ventured outside but only for a second!  Best to enter the geothermal marvel from an indoor ramp; I'm not THAT brave  to disrobe in the elements in the cold.  Once in the lagoon, I made way to the silica mask bar to coat my face and neck a mud that's known to extract impurities in the skin.  Then navigated to the lava caves, waterfalls and hot spots and generally, people watched.

Inviting. Steamy. Energizing. Rejuvenating.

Iceland is a hotspot for geologic activity, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and geysers with abundant energy.  It was its volcanic activity that is thought to have created Iceland. A wonder of the world.

From the relaxation station.

With 3 hours until my massage and my body clock at 2am with no sleep, I headed to the relaxation area to find a lounge chair to catch some down time. Seemed the morning early risers had gotten there  before me, though patience paid off eventually for me doze off for an hour.  Something to eat before massage perhaps...

Crisp, cool refreshing. 

Light and nourishing. Langoustine soup.

At 1:19 at the "ropes" to enter the massage area where my masseur Chad guided me to the in water massage table. New experience.  Many of you know that I've had massages in Montenegro, Turkey, Vietnam, Bali, Thailand and more but THIS was an incredible sensation.  All of them, stories - to be sure.  Ask my travel partner Debbie about Montenegro.  But THIS was cool.

Crawl onto a massage platform covered with a slatted surface over a floating mat yet partially submerged in the water.  So you think...wait, I'm going to get chilled. Yes, you do but only for a moment.  You're covered with blankets, wet blankets.  Wet, warm blankets. At intervals, Chad pulls the now cooled blankets from your body in sections (legs, upper body, arms) to rewarm them in the heated pools. It's refreshing. It's shocking. It's comforting. 

Body scrub first. Massage next. 

Once the scrub is completed, you're pulled into the water no longer on a solid surface. The key here was to RELAX.  Don't worry about falling off the mat, about how a massage is accomplished, about anything.  So Chad says.  My control freak self had to LET GO.  The more you're able to relax the more you'll enjoy the total experience. Again, at various intervals, Chad placed his hands on either side of my hips, submerging the mat and me deeper into the warm water.  The now cooled water from element exposure finds its way to the top of the blanket at my neck.  Occasional light rain on my face. My ears at water level drown out the ambient noise. Invigoratingly memorable.