Our city tour took us by the parliament building, several museums, the university, a large outdoor heated swimming pool, the harbor, and several other landmarks. We made several stops along the way. This was good because jet lag really had a grip on us. However, whenever we stepped off the bus into the arctic windblasts, we woke up right away. We did not have the opportunity to visit the National Museum that contains artifacts from the Viking days because it was closed for renovation.

One of the highlights of this tour was the Hallgrímskrikja Church. This huge Lutheran church (around 90% of Icelanders are Lutheran) is the largest building in Reykjavík and can be seen from just about anywhere in the city. Apparently, there was some controversy when its construction was completed in 1974 because people complained it looked like a lava flow. To me, it looks like a chapel with a gigantic rocket attached to it. Outside of the church is a statue of Leif Ericsson, which was given to Iceland by the U.S.. Leif Ericsson was born in Iceland and is credited for being the first European to set foot in North America in 1000 A.D.. We were allowed to enter the church and look at its 5000-piped organ. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to hear it. Ordinarily, this tour allows visitors to go to the top of the bell tower and get a lovely panoramic view of the city. For some reason, our tour guide informed us that we were not going to be doing that on this tour. Instead, she said we would be making a stop at Perlan (The Pearl) to get our panoramic view of Reykjavík.

Perlan is an upscale restaurant and museum that sits high on a hill and atop six water towers. It has an observation balcony on the fourth floor. We went to the balcony and got some nice views of Reykjavík, but we didn't stay out there very long. That arctic wind was vicious!!

A brief stop at the famous Blue Lagoon made us wish we had brought swimsuits and had the time to enjoy the restorative skin benefits of bathing in the naturally heated waters. A combination of "good" blue algae, mineral salts, and white mud bottom give the lagoon its incredible aqua color and provide natural healing benefits. There’s always next trip.

There were two favorite stops on our tour. The first was the geysers ( known as geysirs in Iceland) in Haukadalur. Although the Great Geysir is virtually inactive at this time, there was plenty of action all around. Strokkur, known as the "churn," erupts about every six to ten minutes reaching heights of 60-80 feet. It is an impressive event.

At first, it appears relatively benign, a simmering pool of super-heated water with a strong sulphur smell. Then it begins to boil and a large dome-shaped bubble covers the surface. Seconds later a thunderous massive cone-shaped tower of steam and hot water shoots high into the air. As quickly as it happens, it ends. The pool drains completely and begins to refill immediately. In the thirty minutes we observed Strokkur, it erupted four times. In between shows, we walked around the geothermal park among smaller pools and mudpits, hissing, bubbling and belching steam. All too soon, it was time to move on. As we drove away, we were treated to a farewell eruption from Strokker. We put this one on our list of "return trips" for future travels.

Our next stop was Gullfoss, the Golden waterfall. The icy Hvita River cascades over an enormous two-tiered drop into the narrow canyon below. It is so violent that the air is filled with a fine mist. Sunlight filters through the mist creating a distinctive rainbow across the cataract. What an exhilarating sensory experience! We felt the power and beauty of Mother Nature at her finest.

As we made our way back to Reykjavik, the sun was beginning its descent below the horizon. A purple haze hung over the hills and the sky and sea were filled with a kaleidoscope of colors that took our breath away.

Soon we were sailing away from Reykjavik. Instead of feeling "tour-tired" I was energized and could hardly wait to take pen in hand and record the memories of this special day.